This project will provide a new treatment for water used in O&G production, creating a renewable source of fresh water from otherwise unusable wastewater or impacted water sources

Billions of barrels of produced water contaminated with salts, hydrocarbons, and metals, are generated each year through oil and gas production costing $37 billion to manage in the U.S. Current treatment technologies, such as reverse osmosis, cannot handle the high-TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) content of most produced water, meaning that only a small portion can be reused.

Thanks to Inspiralia’s proposal writing services, KWT will continue the development of its thermal distillation treatment system for produced water generated during oil and gas production with the help of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant of $715,000 awarded by the NSF.

Disposal is generally permitted through deep injection wells, with water transportation typically being the largest disposal cost component. KWT’s flagship technology accomplishes the entire thermal distillation process in one piece of equipment – a major technological breakthrough over previous thermal distillation units, which required separate energy sources, heat transfer, distillation, separation, and condensation units.

This innovation reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs and uses less energy to run the equipment and process the water. KWT is combining the distillation unit with necessary pumps and controls, creating a complete well site water purifier, which has a compact footprint and can be set up onsite at the well, eliminating the need to transport produced water off-site for disposal.

This technology has the potential to transform the Oil & Gas (O&G) industry from a net-user to a net-producer of fresh water, changing produced water from its current status as a waste product to a commodity – creating a circular economy. Rather than wastewater requiring disposal, KWT’s new technology creates two reusable products: purified water and heavy brine. In addition to the high cost, disposal of produced water through deep injection wells has recently been linked to seismic activity and may impact groundwater quality, and some states are severely restricting this practice through regulations.

The Oil & Gas (O&G) industry competes with other water uses, especially in US arid regions where significant O&G production occurs. Current demand for global freshwater resources for agricultural, industrial, or domestic purposes is increasing, primarily due to reduction of water supplies in areas affected by drought, climate change, population growth, and expanding industries, as well as degradation of water quality due to contaminants from industry, flooding, or runoff.

Our work together

Inspiralia has been closely working with KWT’s CEO, Founder, and Principal Investigator for this project, Gary Katz. Mr. Katz has over 19 years of legal and technical experience. For this startup, Mr. Katz combines ten years of technology research experience with ExxonMobil and the intricate understanding of this technology to lead the Phase II R&D and commercialization efforts.

About Katz Water Technologies Inc.

Katz Water Technologies (KWT) seeks to solve the world’s toughest water problems by using waste energy to purify water and recycle waste components. KWT’s flagship technology is the ability to perform the entire thermal distillation process inside a heat exchanger which drastically reduces capital and operational costs. The company leverages strategic partnerships with Oil & Gas industry leaders such as Chevron Technology, Occidental (OXY), and PfP Industries.

About the National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR Program

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs provide startups and small businesses with non-dilutive funding to conduct research and development (R&D) work. The funding is intended to spur the creation of innovative new products and services and to drive the commercial success of the small business.

At Inspiralia we have a team of experts in NSF grants that is keen on helping companies launch new innovations that can make America and the world a better place to live. Do you have an exciting project with the potential to become a groundbreaking technology? Dial +1 (954) 292-5024, or contact us here for advice!