FINAL EVALUATION OF PILOT WETLANDS
FOR PRODUCED-WATER TREATMENT AT NAVAL
PETROLEUM RESERVE NO. 3
Lorri Jackson*
U.S. Department of Energy
Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center
907 N. Poplar, Suite 150
Casper, WY 82601
Voice: 307-261-5000 x 5011
Fax: 307-261-5997
E-mail: lorri.jackson@rmotc.doe.gov
J.E. Myers
ChevronTexaco Energy Research and Technology Company
Bellaire, TX
This paper presents the design, construction, operation and data collection of free water surface (FWS) and subsurface flow (SSF) pilot wetlands from June 2001 through September 2003. Often the treatment performance of pilot wetlands ranges from poor to excellent, in part due to a lack of understanding of wetland treatment capabilities and of how to effectively conduct pilot wetland studies. This project was funded jointly through a three-year cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) between the Department of Energy Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center and ChevronTexaco Energy Research and Technology Company. The impetus for this three-year wetland pilot study is to build an operational knowledge of treatment wetlands and to obtain a data set that can be used to redesign a full-scale wetland for produced water treatment at Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3 located approximately 32 miles north of Casper, Wyoming. The wetland pilot units are set up outdoors to test climatic influences on treatment and simulate real-time conditions. The discussion covers treatment performance of these pilot systems, maturation of plant and microbial populations, water quality, troubleshooting, lessons learned and pilot operations with summer students.