Elimination of Fresh Water Use for Chemical Cleaning in Sulfate Removal Units SRU

Abstract

Water has become more and more a scarce resource and its use rationalization has been a challenge in its several applications. Its status has become even more critical for some platforms and/or oil exploration ships (FPSO => Floating Production Storage and Offloading), that have fresh water (drinkable water) production stations via reverse osmosis and or desalters with limited flows to supply all routine demand and in emergency cases, and it may even be necessary to purchase fresh water from third parties, by means of towing vessel with extremely high unit cost (continent catchment). Thus, we will present in this paper the achievement reached by using a small permeated water volume in SRU (Sulfate Removal Unit), which water, has low sulfate content and is used for injection and in CIPs (Clean In Place) cleaning system, which stands for a large drinkable water consumption within the platform. The research to be described in this technical document, concerning the permeated water use in SRU to use in CIP solutions, will show the achievement reached in a platform in Brazil, after 2.5 years of research in our Singapore Advance Research Center, using a pilot plant.