alternative water sources for shale gas development (2012)

8/13/2019 Alternative Water Sources for Shale Gas Development (2012)

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Alternative Water Sources

for Shale Gas Development

David AllemanDan Arthur, P.E., SPEC

ALL Consulting

SPE Workshop

Reducing Environmental Impact of Unconventional

Resource Development

San Antonio, TX

April 23-25, 2012


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Fresh Water Supply Concerns

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Forecasted national increase of 70million people in next 25 years.

Approximately 180 trillion gallons ofgroundwater have been depleted in theU.S. during the 20thCentury alone.

In the US, 21 percent of irrigation isachieved by pumping groundwater atrates that exceed the water suppliesability to recharge.

Domestic, industrial, and agriculturalusers are left to compete for thenations diminishing freshwater

resources.

ALL Consulting, 2012


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Droughts

4 ALL Consulting, 2012

Texas

Western U.S.


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Access


Permits Federal

State

River Basins Commissions

Water Districts

Water Rights

Water wars in traditionallywet regions


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Alternative Water Sources


Reduce demand on fresh water supplies May allow for full capacity operation

when conventional water sources

become scarce Can Reduce costs

Can improve community relations

Can either supplement or replace freshwater sources


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Potential Alternative Sources

Industrial Waste Water

Produced Water

Saline Groundwater

Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW)

Abandoned Mine Pools

Mine Discharges



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Industrial Waste Water

Highly Variable Quality

Quantity

Location

Tend to be stable supplies



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Produced Water

Produced water Conventional

Re-use in shale operations

Variable -the quantity and quality of produced water canvary greatly from basin to basin, from well to well, and overtime from the same well

Produced water is from conventional oil can be a stable

source Not available in all shale plays



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Produced Water



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Saline Aquifers

Saline AquifersTDS concentrations of 1,00035,000 mg/L Many are relatively shallow (< 1,000 ft.)

The quantity and quality of water can vary greatly from aquifer toaquifer, from well to well, with depth, and over time from the same

well Has the potential to provide stable water supply

Large quantities of saline water may be available in many regionsthroughout the U.S.



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Saline Aquifers



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POTWs

Municipal sewage treatment plants - typically treated to removesuspended solids, adjust pH, and to remove organics (nutrients)

No treatment or data for TDSgenerally not a problem

The quantity and quality of POTW effluent is fairly consistent

Stable, long-term source

Organic load can still be fairly high

May require treatment to avoid biofouling

Using this water may have a positive environmental impact, but

Some streams are dependent upon these flows



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POTWs


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Alternate Source Considerations

Regional Availability

Quantity

Quality

Consistent? treatment?

Proximity/Transportation

Liability?

Access Permits

Water Rights



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Alternative Water Source Data

Data quantity, quality, and availability:

Varies substantially between water sources

Varies substantially within a water source Data for alternative sources is, understandably,

limited


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AWSISSystem Design

On-line, GIS based system using a Google-Earth Interface Compatible with:

Mac and PC systems

Most popular browsers

Microsoft Platform (SQL Server, .NET Framework) forenhanced compatibility and ease of updates


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AWSISUse and Information

Select a location by clicking a map symbol or by searching forplant name or operator

System displays:

Summary power plant information

Whether alternate water sources occur within a given radius Click again to see:

Detailed data for each available water source (exportable toExcel)

Default is 15 mi. - can be reset up to 100 mi.


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Summary

Site-specific analysis is necessary to determine if agiven alternate water source is feasible for use


Viability of Alternate Water Sources

Each alternate source presents challenges

As energy demands and stresses on fresh water supplies increase, over-comingthese challenges will become more feasible

AWSIS

Internet-based application with a Google-Earth interface that

allows for easy identification of potential alternative watersources


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To Access AWSIS

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http://www.all-llc.com/projects/coal_water_alternatives/

http://www.all-llc.com/projects/coal_water_alternatives/http://www.all-llc.com/projects/coal_water_alternatives/http://www.all-llc.com/projects/coal_water_alternatives/http://www.all-llc.com/projects/coal_water_alternatives/


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David Allemandalleman@all

llc.com

ALL Consulting

www.ALL-LLC.com

Contact Information

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Citation: Alleman, D., ALL Consulting ,and Arthur, J.D., ALL Consulting Alternative Water

Sources for Shale Gas Development. Presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers

Advanced Technology Workshop (ATW) on Reducing Environmental Impact of Unconventional

Resource Development, April 23-25, 2012.


alternative water sources for shale gas development (2012)

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