Hydrocarbon Separation and Removal Using
Membranes
Mohammad Arif Budiman Pauzan, Mazlinda Abd Rahman,
and Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman
Abstract
This chapter describes the implementation of membrane
in separation and removal of hydrocarbon. The treatment
of hydrocarbon using membrane normally started from
produced water (PW) which later continued to petrochemical refinery wastewater for natural gas, and other
chemicals recovery has been enhanced throughout the
years. Generally, the applications of using membrane
technologies such as the use of microfiltration (MF),
ultrafiltration (UF), followed by nanofiltration (NF),
forward and reverse osmosis (FO and RO) have been
implemented in many oil refineries plant. Recently, with
the advance of technologies, focus nowadays has been put
on the use of these membranes in oil refinery membrane
systems was being made according to its application, i.e.
thermal, electric and biological driven and mixed technologies. Finally, the future developments and challenges
that needed to counter are briefly discussed. Throughout
this chapter, the use of membrane technologies for
hydrocarbon separation and removal in petrochemical
and produced water wastewater will be explained and the
impact of the studies in this application.
Keywords
Hydrocarbon separation Á Membrane technology Á
Produced water Á Filtration
1 Introduction
In modern day life, fossil fuel has been one of the most
important energy sources to humankind compared other
energy sources. For centuries, the technology especially in
transportation and industries, humankind still uses this
energy in their life and the demand still increasing even other
technology from other source of energy such as electric
sources. Derivatives from hydrocarbon such as oil, gas, and
polymers from fossil fuel are among the main products from
this source.
Hydrocarbon or fossil fuels are basically deep drilled
from the earth using hydraulic fracturing of shale oil or also
known as crude oil. Recent technology has brought this
process to another level due to high demand, and it does not
show any sign of stopping. Engineers and scientists around
the world have been working to improvize and improve this
particular process to achieve the demand. Generally, there is
concern from by-product from this industry which the production of produced water (PW) also known as co-produce
water or flowback water. This water can be referred to as the
water that came out from the well due to the drilling of the
oil. This water is vital to assist the drilling process where the
freshwater will be used to pressurize later the crude oil/gas
was pumped out from the well. Due to this matter, the
amount of PW from oil drilling can be considered in vast
quantity compared to gas drilling even though it can be
varied from well to well depending on the location, geological formation and age of the well. Typically, the volume
of PW will make up more than 90% from the total fluid
volume of the reservoir due to the process of pumping or
drilling. Figure 1 depicts the general schematic of produced
water (PW) in the (a) oil and gas reservoir and (b) refinery
process plant. The PW can be described as the water produced naturally in the well or reservoir. Hence, the acidity or
the content of minerals ions/heavy metals inside the water
may vary corresponding to the geology of that respective
well.
M. A. B. Pauzan Á M. A. Rahman Á M. H. D. Othman (&)
Faculty of Engineering, School of Chemical and Energy
Engineering, Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre
(AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM),
81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: hafiz@petroleum.utm.my
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Z. Zhang et al. (eds.), Membrane Technology Enhancement for Environmental Protection
and Sustainable Industrial Growth, Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41295-1_6
73
Membranes
Mohammad Arif Budiman Pauzan, Mazlinda Abd Rahman,
and Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman
Abstract
This chapter describes the implementation of membrane
in separation and removal of hydrocarbon. The treatment
of hydrocarbon using membrane normally started from
produced water (PW) which later continued to petrochemical refinery wastewater for natural gas, and other
chemicals recovery has been enhanced throughout the
years. Generally, the applications of using membrane
technologies such as the use of microfiltration (MF),
ultrafiltration (UF), followed by nanofiltration (NF),
forward and reverse osmosis (FO and RO) have been
implemented in many oil refineries plant. Recently, with
the advance of technologies, focus nowadays has been put
on the use of these membranes in oil refinery membrane
systems was being made according to its application, i.e.
thermal, electric and biological driven and mixed technologies. Finally, the future developments and challenges
that needed to counter are briefly discussed. Throughout
this chapter, the use of membrane technologies for
hydrocarbon separation and removal in petrochemical
and produced water wastewater will be explained and the
impact of the studies in this application.
Keywords
Hydrocarbon separation Á Membrane technology Á
Produced water Á Filtration
1 Introduction
In modern day life, fossil fuel has been one of the most
important energy sources to humankind compared other
energy sources. For centuries, the technology especially in
transportation and industries, humankind still uses this
energy in their life and the demand still increasing even other
technology from other source of energy such as electric
sources. Derivatives from hydrocarbon such as oil, gas, and
polymers from fossil fuel are among the main products from
this source.
Hydrocarbon or fossil fuels are basically deep drilled
from the earth using hydraulic fracturing of shale oil or also
known as crude oil. Recent technology has brought this
process to another level due to high demand, and it does not
show any sign of stopping. Engineers and scientists around
the world have been working to improvize and improve this
particular process to achieve the demand. Generally, there is
concern from by-product from this industry which the production of produced water (PW) also known as co-produce
water or flowback water. This water can be referred to as the
water that came out from the well due to the drilling of the
oil. This water is vital to assist the drilling process where the
freshwater will be used to pressurize later the crude oil/gas
was pumped out from the well. Due to this matter, the
amount of PW from oil drilling can be considered in vast
quantity compared to gas drilling even though it can be
varied from well to well depending on the location, geological formation and age of the well. Typically, the volume
of PW will make up more than 90% from the total fluid
volume of the reservoir due to the process of pumping or
drilling. Figure 1 depicts the general schematic of produced
water (PW) in the (a) oil and gas reservoir and (b) refinery
process plant. The PW can be described as the water produced naturally in the well or reservoir. Hence, the acidity or
the content of minerals ions/heavy metals inside the water
may vary corresponding to the geology of that respective
well.
M. A. B. Pauzan Á M. A. Rahman Á M. H. D. Othman (&)
Faculty of Engineering, School of Chemical and Energy
Engineering, Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre
(AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM),
81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
e-mail: hafiz@petroleum.utm.my
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Z. Zhang et al. (eds.), Membrane Technology Enhancement for Environmental Protection
and Sustainable Industrial Growth, Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41295-1_6
73