A complete summary of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane applications in the oil and gas industry

Ultrafiltration membranes have a pore size of 0.01–0.1 μm and remove emulsified oil, suspended solids, colloids, bacteria, and polymers 

through sieving. They cannot remove dissolved salts and are positioned as precision purification units and pre-protection barriers for RO/NF 

in the oil and gas field. They are divided into two main categories: organic PVDF hollow/tubular membranes and ceramic tubular UF 

membranes, which are suitable for the entire industrial chain of onshore oil fields, offshore platforms, shale gas, and refineries.

I. Core Application Scenarios in Upstream Oil and Gas Extraction:

1. Oilfield Produced Water Treatment → Reservoir Reinjection:

Traditional processes (sedimentation, air flotation, sand filtration) produce unstable water. Low-permeability/ultra-low-permeability reservoirs have 

extremely high water quality requirements (SY/T5329): suspended solids ≤1 mg/L, oil content ≤5 mg/L, and the elimination of sulfate-reducing 

bacteria (SRB) to prevent wellbore corrosion and formation blockage.

Typical Process Flow:

Produced Water → Cyclone Oil Removal → Air Flotation/Coagulation → Fine Filtration → Ultrafiltration (UF) → Reinjection into Formation

- Water Quality: TSS <1 mg/L, emulsified oil <1~5 mg/L, bacterial removal rate 99.99%;

- Value: Saves freshwater consumption, reduces wastewater discharge, and extends the service life of injection wells;

- Skid-mounted modular UF equipment is preferred for offshore platforms due to its small footprint and high degree of automation.

2. Shale Gas/Tight Oil Fracturing Flowback Fluid Treatment and Reuse:

Characteristics of fracturing flowback fluid: High salt content, high viscosity, contains high-molecular-weight fracturing additives such as guar gum, 

and emulsified oil.

Two process routes:

1) Pretreatment + UF → Direct reuse in fracturing fluid preparation;

2) Pretreatment + UF as a pre-treatment protection step for RO/DTRO, achieving deep desalination and water resource recycling, with a reuse rate 

exceeding 85%.

Function of UF: 

Retains residual polymers, colloids, and suspended particles, protecting the downstream reverse osmosis membrane from rapid fouling and 

reducing reagent costs.

3. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Steam-Assisted Heavy Oil Extraction (SAGD): 

Thermal recovery boilers have strict feedwater requirements. UF (Usage Fluid) serves as a pretreatment for seawater/surface water, removing colloids 

and suspended solids to protect subsequent reverse osmosis and ion exchange units, producing qualified boiler feedwater. Simultaneously, it treats 

SAGD production wastewater for recycling and steam generation.

4. Drilling wastewater and platform production wastewater purification: 

Drilling wastewater and oily wastewater from deck washing are pretreated with coagulation and then treated with UF for deep oil and solid removal 

to reduce the load of pollutants discharged and meet marine environmental protection emission standards.

II. Midstream Natural Gas Extraction and Treatment:

1. Wastewater from natural gas dehydration/desulfurization processes: Ethylene glycol regeneration wastewater and amine purification 

wastewater are treated with UF (ultrafiltration) to remove suspended impurities and hydrocarbons, enabling reagent recovery and reuse, and 

reducing chemical consumption;

2. Gas field produced water treatment: Following the same process as oilfield treatment, the water is finely filtered with UF and then reinjected or 

reused.

III. Downstream Refining and Petrochemical Unit Applications:

1. Advanced Treatment of Oily Wastewater from Refineries (MBR-UF): After biochemical treatment, the combined refining and chemical 

wastewater undergoes advanced treatment using a tubular PVDF/ceramic UF filter to remove emulsified oil and suspended solids. The effluent is 

then used for circulating water makeup and landscaping reuse.

2. Pre-treatment of Circulating Wastewater for Reuse: UF is used as a pre-filter for RO to produce demineralized water for boilers.

3. Precision Filtration of Condensate: Removes corrosive particles and oil contaminants, recovering high-quality production water.

IV. Comparison of Commonly Used Membrane Materials (Oil and Gas Applications):

* Hollow Fiber UF Membrane: Made of modified PVDF, suitable for applications with minimal water quality fluctuations, onshore oil fields, low cost, and automatic backwashing.

* Tubular Organic UF Membrane: Made of PVDF, suitable for cross-flow operation with medium to high oil content, and has better fouling resistance than hollow fiber membranes.

* Ceramic Ultrafiltration Membrane: Made of alumina/silicon carbide, suitable for harsh conditions with high oil content, high hydrogen sulfide levels, and strong chemical cleaning; acid and alkali resistant, high temperature resistant, suitable for marine applications and heavily polluted wastewater, higher investment, but longer lifespan.

