Optimization of Water

Usage At Petroleum
Refineries

Water/Energy Sustainability Forum

Ground Water Protection Council
Salt Lake City, Utah
S t b 15
September 15, 2009
 Agenda
• Overview water usage in petroleum
refineries.
• Discuss drivers for water conservation
conservation.
• Review opportunities to reduce water
consumption:
ti
– Matching supply quality to the demand need.
– Utilization of municipal wastewater.
– Zero discharge concepts.
 Water Use in Petroleum
Refineries
• Adding heat to the processes (steam)
(steam).
• Removing heat from the process (cooling
water).
water)
• Removing salt and impurities from crude.
• Protecting equipment from corrosion.
• Generation of hydrogen
y g ((used to remove
sulfur from motor fuels).
• Equipment cleaning and maintenance
maintenance.
 Water Usage in the Petroleum
Refining Industry
70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Worst in Class Best in Class

(50-60 gal/bbl) (10-20 gal/bbl)

Water usage varies greatly from facility to facility.

Gallons/bbl Doesn
Doesn’tt Tell the Story…
• Raw water quality varies:
– Target ion concentrations.
concentrations
– Hardness.
• Refinery configuration
– Water usage very linked to energy efficiency
of the facility.
• Crude slate
– Poor quality “price
price advantaged”
advantaged crude oil
requires more water.
Some refineries have much greater challenges than others in their
efforts to control water usage.
Primary Uses
Utility Water Potable Water
5% <1%

Steam
42%

Cooling Water
53%
 The Water Used Is:
Contained in Consumed
Sludges 5%
5%
Evaporated equates to
Vented as energy lost
Steam
11%
Evaporated
38%

Discharged
41%
 Cost Drivers
9

6
$/1000 Gal.

4
$$$

0
S.W. LA Industrial Typical Industrial Midwest Public EBMUD Los Angeles Area Los Angeles Area
W t
Water W ll Water
Well W t W t
Water (
(current)
t) (
(projected)
j t d)
 Other Drivers
• Some refineries have had to cut rates due
to limited water supply.
– Direct costs of water may be low
low.
– Cost of lost production is very high.
 Water Conservation
O
Opportunities
ii
• Matching Water Quality with Process
Requirements.
• Treated Municipal Wastewater Reuse
Projects.
• “Zero
“Z Discharge”
Di h ”CConcepts.
t
 Match Water Quality with
P
Process R
Requirements
i
• Many facilities utilize water from more than
one source.
• All facilities generate reusable wastewater
streams.
• Better
B tt quality lit water
t sources should
h ld b
be
supplied to processes that can benefit
f
from them.
th
Cooling Tower Example
 Cooling Towers
Evaporation

Raw Water
Process
T Heat
Exchangers

Blowdown to Remove Calcium,

Magnesium, Silica, etc.
 Considerations
• Cooling towers must be “blown down” to prevent
problem
bl iions ffrom concentrating
i to the
h point
i that
h they
h
form scale when heated in process exchangers.
• Depending on water quality, cooling tower blowdown
ranges from 10 to 30% of the raw water make up rate.
• Water sources with lower problem ion concentrations
result in reduced blowdown rates, resultingg in water
savings.
• Water with higher problem ion concentrations can still
be used in p processes where the water will not be
heated .
Alternate Sources of Cooling
Tower Make-up
• Reverse osmosis unit reject (from boiler
water treatment).
• Cold steam condensate
condensate.
• Excess boiler feedwater.
• Alternate water supplies.
 Cooling Tower Example
2500

Savings--638
gpm
2000
Y-4801
Y-6
1500
Y-5
GPM
M

Y-4
Y-3
1000
Y-2
Y-1
500

0
Current
WaterMake-up
SourceRate
#1 SabineWater
River Water as Make-up
Source #2

By switching to a readily available water source with lower silica

concentrations (5 ppm vs. 50 ppm), water demand was reduced by over
600 gpm.
 Reuse of Treated Municipal
Effluent
Effl
• In some areas, municipal
p effluent is being
g
provided to industry as a substitute for
fresh water.
• California’s East Bay Municipal Utility
District has successfully implemented one
project, and is planning others.
• Los Angeles and Anglian Water (U.K.)
(U K ) are
also planning projects.
 Typical Reuse Process
Public System Industry

Publically Owned

Softening
S
Wastewater High
Hi hQQuality
lit

Zeolite
Reverse Osmosis
Treatment System Water Supply
System

Reject to Disposal or
Discharge
 Benefits
• Proven technologies
technologies.
• Recovers up to 70% of municipal
wastewater.
wastewater
• Provides a very high quality water
supply—supports
l t low
l usage.
 Concerns
• So far
far, economically feasible only with
subsidies (California and the U.K.).
• Produces waste stream with high
dissolved solids—disposal issues.
 Zero Discharge
g Concepts
p
• The “zero discharge” concept has been
around for many years.years
• Serious planning to achieve zero
di h
discharge iis jjustt now starting
t ti tto ttake
k
place.
• Existing infrastructure, coupled with new
technologies can bring facilities close to
the zero discharge goal.
 Zero Discharge Challenges
• Salts and impurities must be removed
from the system.
• Make up is still required to replace large
evaporation rates.
Zero Discharge Process

Evaporation
 Summary
• Petroleum refining is a water intensive
industry.
• Increasingg water costs,, availability,
y, and
conservation initiatives are driving the
need to re-evaluate usage g and supplypp y
alternatives.
• Improved water use strategies, old
technologies, and newer technologies are
providing opportunities.