DEMONSTRATION OF AN OZONE-INITIATED, OXYGEN-BASED AUTOXIDATION WASTE-WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY

This study discusses a recently developed process that effectively reduced petroleum hydrocarbons in water and achieves reduced costs in three specific ways: (1) by effectively utilizing 100% of the generated ozone, (2) by simplifying the system and (3) by finding a practical way to initiate and sustain a chain reaction with ozone-generated free radicals and recycled as the chain oxidizer. The primary objective of this research effort was to develop and evaluate an effective process to oxidize benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), and oil and grease (O&G) in water produced as a by-product of the hydrocarbon recovery process. This process would serve to reduce toxicity to fish from produced water discharge. The secondary objective was to develop a process that could survive the rigors of offshore oil and gas platform operation in a cost-effective manner. Platforms are a particularly challenging problem because of physical space constraints, limited excess load carrying capacity and surplus power is generally unavailable.