Water management in heavy oil
Heavy oil production typically requires large volumes of water and in turn requires the handling and treatment of significant quantities of produced water. Effective water management is recognized as one of the more pressing challenges facing our industry both in terms of lowering water consumption and in managing environmental impacts through improved treatment facilities.
In the next series of blogs I will discuss different aspects of water use and management in heavy oil and I would encourage you to participate and share your ideas in our ongoing water treatment forum.
A good overview on the subject can be found in the SPE article Water Issues Relating to Heavy Oil Production. The article describes water requirements relating to heavy oil production including potential water sources, how water is used in various heavy oil operations, and the resulting water quality impacts associated with heavy oil production.
Kambiz.
