OTC ’16: GE introduces new ultrafiltration membrane for offshore market

HOUSTON -- GE announced a new water treatment technology for the offshore oil and gas industry at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. The company’s new ZeeWeed 700B horizontal-designed, inside-out ultrafiltration (UF) membrane offers seawater pretreatment for injection and solids removal in offshore applications.

Using SevenBore fiber technology, ZeeWeed 700B are blended polyethersulphone (PES) membranes, which allow the membrane to stay permanently hydrophilic and reduce the fouling tendency.

When compared to granular filter media and cartridge filters, the ZeeWeed 700B membrane produces superior water quality and is virtually unaffected by variable raw water quality. It extends the life of a sulfate removal unit by providing an improved pretreatment technology, decreased life cycle costs and reduced weight as well as footprint. In cases where GE ZeeWeed 700B UF membranes are used purely for solids removal, it also offers superior reservoir protection.

The GE ZeeWeed 700B membrane uses multibore fibers, which are stronger than single bore fibers and minimizes maintenance and repairs. It does not require air scouring and eliminates the need for blowers. GE’s UF technology is energy efficient, operating at a lower transmembrane pressure with lower energy requirements.

“The offshore oil and gas industry has strict requirements for materials of construction, space and weight, and GE's ultrafiltration skids equipped with the new ZeeWeed 700B UF membrane meet these demanding specifications,” said Kevin Cassidy, global leader, engineered systems— water and process technologies for GE Power. “On offshore facilities, there is limited opportunity for downtime. Using SevenBore multibore technology minimizes the need for maintenance and repair, making GE’s ZeeWeed 700B ideal for offshore water treatment.”