AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT 

OF CBM PRODUCED WATER – A MICROSOFT EXCEL©

-BASED TOOL 

TO HELP BRING PRODUCERS AND BENEFICIAL USERS TOGETHER 

Jean Debroux* 

Jim Graydon 

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants 

303 Second Street, Suite 300 South 

San Francisco, CA 94107 

Voice: 415-243-2451 

Fax: 415-896-0999 

jeandebroux@kennedyjenks.com

Bob Raucher 

Jim Henderson 

Stratus Consulting 

Boulder, CO 

The Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and 

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants has launched a research program entitled “An Integrated Framework for 

Treatment and Management of Produced Water” funded by the Research Partnership to Secure Energy 

for America (RPSEA). An output of this research program is a tool that allows producers, potential 

beneficial users, and various other stakeholders to identify the technical, logistical, regulatory, legal, and 

other institutional issues that can inhibit the beneficial use of produced water. Due to these institutional 

issues, a traditional linear problem-solving framework is not ideal for assisting energy companies and the 

water industry to develop beneficial use partnerships. In contrast, a bi-directional, or “matchmaking”, 

approach has been developed. This approach allows the stakeholders to consider the institutional 

complexity and the economic viability of multiple beneficial uses, either locally or outside of the basin 

and/or state. This framework also identifies the participation of third parties, or “brokers”, if needed, to 

help resolve key institutional issues, uncertainties and risk. 

 

The tool is comprised of three parts: 1) Water Quality module, 2) Treatment Technology Selection 

module, and 3) Key Elements modules. The completed tool will allow a stakeholder to use the first two 

modules independently or use the overall tool, which entails the three modules interacting with each 

other. The contents of the first two modules will be the focus of other presentations; this presentation will 

introduce the objectives and utility of the Key Elements module. 

The Key Elements module utilizes the outputs of the first two modules (i.e., a complete estimated 

produced water quality profile, and preferred treatment process trains for each beneficial use, 

respectively). In addition, user-specific inputs relating to water quantity, supply timing and reliability, and 

duration of supply are used to qualitatively determine the feasibility of different beneficial use scenarios. A 

feasibility ranking is accompanied by a listing of institutional issues that include resources for stakeholder 

education. Estimated capital, O&M, and life cycle cost curves are developed for preferred treatment 

processes and conveyance systems. Stakeholders can compare the cost of treatment and recovered cost 

of beneficial use to determine traditional economic viability. Triple bottom line (TBL) benefits are also 

presented to help stakeholders recognize the complete economic viability of the beneficial use of 

produced water. A hypothetic case study will be included in the presentation to illustrate the outputs of the 

Key Elements module. 

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