{"id":228,"date":"2016-05-20T06:56:51","date_gmt":"2016-05-20T06:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/?p=228"},"modified":"2026-04-13T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T00:00:00","slug":"water-separation-in-oil-fields-in-trinidad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/water-separation-in-oil-fields-in-trinidad\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Separation in oil fields in Trinidad"},"content":{"rendered":"
Quick Answer:<\/strong> AMPAC USA has completed the installation of two produced water treatment and separation systems for oil fields in Trinidad and Tobago. These systems use multi-stage hydrocarbon separation followed by reverse osmosis (RO) to remove oil, suspended solids, and dissolved contaminants from co-produced water, rendering it safe for human consumption at field campsites. The systems address one of the oil and gas industry’s most critical environmental and operational challenges: the treatment and reuse of high-volume produced water.<\/div>\n

Ampac USA has just finished the installation of two Water Treatment \/ Water Separation Systems for Oil Fields in Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n

The water comes out co-produced with the oil. These Water Treatment Systems consist of many stages to reduce hydrocarbons from water, then treated with reverse osmosis<\/a><\/strong> process to be used on camp sites for human consumption.<\/p>\n

Ampac USA is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and market leaders of Advanced Water Purification and Reverse Osmosis Equipment, Commercial Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems as well as Residential Drinking Water Filtration and Water Purification Systems. View some of our custom reverse osmosis systems for residential, commercial, industrial, laboratory use, ROWPU, HBWRO, and Seawater Desalination applications.<\/p>\n

Ampac USA also manufactures the Highest Quality Durable Mobile Solar Power Systems, Oil Separators, Waste Water Treatment Systems, Water Coolers, Automatic Media Filters, Cartridge Filters, Water Softeners, Ultra Violet Sterilizers, Chemical Dosing Systems, Ozone Systems, and Custom Built Water Treatment Equipment at the most competitive prices.<\/p>\n

Produced Water Treatment in the Oil and Gas Industry<\/h2>\n

Produced water \u2014 the water that comes up from the ground co-mingled with crude oil and natural gas \u2014 is the largest waste stream generated by the oil and gas industry globally. For every barrel of oil extracted, between 3 and 10 barrels of produced water are typically generated. In mature fields like those in Trinidad and Tobago, this ratio can be significantly higher. Managing this water is both an operational necessity and an environmental obligation.<\/p>\n

Produced water contains a complex mixture of contaminants including dispersed and dissolved hydrocarbons, naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), heavy metals, dissolved solids (TDS often 10,000\u2013300,000 mg\/L), bacteria, and scale-forming minerals. Untreated discharge is prohibited in most jurisdictions. The preferred approach is treatment and beneficial reuse \u2014 for irrigation, industrial processes, or potable water production for field personnel.<\/p>\n

AMPAC USA’s oilfield water treatment systems use a multi-stage process engineered for produced water’s unique contamination profile. Stage one employs induced gas flotation (IGF) or API gravity separators to remove free oil. Subsequent stages use coagulation\/flocculation, media filtration, and activated carbon to reduce residual hydrocarbons, suspended solids, and organic compounds. A final reverse osmosis stage reduces TDS, heavy metals, and dissolved organics to EPA and WHO drinking water standards \u2014 producing water safe for campsite consumption and industrial reuse.<\/p>\n

The Trinidad and Tobago installations represent AMPAC USA’s established expertise in Caribbean and Latin American oil-producing regions. Our systems handle high-salinity, high-hydrocarbon produced water characteristic of mature fields, with capacities from 5,000 GPD to over 500,000 GPD. Custom skid-mounted configurations allow rapid field deployment with minimal civil works.<\/p>\n

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Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
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What is produced water and why does it require treatment?<\/h3>\n
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Produced water is formation water that comes up co-mingled with crude oil and natural gas during petroleum extraction. It contains hydrocarbons, heavy metals, naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), dissolved salts, and bacteria. Environmental regulations prohibit untreated discharge, and its high volume \u2014 typically 3\u201310 barrels per barrel of oil \u2014 makes treatment and reuse essential for both operational and regulatory compliance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What treatment stages are used to remove hydrocarbons from oilfield water?<\/h3>\n
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Oilfield produced water treatment typically involves: (1) primary separation via API gravity separators or induced gas flotation; (2) coagulation and flocculation to remove colloidal oil and suspended solids; (3) media filtration to remove fine particles; (4) activated carbon adsorption to remove dissolved organics; and (5) reverse osmosis to reduce TDS and dissolved contaminants to potable water standards.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Can oilfield produced water be treated to drinking water standards?<\/h3>\n
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Yes. With the correct multi-stage treatment train including RO, produced water can be treated to EPA and WHO drinking water standards. The challenge is high TDS (often 50,000\u2013200,000 mg\/L) and hydrocarbon content, requiring adequate pre-treatment before RO membranes can be applied. AMPAC USA systems are engineered with the correct pre-treatment sequence to protect membranes while achieving potable quality output.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What is the typical TDS of produced water and how does RO address it?<\/h3>\n
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Produced water TDS ranges from 1,000 mg\/L in some onshore fields to over 300,000 mg\/L in deep formations. High-pressure reverse osmosis systems using seawater-grade membranes (operating at 600\u20131,200 psi) can reduce TDS by 95\u201399%. AMPAC USA systems are configured based on site-specific water chemistry analysis to ensure membrane compatibility and optimal recovery rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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How are AMPAC USA oilfield water treatment systems configured for field deployment?<\/h3>\n
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Systems are engineered as skid-mounted or containerized units for rapid deployment to remote oilfield locations. A standard configuration includes an API separator, multimedia filter, carbon filter, antiscalant dosing, cartridge pre-filters, and high-pressure RO unit on a single skid. Systems can be powered by generator, solar, or grid power and are designed for operation by field personnel with basic technical training.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What environmental regulations govern produced water disposal in Trinidad and Tobago?<\/h3>\n
\n

In Trinidad and Tobago, produced water management falls under the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) requirements and the Petroleum Act. Operators must demonstrate that produced water disposal or reuse meets effluent quality standards and does not contaminate soil or groundwater. Treatment and beneficial reuse is the preferred EMA pathway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What capacity systems does AMPAC USA offer for oilfield water treatment?<\/h3>\n
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AMPAC USA engineers oilfield water treatment systems from 5,000 GPD (suitable for small satellite production sites) to over 500,000 GPD for large field operations. Systems are custom-designed based on produced water flow rates, inlet water chemistry, and target output quality. Contact AMPAC USA engineering at (909) 548-4900 for a site-specific design consultation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ampac USA has just finished the installation of two Water Treatment \/ Water Separation Systems for Oil Fields in Trinidad and Tobago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3700,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industrial-reverse-osmosis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88537,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions\/88537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ampac1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}