Abstract
The potential water demand for fracturing fluids along with the possible flowback and produced water production is assessed for the Dutch Posidonia shale. Total water demand estimated for 25 years of the field development using historic data from the U.S. plays varies between 12.2 and 36.9 Mm3. The maximal annual water consumption of 0.95–2.88 Mm3 is expected in the peak years of shale gas production. These figures are much lower than the availability of any potential water sources, which include drinking water, fresh and brackish groundwater, river water, effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and sea water. River water is considered the most promising water source for fracturing fluids in the Dutch Posidonia shale based on its availability (>6·104 Mm3/year) and quality (only bacterial composition needs to be controlled). Total wastewater production for the whole period of the field development is estimated between 6.6 and 48.0 Mm3. Wastewater recycling can cover significant part of the source water demand for fracturing fluid. However, high mineral content of the wastewater as well as temporal and spatial discrepancies between wastewater production and water demand will form obstacles for wastewater recycling. The assessment framework developed in this study may be applied for other shale gas fields with high uncertainties regarding subsurface properties, connate formation water characteristics and future legislative framework.
Highlights
Potential upcoming production of natural gas from unconventional resources has become a highly debated topic in Europe in recent years
This paper aims at the initial assessment of the water management strategies required for the Posidonia shale gas field, which has the highest development potential in the Netherlands
Prohibition of shale development under water production and groundwater protection zones within onshore Dutch Posidonia shale will only have a minor impact on the volumes of fracturing fluid, flowback and produced water at a country level
Summary
Potential upcoming production of natural gas from unconventional resources has become a highly debated topic in Europe in recent years. Numerous environmental concerns, including negative impacts on water resources, air and soil quality as well as probability for man-induced earthquakes challenge the expediency of shale gas production (Hays et al, 2015; Howarth et al, 2011; Kargbo et al, 2010; Small et al, 2014; Soeder et al, 2014). In combination with horizontal drilling this technology is used to mine gas from impermeable shale layers with limited gas mobility. Thousands of cubic meters of water mixed with chemicals and proppant are pumped into the horizontal wells under pressure in order to create micropores in the shale, increasing permeability of the formation and mobility of the captured gas (Gregory et al, 2011). Shale gas is not a water-intensive fuel compared
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