Measurement of oil in produced water- Presentation

Abstract

The measurement of oil in produced water is important for both process control and reporting to regulatory authorities. The concentration of oil in produced water is a method-dependent parameter, which is traditionally evaluated using ref- erence methods based on infrared (IR) absorption or gravimetric analysis, although Gas Chromatography and Flame Ionisation Detection (GC-FID) have recently become more accepted. This chapter will give a brief overview of hydrocarbon chemistry and discuss the definition of oil in produced water and the requirement for its measurement. Reference and non-reference (bench-top and online monitor- ing) methods for the measurement of oil in produced water are reviewed. Issues related to sampling, sample handling and calibration, as well as methods of how to accept a non-reference method for the purpose of reporting, are discussed.