Water Treatment/ Gabon — remote onshore oil & gas camp

Modular MBR domestic wastewater treatment for a remote oil & gas camp, Gabon

Client: Upstream oil & gas operator (named on request under NDA)

Project Overview

A remote onshore oil & gas operation in Gabon required a reliable, compliant solution to treat domestic wastewater from workforce accommodation and site facilities. The client's objective was a compact, low-maintenance treatment system able to consistently meet Gabonese environmental discharge standards while reducing operating costs, chemical consumption and logistics dependency on a remote pad.

Paragon proposed and delivered a modular Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) package combining biological treatment with membrane filtration to produce discharge-quality treated water suitable for release to the environment or reuse for non-potable duties.

CLIENT CHALLENGE

The Challenge

Remote camp generating significant volumes of black water, grey water and organic domestic wastewater with limited on-site utilities.
Existing conventional treatment approaches suffered from high chemical consumption, large sludge volumes, high maintenance workload and inconsistent effluent quality.
Non-negotiable requirement to meet Gabonese environmental legislation for discharged effluent (COD, BOD, TSS, ammonia, pH).
Long logistics lead times for spares and chemicals — the plant had to be simple to operate with minimal operator intervention and low consumables demand.
Compact footprint and modular delivery required to fit constrained pad space and allow future capacity expansion as the camp scales.

ENGINEERING SOLUTION

Paragon's Approach

Modular treatment train engineered around actual camp population and peak diurnal load, not nameplate assumptions: primary settling, flow equalisation, biological oxidation, MBR filtration, final disinfection and integrated sludge management.

MBR core selected over conventional activated-sludge + clarifier design to eliminate the secondary clarifier, cut footprint, and guarantee effluent quality independent of biomass settleability.

Fully automated PLC control with remote monitoring so a single operator can supervise the plant and Paragon engineers can support diagnostics from off-site.

Delivery as pre-engineered modular skids for rapid commissioning on a remote pad, with in-country operator training and commissioning support from the Paragon team.

Sampling and analytical protocol agreed up front with the client and referenced to Gabonese discharge criteria, with treated water verified at an accredited laboratory before hand-over.

EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED

What Paragon Supplied

Modular MBR wastewater treatment package, nominal capacity 50 m³/day (scalable)
Primary settling and flow equalisation tanks
Biological oxidation basin with fine-bubble aeration
Submerged MBR membrane modules with automated backwash and clean-in-place
Final disinfection unit (UV / chlorination as required by discharge permit)
Sludge holding and dewatering interface
PLC / SCADA control panel with remote monitoring
Commissioning, operator training and start-up chemistry package

RESULTS ACHIEVED

Outcomes

Treated effluent consistently within Gabonese environmental discharge criteria — typical performance: COD ≤ 50 mg/L, BOD ≤ 10 mg/L, TSS ≤ 10 mg/L, ammonia nitrogen ≤ 8 mg/L, pH 6–9.

Up to 30% lower operating cost versus the conventional treatment option evaluated at tender stage.

Up to 70% reduction in chemical consumption compared with conventional biological + coagulation treatment.

Up to 65% less sludge generated, cutting disposal frequency and haulage cost from a remote pad.

Up to 20% lower energy consumption and roughly 60% smaller footprint than the conventional alternative.

Plant operated reliably by a single site technician with remote engineering support from Paragon.

Modular design allows a second parallel skid to be added if camp population grows, without redesigning the treatment train.

PARTNERSHIP

Delivery Partners

Where appropriate, Paragon Environmental Solutions collaborates with carefully selected OEMs, manufacturers, and technology partners to deliver the most effective solution for each project. This ensures clients receive proven equipment supported by independent engineering expertise and local operational support.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology Partner: Purified Industry

This solution was delivered by Purified Industry, a trusted technology partner specialising in advanced modular wastewater treatment systems. Combining proven treatment technology with Paragon Environmental Solutions' operational and project management expertise provides clients with reliable, compliant, and cost-effective wastewater treatment solutions.