Rig Site Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Reuse and Potable …€¦ · participates in a reuse...

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Rig Site Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Reuse and Potable Water Treatment A combined solution for efficient rig site utility services FilterBoxx USA LLC, an Ovivo Company 3415 N County Rd 1103 Midland, TX 79706 filterboxx.com For Permian Basin sales and technical information call toll free 1-833-788-0851

Transcript of Rig Site Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Reuse and Potable …€¦ · participates in a reuse...

Page 1: Rig Site Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Reuse and Potable …€¦ · participates in a reuse program, another layer of costs can be eliminated. Technology has evolved to the point

Rig Site Domestic Wastewater Treatment, Reuse and Potable Water

Treatment A combined solution for efficient rig site utility services

FilterBoxx USA LLC, an Ovivo Company 3415 N County Rd 1103

Midland, TX 79706

filterboxx.com For Permian Basin sales and technical information call toll free 1-833-788-0851

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The growing concern related to the expanding energy market and the use of diminishing water resources provides an opportunity to maximize the use of the limited water available in the arid western and southern States. The expensive practice of pumping domestic wastewater (sewage; produced by crews working on well pads and at man camps) to storage tanks and then every 2 days “Pump and Haul” the domestic wastewater to a disposal facility many miles away is counter-productive to this opportunity.

Source: 2017 State Water Plan – Water for Texas

Exploration & Production (E&P) Operators often overlook significant operating expense savings available to them when dealing with domestic wastewater treatment and disposal. Recent focus on the reuse of "produced" water has saved millions of dollars for E&P Operators. However, an Operator's focus on the reuse of their domestic wastewater can provide additional savings on each well pad and for each man camp. When an Operator participates in a reuse program, another layer of costs can be eliminated. Technology has evolved to the point where plug and play treatment units have proven their value. Onsite wastewater treatment and reuse practices reduce the consumption of trucked in raw water needed for general rig water use. In addition, potable water is trucked in every 2 days to the well pads or untested, untreated water from groundwater wells are connected to the well site buildings for use by the rig crew. A more efficient and safer method is to treat available groundwater to potable standards and pump the treated water directly to the wellsite houses for consumption on demand. Lastly; onsite treatment practices also streamline the billing and invoicing process. The Company man no longer has to deal with almost daily deliveries of water or waste hauling, the daily “tickets”, paperwork and possible disputes about how much waste was hauled out or potable water hauled in. One system can handle all of the potable water and wastewater requirements for the rig site, all on one monthly billing ticket.

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Domestic Wastewater Pump and Haul Background The oil and gas industry struggles with fluid management twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Drilling and production efforts require large amounts of fuel, water and personnel to develop and transport oil, natural gas and the resulting waste products. Existing procedures are practiced due to the "temporary, convenient and familiar" nature of the extraction process. It begins with the location and development of the well pad. Some locations require extensive excavation and grading efforts. During these efforts, raw water is consumed; primarily for proper embankment placement and dust control. Once the pad is graded, the drilling rig is moved onto location with the associated support buildings (well-site trailers or houses) equipment and infrastructure. Supply trucks, equipment operators, rig personnel, supervisors, welders and other support personnel drive their individual vehicles to the well pad daily and water is used for roadway dust control to mitigate the traffic impacts to the unpaved access roads. The drilling operation once begun is non-stop and proceeds in two twelve-hour shifts. Therefore, offices and living quarters for the E&P Company and the Drilling Contractor’s workers are provided onsite. If the well pad is remote, living quarters for the supporting workforce is provided with a man camp. Typical shifts or “tours” are two weeks in duration and involve approximately 25 support personnel who typically produce 1,250 gallons of domestic wastewater per day. Oil and gas development, production and transportation work involve additional support staff onsite during various stages of the job that are additive to the core group. Large multi-well pad drilling can require 2 to 4 months duration of drilling and development efforts. All consumables are trucked in and waste products are trucked out consuming large volumes of fuel, water (potable and non-potable) and the production of wastewater (domestic sewage, produced water and frac flow-back water). One of the most significant costs associated with construction and drilling is the hauling of water for drilling, fracking and construction related activities such as for earth compaction and dust control. Likewise, a significant cost throughout the life of the well pad is the hauling of domestic wastewater (pump and haul practice) from the site to permitted municipal locations for disposal. Onsite wastewater treatment and reuse will mitigate many issues caused by the pump and haul practices presently utilized and will ultimately save money for the E&P Company as well as conserving our most valuable resource. In the subsequent document we will discuss the methodology, equipment, and how treating domestic wastewater and reusing it on-site vs trucking the domestic wastewater for disposal can provide savings to the E&P Operator, reduce potential HS&E risk and demonstrate environmental responsibility.

