Crude oil, the world’s most traded commodity, serves as a cornerstone of various industries, from transportation to manufacturing various products, including gasoline, heating fuel, and plastics. The Middle East, in particular, stands prominently as a central nexus for oil production and export, boasting some of the world’s largest oil reserves.
Saudi Arabia led the pack as the top oil exporter in 2022, with exports totalling $236 billion, representing a significant portion of global exports. It remains a key player in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and global oil production, with a daily output of 12.44 million barrels in 2022. Within the region, Iraq, the UAE, and Kuwait also feature prominently in the oil export hierarchy, reflecting the Middle East’s significant impact on the global energy landscape.
However, despite the opportunities in the oil and gas industry, significant challenges arise, especially regarding sustainable water management. Water is essential for various operations, including drilling, hydraulic fracturing, processing, and cooling. The industry’s high water consumption—averaging three barrels per barrel of oil produced—highlights the urgent need for efficient water management solutions.
As global energy demand rises and water scarcity crises intensify, optimising water use becomes crucial. This urgency is especially pronounced in the Middle East, where the region has long faced water scarcity challenges due to its arid climate and limited freshwater resources.
In this article, we explore key industry trends with a focus on innovative water management solutions. Specifically, we highlight the transformative potential of Minetek Water’s evaporation technology in addressing the complex interplay of oil and water in this critical region.
Oil & Gas industry trends to watch
Automation & digitisation
The oil and gas industry is rapidly embracing technology, with artificial intelligence (AI) emerging as a standout trend in 2023. AI’s ability to swiftly and efficiently analyse vast amounts of data, revolutionising decision-making processes. Moreover, it facilitates the automation of physical tasks, enhancing safety, particularly in high-risk offshore ventures. Major players like Chevron, Ecopetrol, Shell BP, and others are increasingly leveraging AI, as highlighted in a recent report from GlobalData.
AI is just one factor driving transformation. The integration of automation and digitisation is revolutionising the oil and gas sector, enhancing efficiency, precision, and safety across operations. Automation streamlines workflows, reduces downtime, and minimises human errors, thereby maximising resource utilisation and productivity. At the same time, digitisation facilitates real-time monitoring, data analysis, and predictive maintenance, enabling operators to make agile, informed decisions. These technological advancements place oil and gas companies in the Middle East and worldwide at the forefront of innovation, ensuring their competitiveness in the global market.
These technologies can play a crucial role in water management, as they allow for more efficient use and monitoring of water resources. With automation and digitisation, oil and gas companies can implement advanced systems for water extraction, treatment, and recycling, ensuring sustainable practices while minimising environmental impact.
Effective safety processes
Safety is crucial in the oil and gas industry, given the inherently high-risk nature of operations such as drilling and refining. While prioritising the safety of workers is vital, it’s also important to consider broader environmental protection and resource management goals.
Water management holds particular significance within this framework. In the extraction process, the formation of brine occurs when brackish groundwater interacts with either surface water or seawater. This results in the creation of a highly saline by-product that cannot be indiscriminately discharged back into the environment due to its elevated levels of contaminants and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Consequently, the implementation of proper treatment and disposal methods becomes imperative to prevent environmental degradation and adhere to regulatory standards. Effective water management not only ensures operational sustainability but also plays a critical role in safeguarding ecosystems and public health.
To accomplish this, oil and gas firms must establish procedures and guidelines to safeguard workers, the environment, and assets. This involves offering comprehensive training, conducting routine safety assessments, and embracing advanced technologies for monitoring and risk management. Prioritising safety not only mitigates operational risks but also enhances the company’s reputation and trustworthiness within the industry and the broader community. This dedication to safety underscores responsible business conduct and cultivates trust among stakeholders.
ESG & Sustainability
Oil and gas companies face significant pressure to address their environmental impact, striving to prevent future pollution of air, land, and water from spills, leaks, waste, and emissions. Encouragingly, industry leaders recognise the urgency of sustainability measures and are taking proactive steps to address them. According to a recent survey conducted by SAP and Oxford Economics, executives in the energy and utilities sector have implemented more sustainability-related changes in their operations compared to counterparts in other industries. The survey reveals that 79% of these executives view sustainability as a major concern throughout all stages of the manufacturing process, with 47% committing to achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Moreover, research by KPMG indicates that 97% of oil and gas executives recognise the importance of effectively managing climate-related risks for their job security in the coming years.
The oil and gas sector is well positioned to lead efforts in addressing water scarcity concerns, leveraging its engineering expertise, access to capital, and extensive operations in water-stressed regions. Increasingly, companies in the industry are utilising their technical knowledge to develop innovative solutions to water challenges. These efforts range from improving water efficiency within their operations to teaming up with others to provide clean water to nearby communities. Successful projects not only ensure that water is available for ongoing operations but also build stronger relationships between oil and gas companies and important groups like regulators and local communities.
For instance, Shell collaborated with the government of Oman to establish an industrial wetland for treating large volumes of waste utilised in production at the Nimr oilfield. Since 2011, Shell has utilised expansive wetlands and evaporation ponds to process over 100,000 cubic meters of wastewater daily, mitigating the need for injection into deep well aquifers. Projects like the Nimr wetlands are significant in their own right, but they become even more impactful when integrated into a comprehensive approach to water management.
Overall, as the oil and gas industry continues to evolve, it must adopt a comprehensive strategy that integrates technological innovation, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. This strategy will be crucial in overcoming future challenges and ensuring sustainable growth. By embracing these principles, the industry can not only maintain its competitiveness but also contribute to global efforts towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
Minetek Water’s sustainable solutions for the gas & oil industry
Minetek stands as a global leader in industrial solutions, offering decades of expertise in supporting leaders in mining, power generation, and oil & gas to achieve environmentally sustainable water management outcomes with reliable evaporator systems.
Our portfolio includes a wide array of mechanical water evaporation and water quality management technologies, known for their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. These solutions have undergone rigorous testing and have proven their worth in the most challenging industrial settings across the globe, enabling operators to focus on production and profitability.
Minetek’s Mechanical Evaporation Systems incorporate cutting-edge technology to address common challenges encountered by oil and gas producers. Their robust design and heavy-duty construction ensure resilience against various water qualities and harsh environmental conditions, including the impact of sand or dust storms, guaranteeing uninterrupted operation.
These systems operate by pushing a large amount of water at high pressure through specifically designed nozzles, breaking the water down into minuscule droplets. These droplets are then propelled into the air to evaporate, leaving behind any solids, salts, heavy metals, or contaminants, which usually settle along with the droplets that haven’t evaporated.
Our automated systems greatly minimise labor-intensive tasks linked to water management solutions, boosting operational efficiency. Furthermore, our closed-loop Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system embodies environmental responsibility, efficiently reintroducing water into the natural cycle while satisfying strict environmental performance indicators and ZLD agreements. Their mobility enables effortless relocation between sites, enhancing operational adaptability and guaranteeing peak performance in various environments.
With more than 600 systems implemented worldwide, Minetek Water has transformed wastewater management, establishing itself as the foremost industry leader in sustainable solutions.
