Managing&Chemistry&and&

Biology&in&Produced&Water&

to&Lower&Total&Reuse&Costs

Flex%Chem)Corporation

Weatherford,)OK
Reuse%of%produced%waters

Flowback)&)produced)waters

Characteristics)vary)significantly

 Suspended)solids

 Chemistry

 Biology

Reuse)quality)requirements

2

Quality)targets)drive)treatment

 Formation)requirements

 Chemical)&)biological)stability

 Fluid)systems)compatibility

www.epa.gov

www.epa.gov
Water%constituents

Constituent Components Issues

Total Suspended Solids 

(TSS)

Formation fines

Proppant

Mineral scales

Formation plugging

Decrease biocide effectiveness

Oil & Grease Hydrocarbons/Asphaltenes

Fatty acids

Treatment chemicals residue

Fouling/effects separation

Wettability effects

Emulsions

Degradable Compounds 

(COD/BOD)

Oil & Grease components

Frac polymers, alcohols

Reduced sulfur compounds

Stimulate bacterial growth

Negates effect of biocides/disinfectants

Bacteria SRB/APB 

Total Viable Count/ATP/RLU

į-/ȕ-proteobacteria

H2S production/souring

Chemical spoilage

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Hardness/salinity ions

Chlorides, sulfates

Metals (iron, boron, etc)

Scale formation

Increase friction

Interfere with crosslinking

More)Advanced

Treatment)Process

3
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

4

Treatment)Process
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

5

Treatment)Process
Primary%treatment

Primary)separation)(gravity) Oil)recovery)&)solids)release)

 Recover)free)oil

വ Typically)droplets)>150)ʅm

 Lower)suspended)solids

 Chemical)feed)normally)

required)to)break)emulsion)

and)release)oil)wet)solids

വ May)require)coalescing)or)

settling)enhancement

 Efficiency)increases)revenue

6
Primary%treatment

Secondary)separation O&G)reduction)&)fine)solids)

 Remove)dispersed)oil

വ Fine)emulsions

 Lower)fine)solids

വ Oil)wet)solids

 Efficient)separation)decreases)

load)on)downstream)

treatment)

7
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

Primary)treatments)generally)

effective)removing)suspended)

solids,)free%phase)oil)and)other)

non%dissolved)constituents

Treatment)Process

8
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

Primary)treatments)generally)

effective)removing)suspended)

solids,)free%phase)oil)and)other)

non%dissolved)constituents

Secondary)treatment)necessary)

for)dissolved)compounds)and)to)

stabilize)water)for)storage)and)

reuse

Treatment)Process

9
Secondary%treatment

Oxidation)processes Remove)degradable)compounds

 Oxidizable)compounds

വ Organics

വ N,)P,)S,)metals

വ Quantified)by)oxygen)demand

 COD)

 BODt

 Decrease)downstream)

chemical)demand

 Mitigate)regrowth)of)

undesirable)bacteria

10
Secondary%treatment

Organics)&)COD/BOD)utilization

 Managed)biological)oxidation)

requires)

വ Metabolic)capacity)

വ Aeration,)oxidants

Water)biochemistry

 Initially)low)redox)(ORP)

വ Reducing)environment

വ Limited)e# acceptors

 Oxidation)products)

determined)by

വ Physiochemical)conditions

 Redox)potential

 Availability)of)e# acceptors

വ Metabolic)content)present

 Respiration)pathways

11
Secondary%treatment

Organics)&)COD/BOD)utilization

 Managed)biological)oxidation)

requires)

വ Metabolic)capacity)

വ Aeration,)oxidants

Metabolic)capacity

 Specific)metabolism)needed

വ Degradative)capabilities

വ Facultative)respiration

വ Sufficient)biomass)capacity)to)

outcompete)indigenous)SRB

 Amendments)normally)

required)to)accomplish)in)

reasonable)amount)of)time)

