An Integrated Engineering Approach to Wastewater Treatment, Intensification, and Closed-Loop Reuse at Gas Compressor Stations: A Case Study of the Shurtan Oil and Gas Production Department (Uzbekistan)

Abstract

Gas compressor stations in the oil and gas industry generate significant volumes of wastewater - oil-bearing production effluents, domestic sewage, and surface runoff - whose uncontrolled discharge threatens the scarce water resources of arid regions such as the Kashkadarya Province of Uzbekistan. This paper presents an integrated engineering framework for the treatment, intensification, and closed-loop reuse of such wastewater, using the booster compressor stations of the Shurtan Oil and Gas Production Department as a case study. Three complementary directions are synthesized: (I) multi-stage treatment (mechanical, physicochemical, and sorption) combined with utilization of the recovered oil and sludge; (II) intensification of treatment schemes through coagulation-flocculation, thin-layer settling, and pressure flotation; and (III) modernization of facilities with membrane and sorption technologies and the development of water-reuse systems. Theoretical analysis based on typical performance indicators shows that the multi-stage scheme reduces the oil-product concentration from about 500 to 0.5 mg/L (overall efficiency ≈ 99.9%), that thin-layer settling reduces the footprint by a factor of 2.5-3, and that modernization raises the water-reuse share from 15% to 85%. A closed (zero-discharge) cycle returning the treated water to the recirculating cooling system eliminates discharge to natural water bodies. The proposed framework couples environmental protection with resource efficiency and provides an engineering basis for sustainable water management at gas compressor stations.