Abstract

Steam injection has become a common method of extracting heavy crude oil. To mitigate environmental impact associated with disposal of large volumes of produced water in the heavy oil fields and to decrease the need in fresh water from surface sources, the Company uses the produced water for steam generation.

Currently, PJSC TATNEFT operates two water treatment units, the “Kamenka” unit with the capacity 350 m3/hour and the “Karmalka” unit with the capacity 700 m3/hour to produce demineralized water to be used as feed water for steam generation.

After extensive analysis of the available technologies, the decision was made in favor of membrane methods of water treatment and demineralization that have been realized in the above-mentioned water treatment units. The process includes the following process units and operations: sorption-filtration unit (preliminary cleaning to remove residual oil); ultrafiltration membrane unit (removal of oil); activated carbon sorption filters (further removal of dissolved oil and organic matter); reverse osmosis membranes – two stages (demineralization of water); anionic filters (removal of hydrosulfides); hydrogen peroxide dosing unit (complete removal of sulfide ions).

TatNIPIneft R&D Institute has performed extensive studies to develop an efficient technology of preliminary cleaning of produced water in the sorption-filtration unit; also, TatNIPIneft research engineers have carried out studies on hydrogen peroxide dosing into demineralized water to neutralize residual sulfide ions, and have designed an automatic hydrogen peroxide dosing unit. The performed pilot tests allowed to select the most efficient agents for chemical washing of the reverse osmosis membranes.

Successful operation of the first-in-Russia water treatment units based on the membrane methods has demonstrated that water meets the requirement to feed water for water-tube units for steam generation.

Key words:

heavy oil, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, produced water, oil concentration, treatment of effluents, feed water for steam generation

References

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Authors

O.Yu. Antonov, Wellstream Treatment Dpt., TatNIPIneft Institute–PJSC TATNEFT
32, Musa Jalil st., Bugulma, 423236, Russian Federation
E-mail: antonovoy@tatnipi.ru

L.V. Kudryashova, Wellstream Treatment Dpt., TatNIPIneft Institute–PJSC TATNEFT
32, Musa Jalil st., Bugulma, 423236, Russian Federation
E-mail: kudryashova@tatnipi.ru

N.N. Gafarov, Wellstream Treatment Dpt., TatNIPIneft Institute–PJSC TATNEFT
32, Musa Jalil st., Bugulma, 423236, Russian Federation
E-mail: GafarovNilN@tatnipi.ru

R.S. Magsumova, Wellstream Treatment Dpt., TatNIPIneft Institute–PJSC TATNEFT
32, Musa Jalil st., Bugulma, 423236, Russian Federation
E-mail: magsumova@tatnipi.ru

For citation:

O.Yu. Antonov, L.V. Kudryashova, N.N. Gafarov, R.S. Magsumova Podgotovka poputno dobyvaemoj vody s cel'ju vyrabotki para na mestorozhdenijah SVN PAO «Tatneft'» [Treatment of produced water to be used for steam generation in PJSC TATNEFT’s heavy oil fields]. Neftyanaya Provintsiya, No. 1(25), 2021. pp. 160-169. DOI https://doi.org/10.25689/NP.2021.1.160-169 (in Russian)