Date of Award
December 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Jeremiah Neubert
Abstract
Produced water has been the largest byproduct of oil and gas production since the inception of the industry. Historically, very little concern was exhibited over what was done with this water. In recent decades, environmental concern has increased oversight on what happens to this produced water. Produced water is injected into deep formations, but this volume is limited due to concerns over seismic activity spawned from this practice. Produced water can be recycled in agricultural and municipal industries but it must first undergo a time-consuming and expensive cleaning process. This has turned oil and gas operators to utilizing this water in oilfield operations. One of these operations includes hydraulic fracturing. While this is beneficial for the oil and gas operator, the hydraulic fracturing service company ends up exposing their equipment to this heavy water. This paper will explore the corrosive effects of the produced water on hydraulic fracturing equipment. This research will show that produced water is more corrosive on the hydraulic fracturing equipment than fresh water. Additionally, this research will show correlation between water quality aspects from produced water and corrosion. This paper will also use data on total dissolved solids and corrosion rate to estimate produced water corrosivity in many of the oil and gas basins in the contiguous United States.
Recommended Citation
Jerylo, Lucas James, "An Investigation Into The Corrosivity Of Hydrocarbon Well Produced Water" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 6536.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/6536
