Credit: Texas A&M EngineeringIn an ironic twist, a treasure chest of critical minerals is discarded out with water considered costly and too contaminated to clean.Texas A&M University researcher Dr. Hamidreza Samouei is examining the elements of produced water and says this waste by-product of oil and gas operations contains almost every component in the regular table, including those of considerable interest to nationwide economies.His objective is to treat the water using undesirable carbon dioxide (CO2) in stages to recuperate these important components and eventually produce fresh water for farming use once the processes are total. He introduced the subject at the Middle East Water Week Conference and Exhibition held in December 2023 in Saudi Arabia and reported his most current discoveries at the Annual Produced Water Society Conference on February 2024 in Houston, Texas.Why is produced water tossed away?Water builds up in subsurface locations where geological functions take place, like hydrocarbon reservoirs, and it liquifies and stores large quantities of minerals and other elements. Treating this vast volume is cost-prohibitive, so produced water is generally considered a waste item and injected in subsurface disposal fields for safe containment.The hidden worths in brineSince whatever in produced water has never ever been cataloged, Samoueis research study began with the basics.
Credit: Texas A&M EngineeringIn a paradoxical twist, a treasure trove of vital minerals is dumped out with water thought about costly and too contaminated to clean.Texas A&M University scientist Dr. Hamidreza Samouei is examining the elements of produced water and says this waste byproduct of oil and gas operations consists of nearly every component in the routine table, including those of substantial interest to nationwide economies.His objective is to deal with the water utilizing undesirable carbon dioxide (CO2) in stages to recuperate these important components and ultimately produce fresh water for agricultural use once the procedures are total. He presented the topic at the Middle East Water Week Conference and Exhibition held in December 2023 in Saudi Arabia and reported his most current discoveries at the Annual Produced Water Society Conference on February 2024 in Houston, Texas.Why is produced water tossed away?Water builds up in subsurface locations where geological functions occur, like hydrocarbon reservoirs, and it dissolves and stores large quantities of minerals and other components. Treating this large volume is cost-prohibitive, so produced water is primarily considered a waste item and injected in subsurface disposal fields for safe containment.The concealed values in brineSince whatever in produced water has actually never been cataloged, Samoueis research study started with the essentials.