Blended Low Salinity Injection Water System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Desalination techniques yield water with suboptimal salinity for low salinity waterflooding, potentially damaging oil-bearing rock formations and inhibiting oil recovery, while offshore disposal of produced water is challenging and requires efficient blending to manage reservoir pressure.
Innovation Solution
An integrated system for producing blended low salinity injection water using a desalination plant that adjusts the salinity and ionic balance in real-time, incorporating ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and nanofiltration stages, with a control system to maintain optimal composition and minimize formation damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If desalination techniques are used to produce injection water, then salinity is reduced, but the water may have suboptimal salinity that damages formation and inhibits oil recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts salinity parameters (TDS, sulfate, multivalent cations) through controlled blending of desalinated water with produced water to achieve optimal ranges (200-10,000 ppm TDS, sulfate <100 mg/L) that enhance oil recovery while preventing formation damage
Solution Approach 2:
Real-time monitoring of salinity parameters feeds back to the control system which adjusts blending ratios and desalination operation to maintain optimal salinity ranges, ensuring enhanced oil recovery benefits while avoiding formation damage
2Productivity
If produced water is disposed of by blending with low salinity injection water, then disposal requirements are met and reservoir pressure is managed, but the quantity and quality of produced water varies over time requiring system adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic control that continuously adjusts blending ratios and desalination operation in response to variable produced water quantity and quality, maintaining optimal injection water composition despite fluctuations in produced water characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The control system modifies operational parameters (blending ratio, desalination rate) based on real-time produced water quality measurements to maintain optimal injection water composition across varying disposal requirements
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple filtration stages (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration) are used to control salinity and ionic balance, then optimal composition for enhanced oil recovery is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The desalination process is divided into three distinct filtration stages (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration), each targeting specific contaminants and ionic components to achieve precise control over salinity and ionic balance in the injection water
Solution Approach 2:
Membrane filtration technologies with specific pore structures are employed at each stage to selectively remove contaminants and control ionic composition, achieving precise salinity control through physical barrier properties of porous membranes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures optimal salinity and ionic balance for enhanced oil recovery, reducing the risk of formation damage, souring, and scaling, while efficiently managing produced water disposal and minimizing the desalination plant's center of mass for cost-effective operation.
Implementation Method 1
an ultrafiltration stage configured to receive the heated feed water stream and produce an ultrafiltrate stream
Implementation Method 2
a reverse osmosis stage configured to receive the ultrafiltrate stream and produce a first low salinity permeate stream
Implementation Method 3
a nanofiltration stage configured to receive the first low salinity permeate stream and produce a second low salinity permeate stream
Implementation Method 4
a heat exchanger array configured to heat the feed water stream prior to the ultrafiltration stage
Data Source
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AI summary
A desalination system includes a desalination platform, a first skid disposed on a first deck of the desalination platform, the first skid including at least one of a first filtration unit configured to produce a first filtrate stream, and a first permeate unit configured to produce a first permeate stream, a first interconnecting pipework coupled to the first skid, and a first pipework support disposed on the first deck, wherein the first interconnecting pipework is disposed on the first pipework support.