Saltworks Technologies Inc. to change how produced water is treated

VANCOUVER, B.C. – A new energy project is set to change how water treatment is done at natural gas sites.

Geoscience BC and NGIF Industry Grants are aiding Saltworks Technologies Inc. to develop its AirBreather evaporator-crystallizer.

The AirBreather uses excess heat from natural gas production to treat produced water on-site efficiently, according to Geoscience BC. The project will explore an innovative evaporation system on saline produced water samples collected from natural gas operations in the Montney Play.

Geoscience states that produced water flows to the surface with gas and oil during the production process. These AirBreather units work to turn saline produced water into clean water for reuse or into water vapour to be released into the atmosphere.

Saltworks estimates that around $180 million is spent per year by the natural gas sector to manage ponds and transport this saline water from production sites in northeast B.C.

“On-site treatment with AirBreather cuts the number of trucks on the road hauling wastewater between sites, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of natural gas operations,” said Henry Tsin, project lead and Vice President of Commercial Development at Saltworks Technologies Inc. “We estimate that on-site water treatment saves 30% over the cost of traditional disposal methods.”

The AirBreather testing will be happening at Saltworks’ facility in Richmond, B.C. It’ll be using sampled of produced water from the northeast region.