The Advancement of Sulfate Removal from Seawater in Offshore Waterflood Operations

Abstract

Abstract The seawater nanofiltration process removes the sulfate component in injected seawater for oilfield waterflood operations. Benefits of the sulfate removal process include oil flow assurance by the elimination of scaling and well souring caused by the conversion of the sulfate to hydrogen sulfide by thermophilic sulfate reducing bacteria. Since its initial use on the Brae Alpha Platform in the North Sea for scale control, the nanofiltration process has found applications in other oilfield applications, has had technology improvements that have reduced its cost, and has provided exceptional benefits in complex reservoir developments.