MEG & Hydrocarbon Removal

CUSTOMER: Multi-national Energy Company
LOCATION: International Location

Technical situation

A sample of produced (raw waste) water was received by OLEOLOGY for assessment of TPH and MEG (mono ethylene glycol) reduction for discharge to the environment. The sample of the raw waste water supplied had a bright orange colour, with a significant amount of free solids that readily settled.
Assessment of the raw water phase indicated the following key characteristics;
  • TPH (C6-C36) ≈ 100ppm
  • BTEXN ≈ 18 ppm
  • Ethylene Glycol ≈ 70 ppm

Solution

The MyCelx filtration sequence was specifically designed to remove hydrocarbons to enable the final stage of Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) to function adequately as a polishing system. High levels of free and emulsified hydrocarbons if not removed, would very significantly diminish efficacy of AOP.
Filtration via MyCelx Filters
The following TPH and BTEXN reductions were achieved over the MyCelx filters (prior to AOP)

RAW FEED mg/L FILTRATE mg/L REDUCTION mg/L % REDUCTION
TPH (C9-C36) 97.03 36.07 60.96 63%
BTEXN 17.39 5.20 12.18 70%
The reduction in petrogenic hydrocarbons through the MyCelx filtering has significantly reduced TRH and BTEXN. The presence of glycol in the raw water acts to “solubilize” the oils and reduce the targeted hydrocarbon’s removal efficacy. Nonetheless, significant reductions in TPH were achieved with a 60 – 70 % reduction in the C6 – C28 range and a similar reduction of 70% was achieved for the BTEXN.
Reduction after OLEOLOGY AOP Polish

FILTRATE mg/L AFTER AOP mg/L COMPLIANCE TARGET mg/L % REDUCTION
TPH (C9-C36) 36.07 1.24 15 97%
BTEXN 5.206 0 0.5 100%
Ethylene Glycol 68.4 0 <50 100%

Benefits & Impact

The OLEOLOGY Treatment Plant enables the following benefits:

  • Performance Guarantee – ensure discharge water compliance as : TPH<15ppm and BTEX <0.5ppm
  • Minimal footprint (6m x 2.5m)
  • Low operating cost & significant cost savings compared to trucking offsite
  • Reduced impact of containment spikes
  • Adaptive for future increase in water treatment capacity

Further Information

Please call OLEOLOGY +61 (0)8 9314 7081 or email sales@oleology.com.au