Recycling Leftover Fracturing Water

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Recycling Leftover Fracturing Water

TopOilfield Service ProviderIs Finding Success in Making FutureTechnologies thatClean Water Left Over in Oil and Gas Operations

Haliburton, an energy shale operations service provider, is responsible for a quarter — 25 billion gallons — of hydraulic fracturing water used nationally in that time, according to the report.

But with 70 to 80 percent if its wells located in drought-stricken areas, the company is increasingly investing in treatments and technologies for recycling produced water.

"All of our customers want to get away from fresh water," said Dean Prather, Permian Basin area technology manager for Haliburton, during the second annual Oil and Gas Stewardship Conference in Monahans last week.
Treatments and technologies include ultra-violet light to control bacteria and dry powder gel agents to eliminate mineral oils, Prather said.

"This is part of our (fracturing) to the future technology," he said.

Once treated, the produced water — or the water that goes downhole for hydraulic fracturing operations and comes back up — can be used indefinitely, said Bailey Morgan, a Permian sales manager of water solutions for Haliburton's chemical-blending service, Multi-Chem.

"The water molecule has such a strong bond that's really hard to break," Morgan said during the conference. "In theory, if we can go to 100 percent produced water with a customer, they can recycle that water a million times and never exhaust the water molecule."

Fresh water costs about $4 a barrel by the time it's trucked in and later ejected, Morgan said. But recycling technologies are finally starting to catch up in cost — either carrying a similar price tag or saving money — she said.
"It used to be more expensive — that's why it wasn't popular," Morgan said. "But as technologies change and the fluid systems change, it gets more cost-effective."

Oil and gas operators presented case studies of recycling attempts at the Permian Basin Petroleum Association's annual meeting in 2012, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article.

Source: MRT

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