Steady Shale Means Opportunity For Water Reuse

The shale revolution is here to stay even as oil prices drop, and that means big opportunities in water recycling.

“Just as electronic commerce and broadband Internet survived the collapse of the tech-stock bubble, so will shale oil’s innovations survive the current slump in prices,” according to a recent editorial in The Wall Street Journal.

When oil prices dropped, analysts expected shale firms to struggle. Instead, they have been quick to cut capital spending, making them more efficient.

“They boast that they are squeezing more out of what they do spend. They are drilling multiple wells from a single pad, or more efficiently targeting well bores at the most productive layers of rock,” the editorial said.

This presents big opportunities for the water industry, since fracking wastewater must be treated before it’s reused. But it’s not easy to treat this fluid.

“Flowback water from the Bakken are high in salt content, making recycling difficult. Additionally, the salt can cause issues in the pipes, requiring daily freshwater flushes into the well to maintain oil flows over the entire production cycle, which can be as long as 30 years,” the report said.

What does all this mean for water?

“The water business is the real deal. In the world of money and budgets, the bottom line in the Bakken advanced water recycling game could net the equivalent to approximately $350 million in annual savings for the region. With those savings, it just might be water everywhere in the Bakken,” the report said, citing a FracFocus Ceres report.

Critics say fracking is inefficient with scarce freshwater resources and poses a contamination threat. Pro-fracking industry group Energy From Shale says fracking is safe for the environment. “Hydraulic fracturing is safe and well-regulated by federal and state agencies. The technologies and processes continue to be improved, guided by industry standards developed from experiences in the field and which undergo rigorous review before adoption,” the group says.

For more information on fracking, visit Water Online’s Produced Water Treatment Solutions Center.