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PITTCON 08 Oral Session
Analysis of produced water contaminants by ion chromatography
Session Number 1570-9
Abstract
Produced water is water that is trapped in underground reservoir rocks and brought to the surface along with the crude oil and gas. Besides dispersed oil droplets and dissolved organic compounds, produced water mainly contains significant amounts of inorganic cations—such as calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium—and anions such as carbonate, and sulfate. Precipitation of the corresponding salts often leads to the formation of scale deposits that can clog pipes. For these reasons it is of paramount importance to determine the inorganic constituents of produced water, even if only to determine the correct dosing of scale inhibitors. Additionally, the detection of dissolved organic acids is of particular interest, as they indicate the presence of oil. The analytical challenge treated in the present work lies in the detection of sub-ppm quantities in the presence of very high concentrations of sodium and chloride. Of the numerous analytical techniques for the determination of ionic species, ion chromatography (IC) is best suited in terms of selectivity, flexibility, automation and ruggedness. If necessary, coupling to a mass spectrometer minimizes matrix influences while simultaneously improving detection limits. This communication presents an overview of the different IC-based methods used for the analysis of ionic components in produced water.
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