Denver-based wastewater company Gradient Energy Services said Dec. 17 it successfully completed a project to test equipment that uses evaporation to reduce volumes of water that need to be injected underground into disposal sites. Kushal Seth, vice president, told the Houston Chronicle the project conducted on behalf of a “super major” in Permian Basin “proved the cost-effectiveness of the technology and its ability to reduce the volume of wastewater that needs to be disposed of.” He added, “Disposal constraints are becoming a major concern for operators in the Permian… Excess produced water volumes will create higher disposal costs, potential environmental liabilities and limited disposal capacity for E&Ps operating in the basin.”
The technology receives wastewater, separates it from oil, natural gas and chemicals, heats the water to the point of evaporation, and releases it as steam.