Anaerobic Treatment of Produced Water

Authors: F. C. Khong, M. H. Isa, S. R. M. Kutty, S. A. Farhan

Abstract:

An experimental study of anaerobic treatment was performed by hybrid upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) reactor to treat produced water (PW) of an onshore crude oil terminal (COD: 1597 mg/L, NH3-N: 14.7 mg/L, phenol: 13.8 mg/L, BOD5: 862 mg/L, sodium: 6240 mg/L and chloride 9530 mg/L). The produced water with high salinity and other toxic substances will inhibit the methanogens performance if there is no adaptation on biomass before anaerobic digestion. COD removal from produced water was investigated at five different dilutions of produced water and tap water (TW) without any nutrient addition and pre-treatment. The dilution ratios were 1PW:4TW, 2PW:3TW, 3PW:2TW, 4PW:1TW and 5PW:0TW. The reactor was evaluated at mesophilic operating condition (35 ± 2 °C) at 5 days of HRT for 250 days continuous feed. The average COD removals for 1PW:4TW, 2PW:3TW, 3PW:2TW, 4PW:1TW and 5PW:0TW were found to be approximately 76.1%, 73.8%, 70.3%, 46.3% and 61.82% respectively, with final average effluent COD of 123.7 mg/L, 240 mg/L, 294 mg/L, 589 mg/L and 738 mg/L, respectively.

Keywords: Anaerobic, fixed film, hybrid UASB, produced water, inhibitor

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1331261

References:

