Hydraulic Fracturing Water Use Research Articles

The water footprint of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction in China

The rapid expansion of shale gas extraction worldwide has raised significant concerns about its impact on water resources. China is expected to undergo a shale revolution following the U.S. Most of the information on water footprint of shale gas exploration and hydraulic fracturing has been focused on the U.S. Here, we addressed this knowledge gap by establishing a comprehensive database of shale gas extraction in China, utilizing operational data from over 90 % of shale gas wells across the country. We present systematic analysis of water usage and flowback and produced water (FP water) production from all the major shale gas fields in China. Between 2012 and 2022, a total of 2740 shale gas wells were hydraulically fractured in China, primarily located in Sichuan and Chongqing Province. About 113 million m3 water was used for hydraulic fracturing, resulting in a cumulative shale gas production of 116 billion m3. As of 2022, the annual water use for hydraulic fracturing exceeded 20 million m3, and the annual FP water production reached 8.56 million m3. Notably, 80 % ~ 90 % of the FP water has been reused for hydraulic fracturing since 2020, accounting for 29 % to 35 % of the annual water usage for hydraulic fracturing. Water use per well in China varies primarily between 21,730 m3 to 61,070 m3 per well, and water use per horizontal length ranges primarily between 20 m3/m and 35 m3/m. The average ultimate FP water production per well in China was estimated to be 22,460 m3. The water use intensity (WUI) for shale gas extraction in China mainly ranges from 7 to 25.4 L/GJ, which is significantly higher than that of the U.S. This disparity is largely due to the lower Estimated Ultimate Recovery (EUR) of shale gas wells in China. Despite the considerable water consumption during the hydraulic fracturing process, shale gas has a relatively low water footprint compared to other conventional energy resources in China. The Produced water intensity (PWI) for shale gas extraction in China ranges from 3.9 to 7.3 L/GJ, which is consistent with the previously reported PWI values for shale gas extraction in the U.S. This study predicts water usage and FP production spanning the period 2023 to 2050 under two scenarios to assess the potential impact of shale gas extraction on water resources in the Longmaxi shale region in Sichuan Basin. The first scenario assumed a constant drilling rate, while the second assumed a yearly 10 % increase in drilling rate. With an assumed FP water reuse rate of 85 % for hydraulic fracturing, the estimated annual freshwater consumption for the two scenarios is 10.4 million m3 and 163 million m3, respectively. This accounts for only 0.28‱ and 4.4‱ of the total annual surface water resources in Sichuan and Chongqing Province. Our findings suggest that freshwater usage for hydraulic fracturing in humid Southern China is small relative to available surface water resources. However, prospective large-scale shale gas extraction in other arid and semi-arid regions may enhance the regional water scarcity. It is necessary to develop new hydraulic fracturing technologies that can use saline groundwater or other types of marginal water, and explore alternative management and treatment strategies for FP water.

An outlier detection approach for water footprint assessments in shale formations: case Eagle Ford play (Texas)

The increasing trend on water use for hydraulic fracturing (HF) in multiple plays across the U.S. has raised the need to improve the HF water management model. Such approaches require good-quality datasets, particularly in water-stressed regions. In this work, we presented a QA/QC framework for HF data using an outlier detection methodology based on five univariate techniques: two interquartile ranges at 95 and 90% (PCTL95, PCTL90), the median absolute deviation (MAD) and Z score with thresholds of two and three times the standard deviation (2STD, 3STD). The cleaning techniques were tested using multiple variables from two data sources centered on the Eagle Ford play (EFP), Texas, for the period 2011–2017. Results suggest that the PCTL95 and MAD techniques are the best choices to remove long-tailed statistical distributions of different variables, classifying the minimum number of records as outliers. Overall, outliers represent 13–23% of the total HF water volume in the EFP. In addition, outliers highly impacted minimum and maximum HF water use values (min–max range of 0–47 m3/m and 5.3–24.6 m3/m of frac length, before and after the outlier removal process, respectively), that are frequently used as a proxy to develop future water–energy scenarios in early-stage plays. The data and framework presented here can be extended to other plays to improve water footprint estimates with similar conditions.

Will Water Issues Constrain Oil and Gas Production in the United States?

The rapid growth in U.S. unconventional oil and gas has made energy more available and affordable globally but brought environmental concerns, especially related to water. We analyzed the water-related sustainability of energy extraction, focusing on: (a) meeting the rapidly rising water demand for hydraulic fracturing (HF) and (b) managing rapidly growing volumes of water co-produced with oil and gas (produced water, PW). We analyzed historical (2009-2017) HF water and PW volumes in ∼73 000 wells and projected future water volumes in major U.S. unconventional oil (semiarid regions) and gas (humid regions) plays. Results show a marked increase in HF water use, and depleting groundwater in some semiarid regions (e.g., by ≤58 ft [18 m]/year in Eagle Ford). PW from oil reservoirs (e.g., Permian) is ∼15× higher than that from gas reservoirs (Marcellus). Water issues related to both HF water demand and PW supplies may be partially mitigated by closing the loop through reuse of PW for HF of new wells. However, projected PW volumes exceed HF water demand in semiarid Bakken (2.1×), Permian Midland (1.3×), and Delaware (3.7×) oil plays, with the Delaware oil play accounting for ∼50% of the projected U.S. oil production. Therefore, water issues could constrain future energy production, particularly in semiarid oil plays.

