Alternate Ways For Hydraulic Fracking Explained

By Sierra King, Freelance Contributor | @CorridorNews 

On August 26th,2014, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported more than 60 percent of Texas is under moderate to exceptional drought conditions. This concerns the lively hood of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, because of the dependency to adequate water. The O&G (Oil & Gas Industry) work towards reducing there dependence on freshwater.

The water is being used in three areas of “upstream” oil and gas operations: drilling, fracking, and production. Upstream activities are connected with the production of O&G and downstream involves the refining and processing. After the fracking process, big amounts of water are sent down to transport sand into the formation’s fissures to continue the “flow back” water production. This take a few weeks and the water must be captured and treated for other O&G productions or can be disposed. 

According to Research Economist Harold Hunt the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] estimates that about 35,000 wells are hydraulically fractured in the United States annually, and between 70 and 140 billion gallons of water are used to fracture those wells. 

The geology formations and location of the production have an impact of flowback water. Most of the produced water will contain salts and may be referred to as “oilfield brine.” A report published by OTM Consulting estimated that 241 million barrels of produced water from O&G operations are generated globally everyday.

While well production is slowly winding down, a secondary recovery technique known as waterflooding can be used. This is where the water is injected back into the wells in the reservoir formation and then sweeps the leftover displaced oil to the adjacent wells to increase production.

The Society of Petroleum Engineers documented that brackish water (Brackish water or briny water is water that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater) can be an effective substitute for freshwater in frack fluids. It is not known what point in the water when it becomes brackish. 

The amount of freshwater consumed is said to stay constant at about 70,000 acre feet per year despite the increase in water use, falling in 2060 with decreased fraction activity. A study from the Bureau of Economic Geology said fresh water use will decrease over time because of two reasons. First, the industry will get better at reusing flowback water and other alternate sources. Second, the part of the state where freshwater is at a premium and brackish based frack fluids are showing success, will probably become the center of fracking.

Water use in upstream oil and gas activities is continuing to be dominated by fracking. 

If you have questions about the above story, please write in our comment section and we will have Sierra King reply.