 Facilitated)by)operations

വ Aeration,)ORP

വ Nutrients,)water)chemistry

12
Secondary%treatment

Metabolic)amendments

 Amendments)determined)by

വ COD/BOD)loading

വ Inflow)composition

വ Operational)parameters

Metabolic)capacity

 Specific)metabolism)needed

വ Degradative)capabilities

വ Facultative)respiration

വ Sufficient)biomass)capacity)to)

outcompete)indigenous)SRB

 Amendments)normally)

required)to)accomplish)in)

reasonable)amount)of)time)

 Facilitated)by)operations

വ Aeration,)ORP

വ Nutrients,)water)chemistry

13
Secondary%treatment

Organics)&)COD/BOD)utilization

 Managed)biological)oxidation)

requires)

വ Metabolic)capacity

വ Aeration,)oxidants)

Aeration

 Creates)conditions)for)

biological)oxidation

വ Provides)O2 for)aerobic)

respiration

വ Raises)redox)potential

 Suppresses)SRB

CnH2n+2 + O2 CO2 + H2O

14
Secondary%treatment

Organics)&)COD/BOD)utilization

 O2 demand)determined)by

വ COD/BOD)loading

വ Incoming)ORP

വ Operational)parameters)

Aeration

 Creates)conditions)for)

biological)oxidation

വ Provides)O2 for)aerobic)

respiration

വ Raises)redox)potential

 Suppresses)SRB

CnH2n+2 + O2 CO2 + H2O

15
General%water%treatment%process

Secondary)treatment)decreases)

chemical)and)biological)load

വ More)stable)for)storage)and)reuse

വ Less)chemical)demand)

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

System requirements 

Discharge

Frac make-up

Reuse

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

Treatment)Process

16
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

Treatment)Process

17

Secondary)treatment)decreases)

chemical)and)biological)load

വ More)stable)for)storage)and)reuse

വ Less)chemical)demand)

Disinfection)maintains)water)

quality)in)distribution)system
Disinfection

Disinfection Control)bacteria)&)mitigate)effects

 Maintain)water)quality)in)

distribution)system

വ Particles,)biomass

വ H2S,)FeS

 Prevent)degradation)of)

chemicals)added)in)reuse

വ FR,)inhibitors

 Minimize)introduction)of)

damaging)bacteria

വ SRB,)APB

18
Disinfection

Disinfectant)selection

 Broad)spectrum)effects

വ Effective)against)planktonic)and)

sessile)populations

 No)negative)effect)on)other)

chemicals

 Non%corrosive)to)materials

 Non%persistent)in)the)

environment)

Selection

 Treatment)determined)by

വ Protection)needs)throughout)

system

 System)demand

 End)point)efficacy

 Monitoring)program)to)verify)

effectiveness

19
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

Treatment)Process

20

Secondary)treated)water)has)low)

chemical)and)biological)load

വ Stable)for)storage)and)reuse

വ Less)chemical)demand

Quality)of)secondary)treated)water)

is)ideal)for)frac)make%up)and)reuse)
General%water%treatment%process

1 Separation

Flowback water

2 Separation

Biological 

Oxidation

Clarification/ 

Storage

Filtration

Free oil recovery

Lower TSS

Dispersed oil removal

Fine solids

COD/BOD removal

Improve quality dynamics

Advanced 

Treatment

Lower TDS

Ion removal

Frac make-up

Reuse

System requirements 

Discharge

Disinfection/ 

Distribution

Treatment)Process

21

Secondary)treated)water)has)low)

chemical)and)biological)load

വ Stable)for)storage)and)reuse

വ Less)chemical)demand

Quality)of)secondary)treated)water)

is)ideal)for)frac)make%up)and)reuse)

Tertiary)treatment)options

വ Reservoir)and)fluid)systems)

dependent

വ Secondary)uses
FlexGChem&Corporation

PO&Box&1647

700&N&Wilson&Rd

Weatherford,&OK&73096

580G772G2386

22