Produced Water Management

What is Produced Water?

Almost all offshore oilfields produce large quantities of contaminated water that can have significant environmental effects if not handled properly.   Both formation and injected water are eventually produced along with the hydrocarbons and, as an oil field becomes depleted, the amount of produced water increases as the reservoir fills with injected seawater.

Legislation

After treatment, produced water still contains traces of oil and, because of this, discharge into the sea is strictly controlled by legislation and managed by the industry.

Discharges

At the surface, produced water is separated from the hydrocarbons, treated to remove as much oil as possible, and then either discharged into the sea or injected back into the wells. 

OSPAR

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic - known as the OSPAR Convention - form the basis of national legislation on emissions to sea.  The 1992 OSPAR Convention is the current instrument guiding international cooperation on the protection of the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic. It combined and up-dated the 1972 Oslo Convention on dumping waste at sea and the 1974 Paris Convention on land-based sources of marine pollution. It combined and up-dated the 1972 Oslo Convention on dumping waste at sea and the 1974 Paris Convention on land-based sources of marine pollution.

The work under the convention is managed by the OSPAR Commission , made up of representatives of the Governments of 15 Contracting Parties and the European Commission, representing the European Community . The work under the convention is managed by the OSPAR Commission, made up of representatives of the Governments of 15 Contracting Parties and the European Commission, representing the European Community.

Produced Water Trading Scheme

The Dispersed Oil in Produced Water Trading Scheme is intended to come into force in the UK in January 2007.  This creates a scheme under which operators can trade quotas of allowable discharges of dispersed oil in produced water between installations.

The intent is to optimise production through the reallocation of allowances, thus enhancing the ability of some installations to comply with oil discharge legislation.

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