Sand Waste Utilization for Dehydration Application

Abstract

Abstract Natural gas operation & maintenance (O&M) at the Zawtika asset is facing challenges due to the increasing volume of production sand waste obtained from the separation between sand and natural gas using a desander unit. To align with PTTEP's Sustainable Development goals and Zero waste to landfills target, PTTEP is exploring the conversion of sand waste into high-value silica-based materials. Zeolite, a versatile material with exceptional adsorption and catalytic properties, is synthesized from the high-purity silica derived from the sand. The downstream pelletization is also crucial as it enhances the handling and usability of zeolite in various industrial applications including dehydration. The project successfully achieved a high silica purity of approximately 98 wt.% through an extraction method, resulting in the production of nanosilica particles. Zeolite, specifically Zeolite A, synthesized from the sand-derived materials demonstrated high purity and quality. The pelletization process yielded promising results, including comparable water adsorption capacity and minimal reduction in compressive strength after adsorption.