Case Study:
OIL & GAS OPERATION

EcoVAP Technology Results in 95% Less Trucking and 35% Less Water Handling Costs

Solution
EcoVAP Water Restoration
Sector
Oil & Gas
Requirement
At Well Head
Restrictions
Limited land area & Remote location

ECOVAP Evaporative MATRIX™ results

performance after three MONTHS

6300%
REDUCTION IN WASTE WATER VOLUME
95%
REDUCTION IN TRANSPORT COSTS
35%
REDUCTION IN HANDLING COSTS

ecovap advantages for THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR

REDUCING WASTEWATER VOLUMES

EcoVAP water restoration solutions facilitate permanent disposal by dramatically reducing the volume of wastewater through Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) by 80-95% with a similar reduction in related transportation and disposal costs.

reduced costs and environmental risks compared to SALT WATER INJECTION

EcoVAP processes water at an exponential rate and lowers costs making it a viable alternative to Saltwater Injection Drilling (SWDs) with the added advantage of reduced environmental risk. Using EcoVAP Evaporative Matrix technology in place of SWDs also implies a reduction in SWDs, PSI, and de-clogging chemicals, all of which are linked to growing environmental concerns.

The vast majority of oil and gas produced water (~93%) is disposed of in underground Class-II injection wells (“SWDs), with most of the remaining market served by conventional evaporation ponds (5%). SWD disposal is costly, particularly in transportation to the wells and in the pressure required to pump the wastewater into underground cavities. In addition, these wells are under increasing regulatory scrutiny as the pressurized water has been known to cause earthquakes, leak to contaminate freshwater aquifers, and has been found bubbling up uncontrollably in farmer’s fields. Equally problematic, conventional evaporation ponds have an enormous land footprint, impacting wildlife and threatening the local environment with leaks and overflow contamination. In addition conventional evaporation pods are limited to hot, arid regions to perform wastewater removal.

EcoVAP’s dramatically accelerates natural evaporation in a reduced land footprint to remove wastewater without putting the environment at risk.

CASE STUDY PILOT DESIGN
EAGLE FORD BASIN, TEXAS

The Challenge

REDUCE COSTS AND HARMFUL environmental impacts FOR OIL and GAS OPERATION

An oil and gas exploration and production (E+P) company with many of its wells located in remote areas, was spending a significant portion of its all-in production cost to transport wastewater for SWD disposal. In addition to cost, trucking was contributing to local traffic congestion, heavy CO2 emissions and significant road wear. Scrutiny of SWD disposal threat of litigation was also increasing given findings of seismicity and leakage associated with salt water injection drilling.

the Results

ECOVAP DRAMATICALLY REDUCED operating COSTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

In 2018 EcoVAP developed technology and applications for evaporating wastewater where it is produced–-in the oil/gas sector, at the well-head. The company's innovative Evaporative Matrix™ makes it possible for E+P companies to avoid nearly all wastewater transportation costs in an environmentally safe way.

In early 2019, ECOVAP completed its first Evaporative Matrix pilot in Texas’ Eagle Ford region requiring less than one month construction time. As a result, the operation has seen a 95% reduction in trucking. The remaining trucks are dedicated to solid waste removal for routine maintenance of the smaller salt and residual slurry (around 190,000ppm) catchments.

EcoVAP estimates that the operation's all-in wastewater disposal costs decreased by more than 35%, in part due to lower disposal costs, but mainly through eliminating nearly all trucking. Regulators have also noted that reduced trucking correlates to reduced C02 emissions, traffic and road wear. In addition, less wastewater disposal results in less stress on local SWD’s (required PSI and/or de-clogging chemicals), which have been linked to increasing earthquakes in Texas.

The EcoVAP solution requires minimal power and maintenance. The Evaporative Matrix installation relies upon solar radiation and natural convection to perform accelerated evaporation of wastewater. Plug-in power requirements are limited to periodic wetting cycles performed by low-power water pumps. Scaling on Evaporative Matrix panels has been minimal due to the continuous self-washing that occurs during each pump-driven wetting cycle removing residual build-up. This mechanism relies solely upon the site‘s produced water and not on any external water source.

HIGHLIGHTS