WSSD Report FINAL! - OGP

THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY FROM RIO TO JOHANNESBURG AND BEYOND
Water management
Water management
Background
Despite a global annual renewable volume of
41,000 cubic kilometres, freshwater is a scarce
resource in many countries—particularly in
its potable form. An estimated 1.1 billion
people around the world lack access to safe
water supplies.
Continuing population growth is
likely to make this problem even
more acute, with conflicting
demands for limited local and
regional supplies. The UN estimates
that water used by people is
likely to increase by 40 per cent
in the next 20 years, with
growing urban and industrial
sectors consuming more of the
water previously allocated to agriculture
and ecosystems. Currently,
eight per cent of the world’s
freshwater demand is for human
health and sanitation purposes.
Industry as a whole currently
accounts for 20 per cent of all freshwater withdrawals,
compared to agriculture, which
accounts for nearly 70 per cent.
Though no quantitative estimates of the oil and
gas industry’s global use of freshwater are yet
available, the total is likely to be a small proportion
overall. However, in some parts of the
world—desert areas in particular—our operations
can be in conflict with the needs of other users.
Overall, there is a concern that a decline in
water available for irrigation will reduce food
self-sufficiency, push the world’s total import
needs beyond exportable supplies, and so create
political and social instabilities in areas with
food debits.
Given this background, it is hardly surprising that
the politics of water management are changing.
The topic is high on the agenda in many United
Nations forums. Key frameworks being addressed
by the oil and gas industry include water
resources assessment, drinking water supply, and
sanitation and water use efficiency.
Industry response
Our ability to find water comes naturally.This
skill involves much the same disciplines as
finding sub-surface deposits of oil and gas.
Near-surface geological information that
comes with our exploration for deeper
hydrocarbon formations often provides
knowledge about previously unknown and
untapped groundwater sources.
Similarly, our experience in treating water to
ensure its purity before being discharged to sea
or injected into a reservoir gives us further
opportunities to help local communities. In a
number of cases, reed bed filters are used to
naturally clean produced water, eliminating the
need for additional processing technology. The
resulting water can be used as a vital source of
irrigation for local agriculture. In addition,
produced water, if carefully managed, can be
discharged to create environmentally important
wetland habitats.
Refineries have taken a very comprehensive
approach to water management.Water management
includes water procurement and
treatment for process use, and effective in-plant
source control and housekeeping measures to
recycle, reuse, treat and discharge. Measures
such as utilizing recycle systems that use water
more than once can greatly reduce the volume
required. Process modifications, such as replacement
of barometric condensers, have reduced
water consumption and contamination. End of
pipe treatment uses best-demonstrated technologies
currently available to manage and
minimize the impact of the discharges to the
aquatic environment.
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