Not all produced water can be recycled or reused for other drilling operations. In some cases, the mineral content of the produced water is simply too high. For example, regardless of the formation, current fracking technologies require the use of water with a lower mineral content. Specifically, calcium, magnesium, barium and sulfate all contribute to scaling which can significantly reduce the productivity of a well. Furthermore, extremely high salt content makes the injection fluid difficult to pump downhole, increasing the power requirements and resulting in higher volumes of chemicals needed to reduce friction.
State regulations play a major role in the industry’s ability to recycle or reuse produced water. In addition, wellsite location is also a factor for produced water management. For instance, in some areas well locations are widely spaced. Due to this distance, the creation and operation of a centralized treatment facility would result in higher volumes of truck traffic than that associated with the disposal of the fluid in a nearby saltwater injection well (SWD). In fact, even when produced water is treated or distilled, the salt content which is filtered out must still be transported and disposed of properly.
Chesapeake’s Aqua Renew® Program
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Founded under the concept of water recovery and reuse in 2006, Chesapeake’s Aqua Renew® program is utilizing state-of-the-art technology in an effort to recycle produced water.
The program has yet to find a limit to how much recycled water could be used without compromising well production. In the company’s northern and southern districts of its Eastern Division operations, the Aqua Renew Program is treating and recycling a vast majority of the initial produced water from the flowback process.
At each wellsite, produced water is collected and stored in on-site holding tanks before being transferred to central filtration locations where it is pumped through a series of 100-micron and 20-micron filters designed to remove any suspended solids or particles. The filtered water is then either stored in on-site tanks or transported to the next well scheduled for hydraulic fracturing. The water is tested for salt content and total hardness to determine the rate at which it can be blended with freshwater to ensure proper quality and quantity for reuse.
While the recycled produced water must still be mixed with freshwater in order to ensure the proper mixture for hydraulic fracturing, every gallon of produced water the company filters and reuses is one less gallon of water that has to be trucked to a disposal and one less gallon of freshwater that has to be purchased and used.
Chesapeake is continuously looking for ways to expand its Aqua Renew program by evaluating new technology both on its own and through partnerships with other industry partners.
Additional Water Resources
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Texas Water Development Board