Water is an essential component of Chesapeake’s deep shale gas development. Chesapeake uses water for drilling, where a mixture of clay and water is used to carry rock cuttings to the surface and to cool and lubricate the drillbit. Drilling a typical Chesapeake Barnett Shale gas well requires approximately 250,000 gallons of water.
Water is also used in hydraulic fracturing, where a mixture of water, sand and other additives are pumped under high pressure into the deep shale to create small fissures, or fractures, in the rock which allow natural gas to flow. Hydraulic fracturing a typical Chesapeake horizontal deep shale gas well in the Barnett Shale requires an average of 3.8 million gallons. Normally, a hydraulic fracturing operation is only performed once during the life of a well. In comparison, 4 million gallons is the amount of water consumed by the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in six minutes.
Technological advancements in drilling and hydraulic fracturing are precisely why the Barnett Shale stands to provide such a benefit to the region and our country. And yet, the amount of water used for all drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations in the Barnett Shale represents less than a 1% increase in total water usage in the region.
When compared to every other viable form of energy produced today such as biofuels, coal and nuclear, Chesapeake’s deep shale natural gas uses a mere fraction of the overall water resources. And we have a highly innovative water recycling process (Aqua Renew™) in place that continues to increase our water efficiency.
Chesapeake utilizes a variety of water sources during Barnett Shale gas exploration, including rivers, creeks and lakes. Chesapeake is reviewing the use of a variety of other water resources, such as treated discharge water from industrial or city wastewater treatment plants, groundwater and the reuse of hydraulic fracturing water. When drilling inside city limits, Chesapeake often works directly with local officials to arrange water purchases from a municipality.