3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors for oil and gas industry

The oil and gas industry is beginning to adopt 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors for oil production and oxygen removal from natural gas. Boiler feed water deoxygenation, oil washing, and water flooding in offshore environments are just some of the applications where dissolved gas control can reap rewards.

Weight and space are critical decision points in offshore environments. When evaluating dissolved gas control technologies for water flooding, or enhanced oil recovery, 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors can have significant advantages over conventional vacuum towers. Membrane systems can save up to 60-70% of a vacuum tower weight, whilst the footprint can be arranged to fit the topside space limitations. Installation and transport costs are also lower.

Membrane contactors for water deoxygenation can produce water with very low oxygen levels (< 10 ppb), rapid start-up times, and don’t require chemicals in operation. Deoxygenation with membrane contactors can eliminate or significantly reduce the volume of toxic oxygen scavenger chemicals, which may reduce the environmental impact. They are modular and can be expanded to meet capacity demands after initial installation or installed as a supplement to existing deoxygenation technologies.

To learn more about 3M™ Liqui-Cel™ Membrane Contactors in boiler feed water applications, read about our experience in the power industry.