Typical Pump and Haul Equipment

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Methodology Onsite wastewater treatment; using appropriate technologies and equipment; will produce Type II treated re-claimed (non-potable) water in sufficient volumes to augment the hauling of raw water for dust control, fire suppression water and/or general rig use water such as for mixing cement or mud for deep main-hole operations or simply pumped to an on-site frac water pond for use in completing the wells. The treated wastewater meets or exceeds the Texas Railroad Commission specifications for water reuse. Onsite domestic wastewater treatment and reuse of the treated effluent eliminates the need for storing and frequent hauling of the domestic wastewater generated at each well pad. Making potable water at the site eliminates the hauling in of potable water and reduces the need for bottled water and the subsequent trash created with single use bottles. Domestic Wastewater For the typical population at a rig site of 25 persons; 1,250 gallons per day of wastewater is generated, which corresponds to 13 septic truck loads (3000 gallons each) per month which can be eliminated. By treating wastewater vs trucking and disposal; an E&P company reduces the truck traffic road impacts, emissions, potential HS&E incidents and disposal fees for less than the cost of a conventional pump and haul operation. Eliminating unsanitary storage tanks leaves more room on the rig site which is important as less equipment on the well pad can help in reducing the overall footprint of the well pad. Reclaimed Water – Recycle/Reuse The treated effluent from the wastewater treatment plant offsets a corresponding volume of rig use (non-potable) water that is hauled to the well pad to be used for makeup water. The makeup water can be used for mixing cement and drilling mud for main hole drilling, dust control and various rig uses. A typical rig site treating domestic wastewater will recycle 456,250 gallons of treated water in a year of operations. This results in the elimination of over 150 truck trips to site together with the associated costs of purchasing rig use water, fuel consumption, road impacts, possible HS&E incidents and emissions. Reclaimed Water – Recycle/Reuse A rig site with 25 persons will use up to 50 gallons of potable water per person per day. That translates to 1,250 gallons of potable water required each day. Each month; thirteen (13) potable water trucks, hauling 3000 gallons of water each, drive back and forth to site to fill storage tanks. By “making” potable water on-site, an E&P company can eliminate this truck traffic on-site, while providing clean, fresh drinking water to the rig crews.

Before After

Raw wastewater and reclaimed Type II treated water

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Domestic Wastewater Treatment – Recycle Water Rig The treatment of domestic wastewater at the rig or remote site starts with the lift stations. Wastewater is collected from each of the well shacks using individual lift stations - which are supplied by the well shack vendor. As the fixtures in the well shacks are used, the lift station screens and stores a small volume of influent that is level controlled and discharged into a network of 3-inch force main hoses that convey the wastewater to the Recycle Water Rig. The wastewater Recycle Water Rig treatment trailer uses Ovivo state of the art proprietary technology. Using aeration and Ovivo’s Cleartec BioCurlz MBBR followed by Ovivo’s Silicon Carbide (SiC) flat plat ceramic membrane (MBR) ensures wastewater is treated to a high quality – surpassing Texas Railroad Commission treatment standards for reuse of treated wastewater. All recycled wastewater is chlorinated as the final disinfection step in the treatment process. The wastewater treatment system is PLC controlled and the Human Machine Interface (HMI) screen allows operation of all components for manual or remote control. The PLC can be remotely accessed either by cell phone or internet (wireless) for determination of alarms and treatment process status. The treatment unit is equipped with a magnetic flow meter to record all treated effluent flows out of the treatment facility. The treated effluent is chlorinated and pumped to a client holding tank for reuse at the rig site. The treated effluent can then be pumped directly into the rig storage tanks to be used for mixing mud or cement; offloaded to a truck for dust suppression or pumped directly into a frac water holding pond for use in completing the wells. Both the Oasis and the Recycle Water Rigs have process data collected by Ovivo’s WaterExpertTM software which is accessed by cell phone or tablet. Alerts and alarms are automatically sent to service personal to action and all monitored data can be downloaded and assembled into daily and monthly reports to meet regulatory reporting requirements.

