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Oil & Gas

On and off-shore oil and gas production requires the treatment of large amounts of clean water that is used for well-fracturing, cooling and reuse

Oil & Gas use of UV Treatment

The Oil and Gas industries both consume and produce large amounts of water as part of their production processes. With such huge potential to affect the local environment, it is crucial that water is treated to reduce any possible contamination impact.

OIL PRODUCTION

Water is used in significant volumes in the onshore and offshore oil drilling industries. Large volumes of water may be injected into a well to displace oil and force it to the surface – this is called downhole injection water.

Water may be treated with ultraviolet light based disinfection methods before injection for microbial control. Aiming to prevent biofouling of the pipelines as well as corrosion and obstructions caused by bacteria growth.

Prior to the adoption of UV in disinfection systems, downhole injection water was treated using a variety of chemicals, however, maintenance engineers found that different chemicals can have unwanted effects on the oil composition, the local environment or causing reactions with each other, limiting their effectiveness.

The condition of the water used in drilling and post-use disposal is heavily regulated. Using UV light as part of the cleaning process contributes significantly to ensuring water is fit for purpose.

Find out more on how ultraviolet light in a disinfection systems works.

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GAS PRODUCTION

With the advent of new horizontal gas drilling, such as fracking, wells are drilled horizontally into shale formations containing natural gas. The wells are then fractured, using as much as five million gallons of water per well, releasing the gas for collection at the surface.

A key argument levelled against the use of fracking is the chemical composition of the water after the process is complete.

Wastewater from fracking wells needs to be captured, reused or disposed of and traditional disinfection techniques using chemicals can be expensive and hazardous to employees.

Operators are increasingly turning to ultraviolet light as a safer and lower-cost method of treating wastewater so that it is safe to release back into the local environment.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING UV?

Lower cost method of treating large volumes of water.
Safer to use than using chemical additive systems.
There are no chemical by products of the treatment.
UV light renders microbes and pathogens harmless by altering their DNA.
More environmentally friendly than chemical-based systems.
Contributes to a sustainable future.

Alpha-Purify supplies UV lamps and accessories for all types of disinfection systems used in the Oil & Gas sector. We also supply many of the world's OEM's with lamps for their systems.

Industry Applications

Aquaculture

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Waste Water