Clay-Based Technologies for Produced Water Treatment: A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Trends and SDG Contributions...

The oil and gas sector has experienced substantial growth in recent decades, leading to a significant increase in produced water containing hazardous pollutants that frequently surpass environmental standards and regulations. This study underscores the importance of developing sustainable and cost-effective treatment methods, particularly clay-based approaches that are renowned for their availability, affordability, and environmental sustainability. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to examine global trends in clay-based wastewater treatment from 1996 to 2025, using data from Web of Science and Scopus, which identified 1022 relevant publications. Visualization tools such as VOSviewer and SciVal were employed to map research networks and identify leading authors, institutions, countries, and key themes. The results demonstrate a considerable rise in scholarly articles on the use of clay-based materials for treating produced water, with China emerging as the foremost contributor. Keyword analysis revealed primary themes including adsorption, clay-based composites, and wastewater reuse, indicating a transition toward more sustainable water management practices. This study further emphasizes the vital role of clay-based technologies in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 by fostering water reuse and pollution reduction. It also highlights the necessity for continued research on produced water to diminish contamination levels and operational costs, offering valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders regarding material innovation, hybrid treatment systems, and techno-economic assessments to enhance scalability and efficiency.