Print this pageTreatment Technologies for Coalbed
Methane Produced 
Water
Management
One of the major economic constraints to increasing natural
gas production in the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions of the U.S. is
the cost-effective management and disposal of co-produced water. Some of the
greatest challenges exist in the coalbed methane
(CBM) basins where the existing reinjection well
capacities are not sufficient to dispose of growing volumes of produced water.
Alternatives to reinjection include treatment of
produced water streams to meet criteria for surface discharge, infiltration and
beneficial reuse with brine volume reductions sufficient to extend the life of
existing Class II reinjection wells. Over the past
decade, a number of commercial and advanced technologies have been developed
and deployed for the handling of produced waters. In addition, research and
development is being conducted on process strategies that are aimed at
converting produced water to beneficial-use water supplies. The challenge is to
achieve the required levels of treatment while avoiding the equipment-fouling
reliability problems commonly observed with conventional membrane-based
treatment systems. This presentation will provide an overview of emerging
processes that have the potential of improving the economics of treating
produced waters to meet objectives of brine volume reduction, surface water
discharge, infiltration for groundwater recharge and beneficial use. Some major
technical challenges include the control of soluble and free oils, the fouling
of membrane-based desalinization processes, the control of elevated levels of
precipitates and soluble volatile acids, and the economical control of BTEX.
Promising processing approaches to improve the economics of reaching
beneficial-use water
management objectives will be discussed.