Assessment and Upgrading of Preparation Protocols for Emulsified Crude Oils Mimicking Real Produced Water Characteristics

This study aims at assessment, reproduction and upgrading of literature-based preparation protocols for synthetic produced water (PW) at tertiary treatment stage. The objective was to produce synthetic model water as standardized controllable medium for optimization experiments of PW treatment.

Abstract

Produced water (PW) presents a significant challenge as a complex wastewater stream, necessitating thorough treatment prior to disposal or further reuse. This study is dedicated to the assessment, reproduction and upgrading of literature-based preparation protocols for synthetic PW at the tertiary treatment stage; more specifically those methods utilizing high-pressure homogenizers and ultrasonication. The objective was to produce synthetic model water that can be employed as a standardized controllable medium for optimization experiments of PW treatment techniques. This synthetic medium should facilitate the investigation of specific challenges associated with PW tertiary treatment, independent of the different and often unpredictable composition of real PW. The refined methods were modified for the application in lab-scale research investigating the use of membrane filtration as tertiary treatment step.