REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Petroleum Environmental Research Forum
Onshore Unconventional High TDS Produced Water Treatment – Phase 2
This Request for Proposal (RFP) seeks proposals to gather information about and critically assess the water treatment technology alternatives for high total dissolved solids (TDS) (greater than 50,000 mg/L up to 300,000 mg/L) produced water (PW) handling and disposition (reuse and disposal). The project seeks assessment of commercial technologies that currently exist and that will be commercially available in next three- five years, so that promising technologies can be rapidly deployed to reduce costs of reinjection (due to injectivity constraints) and on the difficulty to drill wells (expensive in some areas). The Petroleum Environmental Research Forum (PERF), is a non-profit organization created to provide a stimulus to and a forum for the collection, exchange, and analysis of research information relating to the development of technology for health, environment & safety, waste reduction and system security in the petroleum industry.
Background
The increasing water scarcity and potential regulation/limitation on produced water reinjection will require oil and gas (O&G) industry to seek alternative strategies for handling produced water or treat produced water prior to discharge, reuse, or disposal. Various members of the O&G industry have invested Research and Development (R&D) efforts on evaluating and assessment of commercial water treatment technologies. Typically, chemicals and energy costs are major contributors to produced water treatment OPEX (40-70%). However, there is a gap in knowledge concerning emerging technologies, life-cycle costs, technology and regulatory landscape and alternative uses for produced water as a resource. The goal of this project is to conduct comprehensive analysis for technology landscape and develop business case for PERF join in project (JIP) technology development.
Project Scope Elements:
In - Scope
This work will include at least:
· Identifying all potential technologies and global regulatory landscape with economic analysis for current and emerging treatment technologies for demineralization, zero liquid discharge, salts and metals recovery from produced waters with high total dissolved solids (greater than 50,000 mg/L and as high as 300,000 mg/L).
The produced water flowrates are typically in the range of 1,000 – 200,000 barrels of water per day. Typical PW quality is as follows:
· Oil – not detect to 500 mg/L (generally ~ 100- 150 mg/L)
· TDS – 53,000 to 300,000 mg/L
· Total Suspended Solids (TSS) – 35 to 10,000 mg/L
· High concentrations for surfactants, hardness, boron, strontium and sometimes NORM
· Some produced waters may have production chemicals and dissolved gases.
· The proposed technologies / process trains should identify specific constituent removal at each step and associated range of treatment costs.
· Consultant evaluating and critically assessing technology provider’s data and reports based upon technology performance, adaptability, ease of operational deployment, costs based on design basis and asset lifecycle considerations as applicable to oil and gas operations.
· The project will provide scenarios and required considerations for planning alternate produced water handling and management. These scenarios could include but is not limited to the following:
· Potential markets for commercial products (e.g., hydrochloric acid, sodium formate, or rare earth metals)
· Regulatory/ advocacy requirements for alternative produced water management strategies (disposal and reuse)
· The project will develop brief global regulatory landscape (current and emerging) for produced water disposal and treatment for reuse to identify internal and external barriers to implementation of the scenarios.
· As part of the proposal, consultant may consider coordinating a workshop with potential technology providers to accelerate the information gathering.
· Establishing objective criteria by which technology provider’s capabilities, methods, techniques, and/or models are to be evaluated. (In consultation with PERF technical team).
· Consultant will facilitate developing the business case for future PERF/JIP as appropriate.
· Draft and Final Project Report to include:
· Project description
· Summary of existing and emerging technology and regulatory landscape relevant to produced water management.
· Technology review with advantages and limitations, with recommendations based on oil and gas industry value drivers and pre-defined criteria.
· Assessment of the technology with respect to:
• Use by others - Understand how the technology is or might be used by regulators or NGOs.
• Reliability, Commercial Development and Deployment of the technology
• Legal Issues applicable to commercial adoption of the technology
• Data Acceptance – Will the data be accepted by regulatory authorities/NGOs/Industry.
· Recommendations for follow-on technology development alternatives for JIP based on economic analysis relevant to oil and gas industry
Out of Scope
· In reviewing the technology providers, the following will be considered out of scope:
o Technologies to improve hydraulic fracturing and fracture fluids additives chemistry.
o Technology provider participation in or commissioning of experiments to develop data to fulfill project scope.
Proposal: Responses to this RFP should address each of the following:
· Your company’s knowledge, capabilities, and previous experience with technology, research group and vendor evaluations including experience relevant to the oil and gas industry.
· Your company’s knowledge, capabilities, and previous experience with water treatment technologies.
· A description of the methodology proposed for collecting produced water treatment and disposition alternatives.
· A description of the methodology proposed for evaluating technology landscape and alternate produced water handling and management.
· A detailed work plan to show how the terms of the contract will be met.
· Timeframe for completion of project and significant milestone events during the project.
· A detailed cost estimate in US dollars, which includes:
o Assumptions to support the cost estimate (including number of hours and staff rates per task);
o Details of the proposed scope of work to be completed;
o Any contingencies to address unknowns.
· A list of personnel to be involved in the project, their qualifications, and their proposed role in this project.
· Customer references.
· A detailed description of the compensation structure methodology to be used if the firm has one.
Critical DATES: The following must be met for candidates to qualify for consideration:
Please submit your proposal via email to
The RFP for this work must be received via email bearing the subject line “Onshore Unconventional High TDS Produced Water Treatment – Phase 2” no later than December 11, 2017 at 5 PM CST to receive consideration. Any questions regarding the RFP must be received by December 4, 2017 at 5 PM CST to ensure ample time to respond.
Bidders will be notified no later than January 31, 2018 if they were awarded the bid.
Consultant Selection Criteria – Selection will be weighted on the consulting teams:
1. Experience in technology, research group and vendor evaluation;
2. Experience with water treatment technology;
3. Demonstrated experience in meeting project milestones and schedules;
4. Ability to complete and deliver project in specified time frame;
5. Responsiveness to this RFP;
6. Customer references; and
7. Cost of proposed work.
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