Produced water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Produced water - Essay Example several key areas such as agriculture which uses 70 per cent, 22 per cent for industrial use, while domestic water usage is at 8 per cent (UNESCO, 2003) water conservation becomes an important aspect in all human endeavours. There are many benefits associated with treated produced given that the recycled water can be flooded back or used in activities such as irrigation, wildlife and livestock consumption, aquaculture, industrial processes, dust control, domestic washing, generating power in addition to fire control (Veil et al, 2004). Water recycles and reuse policy will go a long way in alleviating the water shortage problem experienced in many parts of the world. Bearing in mind the benefits that human population can get from produced water, this essay examines the processes, advantages and disadvantages of ion exchange and Reverse osmosis technologies used in treatment of produced water both onshore and offshore. The process of ion exchange involves the replacement of dissolved components by attachment to an electro-statically charged ion exchange material that in most cases has synthetic resin. The Ion exchange process is a reversible chemical reaction that leads to the replacement of positively or negatively charged ions in the water with corresponding charged ions available within the resin sites. The ions on the resin must be replaced periodically when they are exhausted by recharging with more replacement Ions. A key factor in the process is the fact that the chemical composition of water solutions must be electrically neutral which is the reason why ions in the resin bed are always exchanged with ions of similar charge present in the water ensuring that during the exchange process no reduction in ions occurs (Arthur, Langhus & Patel, 2005). Ion exchange process has been traditionally used to remove water hardness ions such as calcium and magnesium by substituting them those of sodium and chloride for many years. When applied in oil and gas produced