As the number of shale gas fracturing operations increase, the demands on fresh water supplies are being strained. Disposal options for the higher TDS wastewater generated from both fracturing wells and producing wells are also becoming limited and less economical.  Therefore, managing flowback and produced waters must recognize the unique situations in each region by maximizing the combination of technology, process, and management to get the best results that address those long term sustainability factors.  Available treatment capacity will require a comprehensive water treatment strategy to address these challenges for future growth in the industry.  The strategy must address any combination of: llimited alternatives to treat high TDS flowback and produced water; removal of free oil and grease; reducing overall waste volume; limited water re-use; and management of the entire water cycle.  This presentation will illustrate key steps in devising a treatment strategy, and mention one or two case studies.

Control and treatment of flowback and produced waters from hydraulic fracturing

248th National Meeting (2014)

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