Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas Water Filtration Solutions

Reliable filter cartridges for produced water, injection water, glycol filtration, and refinery process water. High-temperature and chemical-resistant options available.

Filtration Challenges We Solve

Produced Water Filtration

Remove suspended solids and oil residues from produced water before discharge or reinjection. PP melt blown and wound string cartridges rated for high dirt load.

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Injection Water Treatment

Protect reservoir permeability by filtering injection water to stringent quality standards. Multi-stage filtration with RO membranes for seawater injection.

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Glycol & Amine Filtration

Remove degradation products and particulates from glycol and amine solutions. PTFE cartridges withstand high temperatures and chemical attack.

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Three Water Streams, Three Different Filtration Jobs

Oil and gas sites rarely have one filtration problem, they have three running side by side. Produced water arrives with suspended solids and dispersed oil and must be cleaned before it is discharged or re-injected. Injection water has to meet a formation-specific particulate limit so it does not plug the reservoir. Process streams such as glycol and amine solutions accumulate degradation products that quietly destroy their absorption performance.

Treating them with the same cartridge is false economy. Produced water needs cheap, high dirt-holding capacity because the cartridge is changed constantly. Injection water needs absolute-rated fine filtration because the consequence of breakthrough is reservoir damage. Glycol and amine need high-temperature, chemically inert media because the stream is hot and aggressive.

Specification Guide by Application

StreamTypical contaminantRecommended cartridgeRating
Produced waterSolids, dispersed oilPP melt blown / wound string1-25 µm
Produced water (polishing)Trace oil, fine solidsCarbon block0.5-5 µm
Injection water (sandstone)Fine particulatesPP melt blown + absolute stage1-5 µm absolute
Injection water (seawater)Salts, particulatesPP pre-filtration + RO1 µm pre / RO stage
Glycol / amineDegradation productsPTFE pleated0.2-1 µm
Refinery process waterMixed solidsPP melt blown / wound5-25 µm

High Temperature and Chemical Resistance

The temperature limit is what narrows the choice fastest. Standard polypropylene melt blown cartridges are limited to roughly 80°C continuous, which is fine for produced water but well below the operating temperature of most glycol and amine loops. PTFE pleated cartridges are rated up to 260°C and are chemically inert to almost everything a refinery stream will throw at them, which is why they are the default on hot solvent and amine duties.

Where the stream fluctuates between hot and cold, thermal cycling - not the peak temperature - causes the end-cap seals to fail first. If your process cycles, specify cartridges with thermally stable end caps and check the seal material against the fluid compatibility data before ordering.

Change-Out Intervals and Cost Control

Change cartridges on differential pressure, never on the calendar. A 1.0-1.5 bar rise above the clean differential pressure is the normal trigger, and any visible breakthrough downstream means the change is already overdue. In heavy produced water service that can mean a change every few days, which is exactly why cartridges with high dirt-holding capacity and low unit cost matter more than the cheapest per-piece price.

If change-outs are eating your maintenance budget, the answer is usually upstream: a coalescer or a settling stage to take the bulk load off the cartridges. Cutting solids load by half typically doubles cartridge life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of water does the oil and gas industry filter?

Three main streams: produced water (to be discharged or re-injected), injection water for reservoir pressure support, and process streams such as glycol and amine solutions. Each has very different contamination - oil residues and high solids in produced water, fine particulates in injection water, degradation products in glycol.

Which filter cartridges work for produced water?

High dirt-holding PP melt blown or wound string cartridges are the usual choice for produced water, because the solids load is high and the cartridge is changed often. Where oil residues must be removed to low levels, a downstream carbon or coalescing stage is added.

What filtration is needed for injection water?

Injection water quality is set by reservoir permeability. For most sandstone reservoirs the target is less than 5 micron absolute, often achieved with a multi-stage train: coarse pre-filtration, fine PP cartridges, and for seawater injection an RO or nanofiltration stage.

Which cartridges handle high temperatures?

PTFE membrane and pleated PTFE cartridges are rated for continuous service at up to 260°C, which covers glycol and amine duties. Standard PP melt blown cartridges are limited to about 80°C, so they are not suitable for hot process streams.

How often should cartridges be changed in oil and gas service?

Change on differential pressure rather than on a calendar. A typical trigger is a 1.0-1.5 bar increase above the clean differential pressure, or any visible breakthrough on the downstream side. In produced water service that can be days, not weeks.

Do you supply cartridge sizes to match existing housings?

Yes. We manufacture standard 10-inch, 20-inch, 30-inch and 40-inch lengths in the common end-cap configurations, so cartridges drop into existing housings. Tell us the housing model and we will confirm the correct option.