Water Treatment Injection Package (WTIP)

The continuous extraction of crude oil from underground reservoirs will eventually cause a decline in production. This decline occurs as reservoir pressure decreases along with the reduction of hydrocarbons within the formation.

One of the most common methods to overcome this challenge is water flooding. In this method, water is injected into the reservoir to restore pressure, displace residual oil, and push it toward production wells. Injection water may come from four main sources: seawater, river water, groundwater, and produced water.

Sources of Injection Water

Seawater

Suitable for offshore fields or locations close to the coastline.

River Water

Can only be applied in fields near large rivers, since injection requires a continuous and high-volume supply.

Groundwater

Applicable if there are significant aquifers near the production site. However, these three sources require dedicated infrastructure to secure supply.

Produced Water

Considered a sustainable option, but it presents compatibility issues such as oil content, biological activity, suspended solids, scaling, and corrosion. This makes water treatment a crucial step before reuse.

What is Produced Water?

Produced water is the water that comes to the surface together with oil during production. In mature wells, the water cut can reach up to 95 percent. Due to its large volume, produced water often creates disposal challenges.

Today, produced water can be reused as injection water through a process known as Produced Water Re-Injection (PWRI). This is made possible after proper treatment in a Water Treatment Injection Plant (WTIP).

Components of Produced Water

The components of produced water are generally divided into two main categories: organic and inorganic, as illustrated in the figure.

From the inorganic side, produced water contains dissolved ions such as sodium (Na⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), chloride (Cl⁻), carbonate, and bicarbonate. These substances can trigger scaling, corrosion, and system blockages if not properly managed.

From the organic side, produced water includes oil, carboxylic acids, phenols, and various other organic compounds. These can lead to fouling, reduce fluid quality, and even pose negative impacts on the environment.

Challenges in Produced Water

In general, the components in produced water fall into two main categories. The first category includes insoluble and separable substances such as free oil, solids, and suspended particles. The second category consists of soluble substances such as ions, acids, phenols, and other organic compounds, which require more advanced treatment methods.

This complexity is the reason why produced water treatment cannot rely on a single method alone, but instead requires a combination of technologies to ensure effective and reliable results.

Water Treatment Technology for PWRI

Water treatment technology for PWRI involves the removal of oil and large particles (Pre-Treatment), the elimination of impurities (Main Treatment), the removal of ultra-fine particles (Polishing Treatment), and advanced purification (Tertiary Treatment).

Reach out to our technical team for expert consultation on custom-designed specifications that meet your operational requirements.