As the volume of produced water increases year-over-year with corresponding oil and gas activity, so too does the pressure on saltwater disposal (SWD) operators to do more with less while complying with increased regulations for disposal.
In 2023, there were approximately 36,000 active disposal wells in the United States—-a number which is only projected to increase. In the Permian Basin alone, seven billion BBL of produced water is projected for disposal by 2030, representing a seven-fold increase in volume since 2010 (Figure 1).
These staggering numbers provide a major opportunity for SWD operators to capitalize on this growing market, yet inadequate solids control across varying water chemistries can undermine one’s ability to maximize throughput and value.
Over the past five years, Solugen has provided its formulated Verza360® solutions (Verza) to SWD customers throughout most of North America’s major basins to improve solids control while maximizing throughput and value.
Customers have reported that Verza reduced operating expenses, enhanced oil-water phase separation, and mitigated iron fouling to improve water quality and injection. We’re thrilled to see customers choosing Verza based on data-driven performance metrics as outlined in the three case studies below:
For one midstream operator, Verza unlocked $2.6M in savings by reducing total suspended solids.
Like many operators, one of Solugen’s customers was experiencing high solids and oil carry under across its network of >20 SWDs, resulting in high injection pressures, increased filter changes, loss in oil recovery, injection well plugging, interface pads, and tank bottoms. This poor water quality increased operating costs and injection well acidizations despite an incumbent chemical program consisting of acid surfactants and oxidation products.
In collaboration with a local chemical provider and the operator, Solugen formulated an iron chelant, Verza360® (Verza), to address these key challenges. An 18-month trial was conducted across the network to observe the effect of Verza treatment, with a special focus on reduction in total suspended solids (TSS).
After just two months of introducing Verza into the network, the average TSS content dropped by 78% and sustained this performance for the duration of the trial (Figure 2).
was introduced in months 6-18 after capturing the baseline incumbent program performance in months 1-5.
This considerable reduction in TSS enabled significant improvements in operational performance, resulting in an annual total cost of operation saving of $2.6M across the network.
In the off sale of oil from an Eagle Ford SWD, Verza enabled a $160K increase in profitability by reducing iron in oil content.
A midstream trader was achieving marginal performance in treating off-spec oil from an Eagle Ford SWD for sale using an incumbent program of highly corrosive chemistries, heat, and centrifugation—a program that resulted in pump failures within 24 hours of replacement and significant reductions in throughput and profitability.
Solugen proposed a 90:10 ratio of Verza360® and a cationic surfactant for treatment—a more effective and safe solution to meet spec, debottleneck off-spec inventory, and recover the highest value for the oil.
Prior to the Verza treatment, the raw crude oil containing 4,500 ppm iron was pre-conditioned through a high-speed centrifuge to remove bulk sediment and water. This method reduced the iron in oil content to 2,390 ppm.
3,600 ppm of Verza and 400 ppm of surfactant were then co-injected into the discharge line to treat approximately 1,000 bbl of off-spec crude oil at 170℉ into a 1,000 bbl tank. The tank was circulated for 24 hours and then allowed to settle at 100-120℉ for 36 hours prior to sampling the top oil to measure iron content post-treatment.
This Verza-based treatment enabled a 99% reduction of iron in oil within 24 hours, achieving <50 ppm iron-in-oil spec, debottlenecking off-spec inventory, and contributing $160K increase in profitability off the sale of in-spec oil (Figure 3).
After repeated maintenance threatened a Bakken SWD system’s ability to operate, Verza improved water injection by mitigating iron fouling.
An operator in the Bakken was achieving marginal performance in using a downhole scale inhibitor program to prevent iron sulfides from forming, plugging, and fouling an inline metal filter screen at a regional SWD facility. The problem caused frequent maintenance downtime and unwanted solid wastes. If left unabated, the plugging would increase inlet line pressures and potentially curtail ESP well production upstream.
Within 24 hours of notice of the plugging filter, Solugen proposed applying a specialized blend of Verza360® and THPS upstream of the SWD inlet filter. As a result, iron sulfide formation was virtually eliminated, avoiding fluid diversion or shut-ins of high producing wells and allowing for a more stable water injection operation (Figure 4).
For a complete case study or additional information on our Verza360 product line, visit solugen.com/oilandgas or contact us at energysolutions@solugen.com.
