Towards agro-environmentally sustainable irrigation with treated produced water in hyper-arid environments

Produced water (PW) is the main waste stream generated from oil and gas extraction. Nowadays, half of global PW volume managed through environmentally controversial expensive disposal practices, such as re-injection deep wells. In dry areas in Arabian Peninsula, could be reused to irrigate crops, creating environmental, economic social value. However, quality most PWs remains challenging their high salinity, sodicity alkalinity can degrade soil fertility crop yield. Mitigating these negative impacts costly it requires specific treatment irrigation management. Thus, environmental sustainability cost with are uncertain. The aims this paper was assess agro-environmental irrigating crops hot hyper-arid climate estimate operating reusing for order compare management approach terms financial cost. To end, a soil-water model used simulate jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) oilfield-PW. Different strategies combining over-irrigation, blending desalination were tested preserve structural stability operational costs identified sustainable scenarios estimated using analysis. case study, simulations showed that an up ?390 % needs blend composed raw desalinated 2:1 ratio irrigation, least-cost option mix 1:4 reduce amount just meet needs. Although managing 2.5 times higher than disposal, practice might competitive considering value increasing need alternatives disposal.