Repsol YPF

Water management

Water is an essential natural resource. Without it, our existence on this planet would be impossible. Consequently, the integral management of water resources is fundamental to the company's management models.

Repsol YPF is committed to appropriate water management based on the principles of reuse and optimised consumption, as well as the reduction of pollution load of water discharges and of the improvement of wastewater treatment and water discharges. 

The historical development of water management in Repsol YPF is as follows: 

 

	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
External Freshwater withdrawal (Kt)	131,549	129,170	124,829	124,320	125,167
Water discharged (Kt)	55,063	54,136	51,173	52,109	58,972
Reutilised water (Kt)	18,808	20,433	20,818	22,073	20,915
Produced water (Kt)	137,371	157,652	163,314	183,159	191,589
Injected water (Kt)	160,199	179,461	178,973	192,775	196,413
Other contributions (Kt)	1,323	1,840	554	148	147
Total withdrawal (external) (Kt)	132,872	131,010	125,384	124,468	125,314

The distribution of Repsol YPF’s freshwater withdrawal, by activity, of is listed below:

Activity	2007
Refining	76,492
Exploration and Production	17,310
Chemicals	27,431
Marketing	3,355
Other	726
Total	125,314

In 2007 the company’s freshwater withdrawal totalled 125,314 thousand tonnes, coming mostly from surface resources (53%) and the public network, (39%) and to a lesser extent from underground water (8%). 

The overall amount of freshwater withdrawal is similar to the 2006 data.

Reused water

Discharged pollutants

The company’s operations generate wastewater that, after treatment, is discharged to receiving bodies (sea and rivers). 

Repsol YPF’s approach to effluent management is based on efficient control systems ensuring  the correct characterization of effluents, on technologically advanced wastewater treatment facilities and on specific activities to reduce effluents.

Pollutants (tonnes)	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
Hydrocarbons	171	169	149	142	116
Suspended solids	2,068	1,543	1,479	1,865	1,507
Ammonia	398	280	324	233	504
Nitrates	74	81	47	83	374
Phosphates	37	24	20	56	63
Phenols	78	33	37	49	54
Sulphurs	108	78	15	4	10
COD	9,000	7,733	7,847	6,133	5,869
BOD	2,519	1,855	1,571	1,014	1,744
TOTAL	14,453	11,796	11,489	9,580	10,241

(*) The information in the table on discharged pollutants does not include those for Trinidad and Tobago, which were reported for the first time in 2006, and in 2007, totalled 54.3 tonnes of hydrocarbons, 113.5 tonnes of suspended solids and 3,970 tonnes of COD. During 2007, produced water discharged into the sea recorded higher COD levels as water treatment plants were not operating correctly. Several mitigating measures were taken to improve effluent quality, resulting in a dramatic reduction in COD and other pollutants in the last quarter of 2007, including the optimization of chemical additives to improve treatment, engineering adjustments and modifications at the plant. In 2008 several engineering works will be carried out to ensure optimum performance of the water treatment plants. These works will consist of improving production controls (transmission and measurement) and changing equipment (tanks, control valves and shut-off valves) for a more precise separation of water and crude oil.

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