Toxicity Testing and Chemical Characterization of Produced Water — A Preliminary Study

The discharge of produced water in the North Sea has been given much closer attention in the last few years due to the increasing volumes of produced water from the different fields. The volumes of produced water discharged in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea in 1990 was close to 16 million m3 (100.6 × 106 bbl), and is expected to increase in the years to come. In the year 2000 the total amount of produced water from the Norwegian offshore fields is expected to reach 90 million m3 (Olf, 1991). Due to this prognosis, Statoil and other oil companies operating in the North Sea are currently focusing on the discharge of produced water and its possible effects on the marine environment.