Scottish based TUV NEL, a leading provider of pipeline fluid management services to the global petroleum industry, has announced dates for its inaugural Oilfield Water Management Workshop in Calgary, Canada.

The event, which was initially due to be held on 15 and 16 September, will now take place on 1 and 2 December 2010.

The key aim of this workshop is to improve one’s knowledge and understanding of oilfield water management issues, making participants better equipped to meet the challenges faced by the industry now and in the future.

Building on the success of its previous produced water workshops, TUV NEL’s latest workshop in Calgary will address the regulatory and legislative requirements of oilfield water management, discuss new and emerging water treatment technologies, water quality measurement, re-injection practices, management of tailings, and much more. The event is being held in association with the UK’s National Measurement System.

Alick MacGillivray, technical consultant at TUV NEL said: “Extraction of oil, particularly heavy oils and bitumen from oil sands requires the use of a significant amount of water, which may include freshly extracted water and treated water. With a limited supply of fresh water resources and the need to expand oil extraction capacity for oil supply, there is a need for this kind of workshop in general as water management is becoming an increasingly important issue today.


“The event is being held in Canada as oilfield water management is a subject fairly unique to Alberta due to the fact that all their water usage is land based. Since most of Canada is land locked, they take their water supply from the river, thus facing different challenges to the offshore industry.

“Our aim is to promote a good working knowledge of oilfield water management by creating a holistic and forward thinking approach. There will be world class contributions from AECOM, Alberta Innovates, Statoil, Alberta Water Research Institute, Energy Resources Conservation Board, GE Power & Water, Produced Water Society, Suncor Energy Inc and Arjay Engineering Ltd, to name but a few.”

The workshop is specially designed for production or process engineers and chemists, environmental engineers, oilfield water management, treatment and handling specialists, regulators and, related consultants and researchers. There will be strong support from local companies and operators within the oilfield water management field, thus providing an opportunity for delegates to develop their own business interests in the region. Manufacturers from around the world will also be exhibiting the latest in cutting edge technology.

To further enhance the learning experience, TUV NEL is hosting two training courses to complement the Oilfield Water Management Workshop. There is a one day Oil-in-Produced Water Measurement training course preceding the main workshop. Held on 30 November, this course will enable delegates to gain a sound understanding of the definition of oil-in-produced water, analysis and measurement methods available, issues related to method calibration, sampling as well as future measurement trends.

The second training session, to be held on 29 November 2010, is completely free of charge. Examining the topic of Commercial Measurement Uncertainty, this course will introduce the subject of measurement uncertainty and its importance to the oil and gas sector. It will, most importantly, emphasise how skilful use of uncertainty analysis can potentially save operators substantial amounts of money.

(GK/KMcA)