New Partnership to Optimize Water Management in Oil and Gas
Mellor Goodwin Combustion and Sparkle Clean Tech combine local expertise and international technology to provide produced water and oily water treatment solutions for projects in Argentina’s hydrocarbon industry.
The growing activity in the oil and gas sector is facing new challenges related to the management of water used and generated during operations. Against this backdrop, Mellor Goodwin Combustion S.A. (MELLOR) and India-based Sparkle Clean Tech (SCT) have formed a strategic partnership to introduce technologies to the Argentine market for the treatment of produced water and oily water.
The agreement aims to meet the needs of upstream, midstream and downstream projects by combining local engineering, manufacturing and installation capabilities with technologies developed and applied internationally.
Technology for More Efficient Water Management
The proposal includes solutions for different stages of the treatment process, ranging from systems designed for the separation and removal of hydrocarbons to advanced filtration and purification processes.
Among the available technologies there are systems for primary, secondary and tertiary oily water treatment, ultrafiltration (UF), reverse osmosis (RO), seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), demineralized and ultrapure water plants, as well as wastewater recycling systems and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) processes.
The portfolio also includes hydrocyclones and various separation and filtration systems, such as corrugated plate interceptors (CPI), induced gas flotation (IGF), dissolved gas flotation (DGF), dissolved air flotation (DAF), and walnut shell filtration.
One of the key differentiators is the possibility of implementing modular and containerized plants based on a “Plug & Play” concept, an especially attractive alternative for operations located far from major urban centres or for projects requiring rapid expansion of their treatment capacity.
International Technology Support
Sparkle Clean Tech recently obtained the exclusive licence and intellectual property rights for produced water treatment technologies developed by Siemens Energy, incorporating solutions for different levels of oily water treatment.
The company also has international experience in projects for operators and engineering, as well as construction contractors across different markets. Its portfolio includes work for companies such as ONGC, Chevron Phillips Chemical, QatarEnergy, Mongol Refinery, INEOS and Kuwait Oil Company, and also projects associated with ADNOC and refinery and offshore developments.
Sparkle Clean Tech is also registered as a supplier to international companies including Saipem, Tecnimont and Thyssenkrupp.
An Opportunity for Argentina’s Industry
The partnership brings these capabilities to the local market through the infrastructure and experience of Mellor, an Argentine company with a history dating back to 1934 and is involved in industrial projects ranging from the conceptual, basic and detailed engineering stages right through to equipment manufacturing and electromechanical installation.
“Water and wastewater management in oil and gas exploration and production activities is crucial for our customers, who are seeking solutions to improve efficiency, make their operations more sustainable and comply with environmental regulations and standards,” said Mike Foster, director of Sparkle Clean Tech.
The initiative takes on particular significance amid the expansion of Argentina’s oil and gas production, especially in Vaca Muerta, where the growth of unconventional operations increases the need for efficient solutions for the treatment, recovery, reuse and disposal of water
Beyond the introduction of new technologies, the agreement represents an opportunity to develop local capabilities around an issue that will play an increasingly significant role in the expansion of the industry: how to produce more hydrocarbons while using water more efficiently and properly managing the effluents generated throughout the process.