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Wastewaters from Gas Processing

Gas processing facilities—including natural gas processing, shale gas treatment, coal seam gas (CSG) treatment, and refinery gas handling—generate complex wastewater streams. These include produced water, amine waste, glycol wastewater, and scrubber water. They often contain hydrocarbons, salts, heavy metals, and various chemicals, all of which require proper treatment before disposal or reuse.

Environmental challenges

High salinity and TDS – Requires desalination or advanced filtration.
Toxic hydrocarbons  – Need biological or chemical oxidation.
Acidic & corrosive effluents – Require pH neutralization.
Heavy metals & NORMs – Need precipitation or adsorption methods.
Chemical contaminants  – Require membrane or advanced oxidation.

Best available and cost-effective solutions

With over 25 years of experience, we design custom wastewater treatment systems for the gas industry. Our R&D facilities allow us to deliver both proven and emerging technologies. Importantly, we tailor these integrated solutions for each application, focusing on automation, efficiency, and minimal plant footprint.

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Wastewaters from Gas Processing Treatment Solutions

Amine Unit Wastewater

The Acid Gas Removal process generates spent amine solutions that include degradation byproducts and acidic wastewater. Treatment begins with pH neutralization, followed by biological or chemical methods to remove sulphides and ammonia. Next, adsorption or membrane filtration is used to treat the spent amine. Organic contaminants are broken down using advanced oxidation or hydrothermal processes, ensuring effective cleanup.
See Hydrothermal processes

Condensate & Water from Gas Dehydration

Glycol and molecular sieve units produce glycol wastewater that includes hydrocarbons, heavy metals, corrosion inhibitors, and organic acids. Membrane filtration can recover usable water, while precipitation methods remove heavy metals and organics. This dual approach ensures effective treatment and resource recovery.
See Membrane Filtration

Cooling Tower & Boiler Blowdown Water

These wastewaters often contain salts, biocides, corrosion inhibitors, and anti-foaming agents. Due to high salt content, reverse osmosis is commonly used for desalination. Coagulation and flocculation help remove scale-forming salts. Additionally, adsorption methods target biocides and corrosion inhibitors.

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Scrubber Water from Sulphur Recovery & Flue Gas Treatment

Scrubber water contains sulphur compounds such as sulphates, sulphides, and thiosulfates. It also has an acidic pH from SO₂ absorption and may contain mercury, arsenic, and hydrocarbons. Treatment involves neutralizing the acidic pH with lime or alkaline agents. Chemical precipitation or biological treatment is applied for sulphur compounds. Finally, adsorption methods remove heavy metals and hydrocarbons.
Solid Adsorbent Processes

Gas Processing Wastewater Treatment & Management Strategies

To manage gas processing wastewater effectively, a combination of treatment strategies is required:

  • Oil-Water Separation: API separators and dissolved air flotation (DAF)

  • Chemical Treatment: Coagulation, neutralization, and oxidation

  • Biological Treatment: Aerobic or anaerobic digestion for organics

  • Membrane Filtration: Reverse osmosis (RO) and ultrafiltration (UF) for water recovery

  • Evaporation & Crystallization: Ideal for high-salinity wastewaters

  • Water Reuse & Recycling: Suitable for cooling, reinjection, or irrigation

Wastewater from gas processing poses serious environmental challenges. Each stream—whether from amine units, dehydration, cooling towers, or scrubbers—requires a customized solution. By integrating physical, chemical, and biological methods, facilities can treat hydrocarbons, salts, metals, and acids effectively.

Advanced treatment technologies not only reduce pollution but also recover valuable water and chemicals. As a result, gas facilities can reduce environmental risks, improve efficiency, and support sustainability goals.

Contact Us to discover how our technologies can benefit your process

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