Typical Lift Station Ovivo Cleartec Bio-Curlz MBBR Ovivo Silicon Carbide (SiC) Membrane

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Potable Water Treatment – Oasis Water Rig The Oasis Water Rig potable water treatment system is designed to treat groundwater, with a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentration up to 10,000 mg/L. The ground water is pumped from the well into an onsite holding tank; where it is pumped to the Oasis Water Rig, filtered through a series of TCEQ approved cartridge filters to remove cyst sized particles and then through a Reverse Osmosis (RO) treatment system to remove impurities. The treated water is directed through a UV system, chlorinated, pH adjusted and pumped to an onboard storage water tank where the treated water is pumped to the well site houses; on demand; through one of two on-board distribution pumps. The treatment system can be by-passed if a ground water well is not available and potable water is being trucked to site. The Oasis Water Rig then operates as a water distribution building. For the convenience of workers on-site; the Oasis Water Rig includes an ice machine and outdoor water fill station; which significantly reduces the amount of bottled water used on-site and associated costs. Rounding out the features, is a shaded break area with on-demand misters, hand wash station with hand dryer and a first aid/safety station.

Shaded break area Aid/Safety Station

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Carbon Footprint and HSE Incidents Combined; treating domestic wastewater and supplying potable water on-site will eliminate over 300 truck trips to the rig site annually or 26 truck trips per month. Removing 26 truck trips per month from the road has an impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The table below demonstrates the amount of CO2 produced by one typical B class diesel powered vacuum truck and one B Class diesel potable water truck driving to the rig site 13 times each per month to empty sewage storage tanks, and deliver potable water to site. Over a one-year period, two B Class trucks produce almost 77,000 pounds of CO2.

For illustration purposes, the carbon footprint of delivery trucks has been calculated using the EPA greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator on their website. Eliminating two trucks driving to the rig site for a year; equates to the amount of carbon sequestered by 33.3 acres of forest per year or growing over 900 tree seedlings for 10 years.

Calculating GHG Emissions for Pump & Haul Operations Carbon footprint of one (1) 3000 USG Pump & Haul Vacuum Truck and one (1) Potable Water Truck Per trip Per month Per year Number of round trips 1 26 312 Number of miles (Round-trip = 100 miles) 100 2,600 31,200 USG of diesel burned (B Class Truck = 9.0 miles/USG) 11 286 3,432 Pounds of CO2 produced (22.38 lbs/USG) 246 6,400 76,808

Carbon Sequestered Equivalencies Acres of forest for 1 year 41.1

Tree seedling grown for 10 years 578

Source : EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

We must also consider that reducing the number of sewage trucks and potable water truck trips to each rig can potentially reduce Operators Total Vehicle Incident Rate (TVIR). OSHA reports vehicle accidents as the number one cause of fatalities in the oil and gas industry. In conclusion, the positive community relations generated by eliminating or significantly reducing truck traffic to and from the rig site are something all E&P Operators strive for but in the past was difficult to achieve.

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Permitting Potable water treatment units are permitted through the TCEQ, after a rigorous review of the process and engineering drawings by a Texas professional engineer and final review and approval by the TCEQ. Wastewater treatment units undergo review by the Texas Railroad Commission and are permitted using the beneficial recycle treated domestic wastewater permitting process. A summary of the regulations is included below.

