Method for treating produced water

1. A method of treating produced water with a reverse osmosis (RO) unit that includes membranes and in the process of treating the produced water, reducing RO membrane fouling, the method comprising:

pretreating the produced water and wherein pretreating the produced water comprises:

chemically softening the produced water in a chemical softening unit to remove hardness and producing precipitants;

removing the suspended solids and precipitants from the produced water through one or more solid-liquid separation processes;

after removing the suspended solids and precipitants from the produced water, removing residual hardness from the produced water in an ion exchange unit;

directing the produced water from the ion exchange unit directly or indirectly to an RO unit and removing dissolved solids from the produced water in the RO unit and producing a permeate stream and a concentrate stream;

splitting the concentrate stream into first, second and third streams;

wasting the third stream;

recycling the first stream to the RO unit or to a point between the ion exchange unit and the RO unit and mixing the first stream with the produced water; and

recycling the second stream to the chemical softening unit and processing the second stream in the chemical softening unit.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising reducing the accumulation of foulants on at least some of the membranes by intermittently flushing at least some of the membranes with the permeate stream which causes foulants on the membranes to desorb from the membranes and dissolve in the permeate stream.

3. The method of claim 2 including injecting a surfactant into the permeate stream where the surfactant forms micelles that sequester the foulants accumulated on the membranes.

4. The method of claim 2 including injecting a surfactant into the produced water upstream of the RO unit where the surfactant forms micelles that sequester the foulants so that the foulants remain in solution in the produced water rather than attaching to the membranes.

5. The method of claim 2 including regenerating the ion exchange unit and producing a regeneration waste stream and recycling the regeneration waste stream to the chemical softening unit.

6. The method of claim 2 including regenerating the ion exchange unit by injecting acid and then caustic soda into the ion exchange unit and producing a caustic injection waste stream and directing a caustic rinse through the ion exchange unit and producing a caustic rinse waste stream; and recycling both an alkaline portion of the caustic injection waste stream and the caustic rinse waste stream to a point upstream of the ion exchange unit for processing.

7. A method of treating produced water with a reverse osmosis (RO) unit that includes membranes and in the process of treating the produced water, reducing RO membrane fouling, the method comprising:

pretreating the produced water and wherein pretreating the produced water comprises:

chemically softening the produced water in a chemical softening unit to remove hardness and producing precipitants;

removing the suspended solids and precipitants from the produced water through one or more solid-liquid separation processes;

after removing the suspended solids and precipitants from the produced water, removing residual hardness from the produced water in an ion exchange unit;

directing the produced water from the ion exchange unit directly or indirectly to an RO unit and removing dissolved solids from the produced water in the RO unit and producing a permeate stream and a concentrate stream;

splitting the concentrate stream into first, second and third streams;

wasting the third stream;

recycling the first stream to the RO unit or to a point between the ion exchange unit and the RO unit and mixing the first stream with the produced water;

recycling the second stream to the chemical softening unit and processing the second stream in the chemical softening unit;

wherein the ion exchange includes a resin for removing residual hardness from the produced water;

from time-to-time, regenerating the resin in the ion exchange by the following steps in sequence:

backwashing the resin in the ion exchange by fluidizing the resin and removing accumulated particulate matter from the resin, resulting in a backwashing waste stream;

injecting an acid into the ion exchange unit and contacting the resin with the acid and removing hardness and metals from the resin and returning the resin to a hydrogen form;

rinsing the acid from the resin by directing water into the ion exchange and through the resin;

injecting a caustic into the ion exchange and contacting the resin and converting the resin from the hydrogen form to a sodium form; and

rinsing the caustic from the resin by flowing water through the resin;

recycling the backwash waste stream to the chemical softening unit.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein injecting the caustic into the ion exchange unit produces a caustic injection waste stream, and wherein when the caustic injection waste stream reaches a selected pH setpoint, the caustic injection waste stream is recycled and subjected to the processes set forth in claim 7 .