Technology Studies Continue
Since the inception of the Barnett Shale Water Conservation and Management Committee and our affiliation with the Gas Technology Institute, we continue to research technology to recycle and reuse produced oilfield brines. The benefits of reuse include the conservation of fresh water as well as reduction in transportation traffic and disposal expense.
The technologies reviewed and/or piloted to date include Mechanical Vapor Recovery (distillation), membrane separation (reverse osmosis (RO), nano-filtration (NF) and ultra filtration (UF), electro-coagulation (EC), forward osmosis (FO), mechanical evaporation, electro dialysis, advanced membranes, fracturing parameters, reuse, alternative water sourcing, and evaporation.
In all types of water reclamation projects a great amount of research has been necessary with regard to water chemistries and pretreatment technologies. Equally important is the understanding of and state and federal regulations regarding the disposition of “oilfield waste,” regardless of how clean the water is once reclamation has been effected. The amount of total dissolved solids has a major impact on the type of system that can be used to clean up produced brines. The chloride content, as well as the metals and other salts that are present, can render a technology useable or not.
Many of the technologies researched by the Committee may or may not have applicability in different shale plays due to water chemistry and local regulations. The Committee has been predominantly been concerned with the Barnett shale, but as time progresses and technologies change, many member companies are operating in most all of the other shale basins throughout North America. Thus, the information gained through this organization has a benefit to the industry as a whole regardless of the location.
Developing shale or tight sands formations requires a large amount of water and the dissemination of information throughout the industry serves as a benefit to all producers.
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