Water Filtration for the Removal of Suspended Solids in the Oil and Gas Industry

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The US and global energy demand is projected to grow significantly for the next 25 years or more! Since 2013, the US has been the global leader in Oil & Gas production. A vibrant and profitable US Oil & Gas Industry is vital is to US economy, as well as the global economy. New and innovative fracking and drilling technology has unlocked more economical ways to extract US shale oil and natural gas. These innovations have allowed the US to satisfy more of its own consumption. As extraction / production increases, additional ancillary oil and gas field services and refinery services are required.

Water is integral to oil and gas production. Global oil and gas production consumes over 20 billion gallons of water per day! A single well can use from 2 to 15 million gallons of water. Because water demand is so great, water management and treatment is critical throughout the hydrocarbon extraction / production process for the following.

Hydrocarbon Extraction Water (and Steam for Hydrocarbon Extraction)
Flowback Water / Produced Water
Process / Cooling Water
Well Flooding for Enhance Oil Recovery

Hydrocarbon production and water consumption are linked together. As the demand for oil and gas increases, so does the demand for fresh water, as well as the need to treat more water.

Water used in the production of oil and gas is sourced from:

Ground Water (i.e. Well Water)
Surface Water (i.e. River, Lake, Reservoir)
Recycled Water
Transported via Trucks or Pipelines when not available locally

Water scarcity and / or consumption restrictions in certain regions or specific well sites are leading the industry to rely more on treatment and reuse (i.e. recycled water).

Water is required for several stages of the hydrocarbon extraction process. Water is used to:

Cool and lubricate drill bits
Transport rock cuttings to the surface
Drive the hydrocarbons to the surface

A well site may also use water for process cooling or generate steam for hydrocarbon extraction.

The water sources for hydrocarbon extraction contain silt, sediment, suspended solids and other contaminants. This water must be filtered! ZGF Spring Filter and Tornado technologies are the ideal solution to effectively and efficiently capture and remove suspended solids from the water.

A portion of the water used for hydrocarbon extraction returns to the surface as flowback or produced water. The treatment of this water is a significant cost component of oil and gas production. The flowback / produced water is high in total dissolved solids and suspended solids. It is a murky, highly corrosive brine. Each barrel of crude oil generates up to 10 barrels of flowback / produced water. The US oil and gas industry annually generates over 20 billion barrels (840 billion gallons) of flowback / produced water. This water requires disposal or treatment for reuse. Whether the flowback / produced water is disposed or reused, filtration is part of the solution; and ZGF Spring Filter and Tornado technologies are the ideal solution to effectively and efficiently capture and remove suspended solids.

Productivity, profitability and permission from the public to operate depend largely on successful water management. Efficient, effective and environmentally responsible filtration of oil and gas field water is more important than ever!

Filtration is also important within the refineries.

Protect Sensitive Equipment

Process / Cooling Water

Zero Gravity Filters offers two extremely unique separation / filtration technologies. Both technologies effectively and efficiently capture and remove suspended solids from water.

Spring Filter – The ZGF Spring Filter is a 316 stainless-steel coil wound with a variable pitch that allows the filter element to open evenly from top to bottom ensuring that all contaminants are completely removed from the filter element with each backwash. The “nidges” provide an absolute gap to ensure consistent and reliable particle capture. The Spring Filter element is utilized in the EZ Clean family of automatic filtration systems.
Tornado – The Tornado is high “G”-force, centrifugal separator. The Tornado is a simple but extremely innovative device. The Tornado has no moving parts and no media. Tornado effectively removes particles without any regular maintenance.

With minimal maintenance staffs and tighter profit margins, contamination control must be effective, consistent and reliable.

The selected filtration / separation technology must be:

automatic to minimize operator involvement
relatively maintenance free

ZGF Spring Filter and Tornado technologies satisfy the criteria, and effectively and efficiently capture and remove the remove suspended solids.

ZGF technology can be installed in a variety of processes and applications.

To get a better understanding on where ZGF technology can provide value in the Oil & Gas industry, click on one or more of the Process Diagram links below. The process diagrams show you where a ZGF technology can be implemented in a specific process and the benefits it provides.

ZGF Spring Filter & Tornado technologies meet all purchasing and performance criteria by effectively and efficiently capturing and removing suspended solids from water flowback / produced water, cooling water or water used for hydrocarbon extraction.

ZGF technology will provide value because it is:

fully automatic
consistent & reliable
non-disposable
energy efficient - utilizing a minimal amount of electricity and air during purge/backwash
able to remove particles down to 20 micron
environmentally responsible – does not generate additional waste, unlike bags, cartridges and roll media

The product data sheets provide a detailed description and comprehensive overview of each product technology. If you want to learn more about ZGF EZ Clean or Tornado technology, then click on one of the links to

Seeing is believing!

Some people need to see something in operation to really get it. Click on the links below to see how each technology works.

Spring Filter animation – The animation shows the basic principle of operation.
Spring Filter video - See the coil open and shimmer and the contaminants disappear!
Phoenix animation – The animation shows the basic principle of operation.
Phoenix video - The narrated video explains and allows you to see how the Phoenix works; and you can see how all debris is removed during backwash when the Spring Filter opens and shimmers
Tornado animation – View the Tornado in operation.

ZGF technology provides value

Click on ZGF Phoenix vs Bag Filter to see a how a ZGF customer was able realize a simple payback in 8 months.

ZGF technology can provide significant value in several operations and applications. Click on Success Stories to jump to the Success Stories / Case Studies page to learn how ZGF technology provides value.

Click on the links below to learn how you can reduce total operating costs, improve process reliability and reduce your environmental footprint by implementing ZGF Spring Filter technology.

Deep Well Injection Company Saves Over $300K Annually

Spring Filter Protects Sensitive Equipment – Provides Better Filtration, Lowers Operating Costs & Requires Less Maintenance

Simplicity, consistency, reliability and the lowest cost of ownership make ZGF technology the best solution and value for many oil and gas industry water filtration needs including removal of suspended solids from your flowback water, produced water and water / brine for deep well injection, as well as cooling water and process water.

ZGF is your preferred partner.

Filtration should not be a burden.

Filtration should be a tool that improves quality and reduces cost.

Let us help you meet your objectives and make your job easier!

ZGF has the experience and dedication to customer satisfaction that you are looking for. Contact us or request a quote today.