[1] John A.Veil, Markus G. Puder, Deborah Elcock, and Jr Robert J.Redweik, "A White Paper Describing Produced Water from Production of Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal Bed Methane," U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, A White Paper 2004.
[2] GE Water & Process Technology and Consol Energy Inc, "Market for produced water treatment worth $4.3 billion over next five years," Membrane Technology, p. 6, April 2010.
[3] Jerry M. Neff, Bioaccumulation in Marine Organisms. Effect of Contaminants from Oil Well Produced Water. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier Ltd, 2004.
[4] Gilbert Tellez and Nirmala Khandan, "Biological Treatment Process for Removing Petroleum Hydrocarbonds from oilfield Produced Waters," in Produced Water 2: Enviromental Issues and Mitigation Technologies. New York and London: Plenum Press, 1996, vol. 52, pp. 499-507.
[5] T.Z.D. des Mes, A.J.M. Stams, J.H.Reith, and G. Zeeman, "Methane Production by Anaerobic Digestion of Wasterwater and Solid Wastes," in Bio-methane & Bio-hydrogen (Status and prespectives of biological methane and hydrogen production), J.H. Reith, R.H. Wijffels, and H. Barten, Eds. The Netherlands: Dutch Biological Hydrogen Foundation, 2009, ch. 4, pp. 58-102.
[6] Zinatizadeh A.A.L., Mohamed A.R., Mashitah M.D., Abdullah A.Z., and Isa M.H., "Optimization of pre-treated palm oil mill effluent digestion in an up-flow anaerobic sludge fixed film bioreactor: A comparative study," Biochemical Engineering Journal, vol. 35, pp. 226-237, 2007.
[7] Zinatizadeh A.A.L., Mohamed A.R., Abdullah A.Z., and Isa M.H., "Process modeling and analysis of palm oil mill effluent treatment in an upflow anaerobic sludge fixed film bioreactor using response surface methodology (RSM)," Water Research, vol. 40, no. 17, pp. 3193-3208, Oct 2006.
[8] Najafpour G.D., Zinatizadeh A.A.L., Mohamed A.R., Isa M.H., and Nasrollahzadeh H., "High-rate anaerobic digestion of palm oil mill effluent in an upflow anaerobic sludge-fixed film bioreactor," Process Biochemistry, vol. 41, pp. 370-379, 2066.
[9] Zinatizadeh A.A.L., Younesi H., Bonakdari H., and Isa M.H., "Effect of process factors on biological activity of granular sludge grown in an UASFF bioreactor," Renewable Energy, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 1245-1251, May 2009.
[10] Badroldin N.A., "Treatment of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Using Hybrid Up Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (HUASB) Reactor," Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia, Master Thesis August 2010.
[11] Karapinar Kapdan Iigi and Erten Burcu, "Anaerobic treatment of saline wastewater by Halanaerobium lacusrosei," Process Biochemistry, vol. 42, pp. 449-453, 2007.
[12] M. Lu, Z.Z. Zhang, and W. Zhu W.Y. Yu, "Biological treatment of oilfield-produced water: A field pilot study," International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, vol. 63, pp. 316-321, February 2009.
[13] Manuel Soto, Ramh Mhdez, Juan M. Lema Gumersindo Feijoo, "Sodium Inhibition in the Anaerobic Digestion Process: Antagonism and Adaptation Phenomena," Enzyme and Microbial Technology, vol. 17, pp. 180-188, 1995.
[14] Jay J. Cheng, Kurt S. Creamer Ye Chen, "Inhibition of anaerobic digestion process: A review," Bioresource Technology, vol. 99, pp. 4044-4064, 2008.
[15] A. Fakhrul'l-Razi et al., "Review if Technologies for Oil and Gas Produced Water Treatment," Harzardous Material, vol. 170, pp. 530¬551, 2009.
[16] G.T. Tellez, N. Nirmalakhandan, and J.L. Gardea-Torresdey. (2002, October) Wiley Online Library. (Online). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ep.10042/pdf
[17] Wong Joseph M. and Hung Y.T., "Treatment of Oilfield and Refinery Waste," in Waste Treatment in the Process Industries, Wang Lawrence K. et al., Eds.: Taylor & Francis Group, 2006, ch. 6, pp. 235-306.
[18] D.D.C. Freire, M.C. Cammarota, and G.L. Sant'Anna, "Biological Treatment of Oilfield Wastewater in a Sequencing Batch Reactor," Environmental Technology, vol. 22, pp. 1125-1135, 2001.
[19] A. Fakhrul'l-Razi et al., "Application of Membrance-coupled Sequencing Batch Reactor for Oilfield Produced Water Recycle and Beneficial Re-Use," Bioresource Technology, 2010.
[20] P. Baldonu-Andrey, N. Lesage, B. Segues, P. Pedenaud, and P.L. Dehaene, "Impact of High Salinity of Produced Water on the Technical Feasibility of Biotreatment for E&P onshore Application," SPE , vol. 98751, 2006.
[21] R. Shpiner, G. Liu, and D.C. Stuckey, "Treatment of Oilfield Produced Water by Waste Stabilization Ponds: Biodegradation of Petroleum-Derived Materials," Bioresource Technology, vol. 100, pp. 6229-6235, 2009.
[22] Van Lier Jules B., Mahmoud Nidal, and Zeeman Grietje, "Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment," in Biological Wastewater Treatment: Principle, Modelling and Design, Henze M. et al., Eds. London, UK: IWA Publishing, 2008, ch. 16, pp. 415-456.
[23] J.F. Malina and F.G. Pohland, "Design Anaerobic Process for the Treatment of Industrial and Municipal Wastes," vol. 7, pp. 1-41.
[24] J.R. Gallaghner, "Anaerobic Treatment of Produced Water," U.S. Department of Energy, July 2001.
[25] Li G., Guo S., and Li F., "Treatment of oilfield produced water by anaerobic process coupled with micro-electrolysis," Journal of Enviromental Science (China), vol. 22, no. 12, pp. 1875-82, 2010.
[26] N. Rincon et al., "Anaerobic Biodegradability of Water Separated from Extrated Crude Oil," Enviromental Technology, vol. 24, pp. 963-970, March 2003.
[27] G.D. Ji, T.H. Sun, J.R. Ni, and J.J. Tong, "Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (ABR) for Treating Heavy Oil Produced Water With High Concentrations of Salt and Poor Nutrient," Bioresource Technology, vol. 100, pp. 1108-1114, 2009.
[28] P.L. McCarty, "Anaerobic Waste Treatment Fundamentals," Public Works 95, vol. 9, pp. 107-112, 1964.
[29] T. Panswad and C. Anan, "Imoact of High Chloride Wastewater on an Anaerobic/ Aerobic/ Anoxic Process With and Without Inoculation of Chloride Acclimated Seeds," Water Resources, vol. 33, pp. 1165-1172, 1999.
[30] T. Panswad and C. Anan, "Specific Oxygen, Ammonia and Nitrate Uptake Rates of Biological Nutrient Removal Process Treating Elevated Salinity Wastewater," Bioresource Technology, vol. 70, pp. 237-243, 1999.
[31] Y. Chen, J.J. Cheng, and Kurt S. Creamer, "Inhibition of Anaerobic Digestion Process: A Review," Bioresource Technology, vol. 99, pp. 4044-4064, 2008.
[32] F. Omel, R. Mendez, and J.L. Lema, "Anaerobic Treatment of Saline Wastewaters Under High Sulphide and Ammonia Content," Bioresource Technology, vol. 54, pp. 269-278, 1995.
[33] R.P. Singh, S. Kumar, and C.S.P. Ojha, "Nutrient Requirement of UASB Process: A Review," Biochemical Engineering, vol. 3, pp. 35-54, 1999.
[34] Isa M.H. and Anderson G.K., "Molybdate of sulphate reduction in two-phase anaerobic digestion," Process Biochemistry, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 2079-2089, May 2005.
[35] Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 15th ed.: American Public Health Association, 1980.
[36] W. Herumurti, "Biological Treatment of Pharmaceutical Wastewater," Department of Civil Engineering, University Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia, Tronoh, Msc Thesis 2009.