Reverse Osmosis Technology to Improve Hse Sustainability in Artificial Islands
Authors: Valappil Suhail Kunnath , Unnikrishnan Nitheesh Kumar , Al Yamani Sultan , Al Ameri Saleh , Al Nuaimi Mouza 
Published: October 2022

HSE & Sustainability is being a prime concern across ADNOC Operational footprint. ADNOC onshore Drilling division counts transportation of fresh water into cluster operation as major risk to overall well operation. Cluster is considered as same as offshore in terms of transportation risk, cost of fresh water. Fresh water transported to the well site using local contractor tankers which is posing high road safety risk & affecting budget of the well.

Recent advancement of Reverse osmosis technology utilization for island operation, where sea water will be directly routed through reverse osmosis pump in which desalination process is being embedded to demineralizing by flowing under pressure through semi permeable membrane.

Filtered water is passed into reverse osmosis system through high pressure pump. Feed Total dissolved solid 2000 PPM is pumped through the fine membranes, where ions present in water gets trapped in membrane surfaces. The membranes used for reverse osmosis have a dense layer in the polymer matrix where the separation occurs & get collected in collection tank.

Approximately 940,737 Barrels of freshwater water were consumed for operating artificial island rig operation to meet freshwater requirement for domestic purposes in both rig and camp for last 3 years. Approximately 9400 Haulage trips were depended on to run the rig operation in islands. Haulage transports were generating heavy road safety risk. Cost of the water haulage were same as offshore freshwater contract. Hence cost optimization benefits were not feasible due to contractual obligation.

Having implemented Reverse osmosis Haulage traffic risk were eliminated very likely & eventually road traffic accident were reduced drastically due to haulage. Additional high discharge pump to the same system to the sea water resources resolved Nonproductive time caused by waiting for water is being carried through haulage.

Approximately 19 M$ expenditure were incurred over last 3 years for well cost to drill wells in island rigs & cost expected to bring down to 4M$ for 5 years eventually it will save about 15 M$ for 5 years due to sea water utilization in Reverse osmosis technology in artificial islands.

As Gulf standard no 149/2014 lab report were conducted & its fully meeting the freshwater requirement for domestic purpose at rig & camp.

HSE &Cost optimization of drilling the wells are priceless concerns in well drilling operation that needs dynamic solution based on operational geography. Reverse osmosis is trying to support Safety, Sustainability & cost reduction though one technology turning the salt water into usable water that will support rig domestic requirements. This paper illustrates the smart use of resources in supporting the sustainability of water well resources.

A great number of incidents associated with tanker rollover in island will be resolved as there would be no water transport required by then the implementation of the RO technology. RO plant is designed in such a way that very minimal people will be operated with least minimum maintenance.