Project Mixes Oil and Water

Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1985, Vol. 55, Issue 7, Pg. 54-54


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

The Prudhoe Bay Seawater Treatment Plant was nominated for an OCEA award, for its potential to coax from Alaska's north slope 1 billion barrels of oil which otherwise would have gone untapped. The facility takes water from the Beaufort Sea, filters it, heats it and then pumps it to wells across the oil field. When injected into the wells, the water offsets pressure lost when oil is pumped out, thus making the wells more productive. The facility was built on a barge in Korea, and transported to its site in the arctic, where it was sunk into place. It was designed to accommodate the extreme cold and ice loads typical of the site. An extensive marine life recovery system was incorporated into the plant to minimize its impact on the environment.

Subject Headings: Wells (oil and gas) | Wells (water) | Water pressure | Water treatment plants | Pumps | Ice loads | Slopes

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