Water use characteristics and water footprints of China's oil and gas production

Abstract

Oil and gas production necessitates substantial use of water. Inspired by the water footprint theory, in this study, we proposed a novel factor to measure unconventional water use in various processing and production activities. The proposed factor was used to establish a method for evaluating the water footprint in oil and gas production. Through analyzing water use characteristics in oil and gas exploration, construction, production, and operation in China, it was found that the direct blue and grey water footprints of oil and gas production in 2018 were 3.08 and 6.64 m3/toe, respectively. Technological innovation and increased use of unconventional water reduced the blue water footprint. The unconventional water use factor was 4.61 m3/toe in 2018. Because of the growth of natural gas, especially unconventional production, China is predicted to require 1.42 billion m3 of water for oil and gas production in 2030, marking a 43% increase.