V. Complete Typical Combined Process Routes:

1. Produced Water Reinjection Route: Pretreatment → Tubular/Ceramic UF → Reinjection into Formation

2. Zero Discharge Water Route: Pretreatment → UF → RO/DTRO → Reuse/Evaporation Crystallization

3. Fracturing Fluid Reuse Route: Magnetic Separation/Coagulation → UF → (Optional Desalination) → Fracturing Fluid Reconstitution

4. Seawater Pretreatment (Offshore Water Injection): Seawater Pretreatment → UF → RO → Water Injection/Boiler Feedwater

VI. Technical Advantages:

1. Physical screening, low reagent dosage, and long-term stable effluent quality;

2. Modular skid-mounted design, suitable for mobile deployment in remote well sites and offshore platforms;

3. Highly efficient removal of emulsified oil, bacteria, and colloids, protecting expensive reverse osmosis equipment;

4. Automated operation, suitable for unmanned oil and gas stations.

VII. Industry Development Trends: 

Driven by water-saving policies in the domestic oil and gas industry, membrane reuse is gradually replacing traditional extensive treatment 

processes; skid-mounted integrated and mobile UF treatment devices are rapidly becoming widespread in shale gas and marginal small oilfields; 

ceramic ultrafiltration is increasing year by year in projects involving highly challenging oily wastewater, and is often used in conjunction with 

coalescing separators and liquid-liquid coalescers to form a complete oil-water fine treatment system.

VIII. We can produce the following RO membranes & UF membranes:

BW30‑4040

BW30‑PRO‑4040

BW30‑365

BW30‑400

BW30‑400/34

BW30‑PRO‑400/34

BW30‑XHR‑PRO‑400/34

BW30‑HR‑440i

BW30‑FR‑4040

BW30‑XFR‑400/34i

BW30‑HRLE‑440

XLE‑2521

XLE‑4040

LE‑4040

LC‑LE‑4040

ECO PRO‑400

ECO PLATINUM‑440

XLE‑440

TW30‑2026

TW30‑2514

TW30‑2521

TW30‑4014

TW30‑4021

TW30‑4040

SW30‑2540

SW30‑4040

SW30HR‑380

SW30HR‑LE‑400

SW30‑2540

SW30‑4040

SW30HR‑380

SW30HR‑LE‑400

TML10‑4040

TML20‑370

TML20‑400

TML20D‑400

TM720‑400

TM720‑440

TM720D‑400

TM810‑4040

TM810V‑4040

TM820M‑400

TM820M‑440

TM820V‑400

TM820V‑440

TM820K‑400

ESPA1‑4040

ESPA1‑LD‑4040

ESPA2‑4040

ESPA2‑MAX

ESPA2‑LD‑MAX

ESPA4‑4040

ESPA4‑LD‑4040

ESPA1

ESPA2‑LD

ESPA4‑MAX

CPA2‑4040

CPA3‑4040

CPA5‑MAX‑4040

CPA5‑LD‑4040

CPA3

CPA5‑LD

CPA6‑MAX

LFC1‑LD

LFC3‑LD

PRO‑LF1‑4040

PRO‑LF1

PRO‑XR1

SWC4‑4040

SWC5‑4040

SWC5‑LD

SanRO‑HS‑4040 / SanRO‑HS‑8040

BW2521‑UES

BW4021‑UES

BW4040‑UES

BW2521‑ES

BW4021‑ES

BW4040‑ES

BW400‑ES‑G2

BW440‑ES‑G2

BW2521‑R

BW4021‑R

BW4040‑R

BW400‑R‑G2

BW440‑R‑G2

BW400‑AFR‑G2

SW400‑SR‑G2

SW400‑GR‑G2

XLP‑2521

XLP‑2540

XLP‑4021

XLP‑4040

XULP‑8040

XULP‑8040‑440

ULP‑4040

ULPH‑4040

ULP31‑4040

ULPD‑4040

ULP‑8040

ULP22‑8040

BW‑4040

BW‑8040

BW‑8440

BW‑8040FR

BW‑8440FR

RM‑SW1‑4040

RM‑SW‑8040

SFP-2660

SFD-2660

SFP-2860

SFD-2860

SFP-2880

SFD-2880

SFP-2860XP

SFP-2880XP

IP-55

IP-77

MB‑P2514‑0.5

MB‑P2521‑1.0

MB‑P4021‑2.5

MB‑P4040‑6.0

dizzer XL series

MB‑0.9‑XL‑80i‑TR

HYDRACap MAX‑40

HYDRACap MAX‑60

HYDRACap MAX‑80

HYDRACap 4040

HYDRAcap‑LD series

HFU‑1010

HFU‑1020N

HFU‑2020N

HFUG‑2020AN

UNA‑600A

UNA‑620A

UNA‑620AB

UNA‑820A

Aquaflex‑55

Aquaflex‑64

XIGA‑40

SXL‑225FSFC

Compact‑27

Compact‑33V

Compact‑55G

XF53

XF64

ZeeWeed‑1000

ZW‑500D

ZW‑1500

ZW‑500C

ZW‑700B

ZW‑10

8040‑M183‑LPP / LPHN

KS‑MP8860

KS‑MP1080

KS‑V8048‑35‑PMC

ZK‑385

ZK‑386

VUF‑2860

VUF‑2880

VUF‑2860T

VUF‑2880T

VUF‑i1066

VUF8040‑4K、6K、8K、10K、20K、67K

OWUF‑6 / OWUF‑8 / OWUF‑9

TM‑U‑2860

TM‑U‑2880

LH3‑1060

LH3‑0850

LJ1E‑1100‑V160 / 1500‑V160 / 2000‑V160

UF2860

UF2880

HM90、HM160、HM200

UF‑8040 PVDF/PAN

EM‑UF‑8060‑PVDF

EM‑UF‑8080‑PVDF

EM‑UF‑1060‑PVDF