Project 1 (Year 2023): Electrochemical oxidation of produced water

 

Oilfield produced water is a by-product of oil and gas production. On average, about 7 to 10 barrels of produced water are obtained per barrel of oil. Due to the water shortage in California, the economy and society would benefit from reclaiming produced water. With proper treatment, produced water can be used for groundwater recharge, irrigation of crops, or even drinking water. One treatment technology to remove organic compounds from produced water is electrochemical oxidation. An electrochemical reactor is used to produce reactive species, such as chlorinated and peroxyl radicals, which can oxidize dissolved oil or hydrocarbons in the produced water. In order to investigate the reuse potential of Valley’s produced water, a new efficient multicell mesh electrochemical reactor will be built and tested.

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Project 2 (Year 2025): Membrane distillation of produced water

(replaced by another water-related research project)

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