Reutilization of oil and gas produced water in cement composite manufacturing

Fast-paced urbanism results in the growing demand for more infrastructure, leading to increased concrete production, further depleting freshwater sources. One sustainable solution to diminishing water resources is recycling and reusing non-potable waters and wastewaters in manufacturing operations. This study investigates the reutilization of produced water in cementitious systems. Produced water is the largest volume of waste stream from oil and gas production and usually contains various pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals, which may result in unexpected environmental issues. The application of this type of water in a concrete system may not only aid the waste reduction but also yield sustainable concrete and mortar for the construction industry. The current study evaluates the performance of produced water cementitious systems at varying replacement concentration levels. The results indicate that the produced water cementitious system is significantly influenced by water replacement concentration levels. The long-term compressive strength and early age hydration peak heat flow both increase with increasing produced water replacement concentration up to approximately 60% concentration (60% compressive strength increase: 20.2 MPa–32.2 MPa; 120% peak heat flow increase: 2.67 mW/g to 5.92 mW/g). At higher produced water replacement concentrations, the long-term compressive strength and heat of hydration begin to decrease. The produced water leads to increased formation of Friedel's salts and bound calcite, and more polymerization in the calcium silicate hydrate structure. The produced water cementitious systems will increase the long-term compressive strength and early age heat of hydration more than comparable seawater cementitious systems reported in the literature.