Water produced from oil and gas extraction processes has historically been considered a waste product, but it can be turned into usable water, through several treatment processes.
Primarily solid and oil particles are bonded together through the usage of coagulant injection. Agglomerated solids and oil particles are then separated from water through oil & water separation equipment. Fine particles can be removed through a multimedia filter or ultrafiltration technology. Dissolved hydrocarbons can be then extracted through an adsorbent filter for recovery. When the water is free of particles and oil, desalination technologies can be applied, such as softener, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange, where dissolved ions and other contaminants are separated from the water.