US-based LiqTech International said it has won a $275,000 order from a Middle East customer for the supply of oil and gas produced water membrane system.

The end-user placed the order to confirm the benefits of the LiqTech SiC membrane technology for various upstream produced water applications, said a senior official.

Commenting on the order, CEO Finn Helmer said: "LiqTech is actively pursuing opportunities in the field of produced water treatment within the oil & gas industry. We are currently engaged with many energy projects primarily in Europe, the Americas and China - and this order adds to our presence in the Middle East."

The end-user placed the purchase order for one of our pilot systems installed with LiqTech SiC membrane technology in order to test the use of our SiC membranes for various produced water applications.

"We believe this first order can lead to follow-on sales in 2015," he added.

According to Helmer, there is an increasing demand for higher quality re-injection water across the globe.

"We also see tightening discharge legislations, increasing water cuts (more water produced per barrel of oil) and, in addition to that, the introduction of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques. The tightening of produced water specifications is a problem for conventional technologies, however, LiqTech SiC membranes have shown to be able to solve these challenges,"  he added.

LiqTech is currently working with over 50 oil companies, operators and system integrators in Europe, Americas, Middle East, Southeast Asia and China on SiC membrane projects in various phases from initial evaluation to commissioning.-TradeArabia News Service