ProAnalysis - Oil-in-Water Monitoring

ProAnalysis is a supplier of oil-in-water monitoring solutions, both for environmental monitoring and produced water treatment process monitoring. The Argus technology introduces new generation on-line oil-in-water monitors, reducing or eliminating the need for the non-efficient and expensive activity of manual water sampling, and paving the way for advanced multipoint water treatment process monitoring.

The key component of the Argus system is the on-line in-line oil-in-water analyser, which provides a continuous stream of real-time oil-in-water data. ProAnalysis has developed two products from the Argus technology base:

• Argus Environment for emissions monitoring, providing operators with oil-in-water concentrations continuously and real-time, and reducing or eliminating the need for manual sampling and laboratory analysis
• Argus Process for advanced produced water treatment process monitoring, including single or multiple measuring points at different stages of the process. This gives operators unique process control, and the opportunity to regulate and optimise the water treatment process instantly

Argus has been thoroughly tested at several North Sea oil and gas fields, and first commercial deliveries were made in 2005 and 2006.

ARGUS ENVIRONMENT - EMISSIONS AND DISCHARGE MONITORING

Argus Environment continuously monitors emissions of oil to sea, providing operators with Oil-in-Water (OiW) concentrations (mg/l, ppm) continuously and real-time. This enables operators to comply with environmental regulations and achieve mandated HSE goals for the reduction in OiW emissions.

The key benefits from Argus Environment are:

• Accurate quantification of dispersed oil-in-water
• Immediate alarm when discharges exceed a defined limit
• Automated system, reducing or eliminating the costs of manual sampling and laboratory analysis, giving significant cost reductions
• Reduced risk of significant discharge events, negative environmental impacts and potentially large costs
• Inline measurements; the inline probe is installed through a single flange, avoiding complex and expensive bypass solutions and high installation costs
• Low manual maintenance requirements due to automatic laser-based probe cleaning
• Integrated control software (Argus Manager), incorporating data logging and reporting modules, facilitating easy reporting of historic data
• Embedded CPU, ready for remote operations, communications through Ethernet or serial (modbus) interfaces (eField/iField ready)

ARGUS PROCESS - WATER TREATMENT PROCESS MONITORING

Argus Process is a complete system for advanced monitoring of the produced water treatment process. Continuous, real-time oil-in-water data from single or multiple measuring points (at different stages of the process) give operators unique, effective process control.

The features of measurement directly in the produced water pipeline (in-line), and operations at high temperatures and pressures make advanced process monitoring possible. This represents a completely new application for oil-in-water monitoring and a breakthrough in produced water treatment. The first deliveries of Argus Process were made in 2006.

Key benefits from the Argus Process include:

• Effective control of the produced water treatment system by continuously monitoring each stage of the process
• Immediate action in the case of unwanted events in the water treatment process
• Optimisation of the water treatment process
• Increased oil production wherever the production is bottlenecked by the water treatment system
• Reduced operating costs through improved water management
• Elimination of manual sampling for process control, resulting in significant cost reductions
• Full integration with industry-standard control systems

THE ARGUS TECHNOLOGY

ProAnalysis' unique proprietary Argus technology has been developed in close co-operation with major operators in the North Sea and meets the strict requirements of this market.

The Argus technology has the following main features and benefits:

• Based on Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF), an established and proven measurement principle: accurate quantification of dispersed oil through the measurement of aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - even at sub-ppm levels
• Inline measurements: the probe is installed through a single flange, avoiding complex and expensive bypass solutions
• Laser-based automated maintenance technology: laser-based cleaning of the optical fibres in the inline probe ensures low-maintenance operation
• Enables multipoint measurement (at multiple points in the water treatment process) due to high pressure and high temperature operations, inline measurements and low space requirements
• Stable and robust under harsh conditions - well suited for an offshore environment