RAILROAD COMMISSION ANNOUNCES PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS FOR RECYCLING TREATED DOMESTIC WASTEWATER & MOBILE DRINKING WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM WASTEWATER AT OIL AND GAS DRILL SITES. 04/05/2016 AUSTIN – The Railroad Commission announces permitting requirements for on-site recycling of treated domestic wastewater and treated wastewater from mobile drinking water systems. This process will help ensure recycled water is properly treated for specific permitted uses. The Railroad Commission will use the minor permit process under the Commission’s Statewide Rule 8 (Water Protection) to consider applications for permits authorizing operators to beneficially recycle treated domestic wastewater and waste streams from mobile drinking water systems at drill sites. A Commission minor permit will be required for surface application, such as dust suppression for drill pads or roads and for controlled (non-atomized) irrigation, for treated fluids. A Commission minor permit will also be required for downhole uses of treated domestic wastewater. No Commission permit is required if wastewater from a mobile drinking water treatment system is used downhole as make-up water for drilling fluid after surface casing for a well has been set through the base of usable quality water. Also, no Commission permit is required for recycling mobile drinking wastewater for use as make-up water for cement and for make-up water for hydraulic fracturing fluid. The Railroad Commission has jurisdiction over the on-site treatment and management of domestic wastewater generated at oil and gas drill sites. The RRC also has jurisdiction over waste streams generated from mobile drinking water treatment systems located at and resulting from use exclusively at drill sites. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has jurisdiction over the treatment of water that will be used for drinking water, other potable uses, and potable delivery. TCEQ also has jurisdiction over mobile potable water treatment units operated at drill sites, such as mobile drinking water treatment systems and over the transportation of domestic waste and wastewater. Solids accumulated during the treatment of domestic sewage at a drill site must be removed to an authorized disposal facility by a TCEQ registered sludge transporter before a sewage treatment system is relocated. In no case may waste streams be discharged or allowed to enter any watercourses or drainage ways, including drainage ditches, dry creek beds, flowing creeks, rivers or any other surface water. RECYCLING OF DOMESTIC WASTEWATER A Notice to Operators has been issued on April 3, 2016, that allows the operator of a lease to beneficially recycle treated domestic wastewater and waste streams generated from mobile drinking water treatment systems on oil and gas drill sites. Application requirements and conditions for a permit to recycle treated domestic wastewater and mobile drinking water treatment system wastewater are contained in the document titled “Application Requirements and Permit Conditions for Beneficial Recycling of Treated Domestic Wastewater and Mobile Drinking Water Treatment System Wastewater at Drill Sites.

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Summary The FilterBoxx water treatment system (Oasis Water Rig) and wastewater treatment system (Recycle Water Rig) are housed in separate trailers for ease of transport and setup at the rig site.

• Cost effective rental treatment technology exists today; and is easily permitted through the Texas Railroad Commission to treat domestic wastewater at the rig site and return clean, treated effluent for efficient reuse for drilling and fracking operations.

• Treating groundwater onsite and providing potable water on demand insures a healthy and satisfied rig

crew. The added bonus of an on-demand ice and bottle water filling station; with a secondary first aid area and cool down mister station; adds to that satisfaction and can reduce single use water bottle consumption and subsequent trash.

• On-site treatment offers forward thinking E&P Companies sustainable cost savings and the ability to

demonstrate environmental responsibility in managing shrinking water resources, reducing GHG emissions, reducing Total Vehicle Incident Rate statistics and improved community relations.

• FilterBoxx provides the E&P Operator with a complete and reliable trailer mounted utility system where

we handle the logistics of transporting the systems to and from the rig site, setup, commissioning, service, water testing, maintenance and regulatory reporting.

One Call, One Load, One Invoice for all your Drinking and Wastewater Needs!

For Permian Basin sales and technical information call toll free 1-833-788-085