Quantification of the water-use reduction associated with the transition from coal to natural gas in the US electricity sector

The transition from coal to natural gas and renewables in the electricity sector and the rise of unconventional shale gas extraction are likely to affect water usage throughout the US. While new natural-gas power plants use less water than coal-fired power plants, shale gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing has increased water utilization and intensity. We integrated water and energy use data to quantify the intensity of water use in the US throughout the electricity’s lifecycle. We show that in spite of the rise of water use for hydraulic fracturing, during 2013–2016 the overall annual water withdrawal (8.74 × 1010 m3) and consumption (1.75 × 109 m3) for coal were larger than those of natural gas (4.55 × 1010 m3, and 1.07 × 109 m3, respectively). We find that during this period, for every MWh of electricity that has been generated with natural gas instead of coal, there has been a reduction of ∼1 m3 in water consumption and ∼40 m3 in water withdrawal. Examining plant locations spatially, we find that only a small proportion of net electricity generation takes place in water stressed areas, while a large proportion of both coal (37%) and natural gas (50%) are extracted in water stressed areas. We also show that the growing contribution of renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar will reduce water consumption at an even greater magnitude than the transition from coal to natural gas, eliminating much of water withdrawals and consumption for electricity generation in the US.

Irrigating underground: Assembling, disassembling, and reassembling the hydraulic fracturing energy-water nexus

This paper explores how a novel and water-intensive method of energy production – high-volume hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a., “fracking” or “fracing”) – has taken hold in a river basin that is over-appropriated, is managed via a water governance regime that did not anticipate hydraulic fracturing's idiosyncrasies, and where public concern about dedicating freshwater to hydrocarbon production is high. Via a grounded examination of hydraulic fracturing water use in Colorado’s busiest oilfield and most crowded river basin, I argue that the practice has come to exist – and persist – despite these countervailing forces because it is an ephemeral energy-water assemblage. It is always in motion, is tough to monitor, and emerges only to disappear and reemerge again. This shape-shifting capacity distinguishes hydraulic fracturing from better-known energy-water couplings such as the hydroelectric dam and from historical surface irrigation practices in the American West. It also has consequences. While the uncritical energy-water literature suggests that these energy-water relations have been sufficiently characterized by volumetric gallons-per-well estimates, and the physical ephemerality of the hydraulic fracturing assemblage keeps its on-the-ground complexities elusive, an abridged and uncomplicated picture of hydraulic fracturing endures in the academic literature and public discourse. The partial understandings that result make this assemblage simpler to produce and reproduce. This study responds to calls for more nuanced analyses of energy-water relations. It also contributes to assemblage theory by examining the relationship between instability and stability in the lives of an assemblage, which underscores the importance of processes of disassembly and reassembly within assemblage-style analyses.

Water use spatio-temporal mapping linked to hydraulic fracturing across the Eagle Ford Play, Texas (USA)

Massive development of unconventional resources using hydraulic fracturing (HF) procedures, has been carried out since the last three decades, with focus on Texas, USA, including the Eagle Ford (EF) play. International concerns have been raised regarding water and environmental impacts closely related to shale production. The aim of this paper is to map spatio-temporal trends of HF development (water use and well density) examining the entire production period in the EF. We used FracFocus as the main source of HF information, from 2009 to 2017. Our database managed in Python, SAGA GIS and QGIS, comprised 15,013 oil and gas well records. Statistical results show that median HF water use has been progressively increasing over time, from ~18,000 m3/well (2010) to ~38,000 m3/well (2017). Mapping results illustrate that both well density and HF water use peaked in 2014, whereas the area required for HF encompassed ~16,800 km2 or ~70% of the play surface area. We summarize our results in a public domain interactive GIS-based digital map.

A screening approach to improve water management practices in undeveloped shale plays, with application to the transboundary Eagle Ford Formation in northeast Mexico

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) operations have transformed the unconventional energy industry, leading to a global increase in hydrocarbon production. Despite this, only the US, China, Canada and Argentina currently dominate production of unconventional resources, with the majority of shale basins globally remaining unprofitable to develop. An important gap in current water-energy nexus research, which this study addresses, is the assessment of potential water use to satisfy HF procedures in emergent plays. This work presents a screening tool for assessing first-order estimates of water impacts in undeveloped shale plays, testing the approach in the transboundary Eagle Ford (EF) play in northeast Mexico. We couple surface water and groundwater stress indicators derived from global hydrological variables to depict a baseline water stress index. Relative water stress is mapped for proposed blocks to be leased by the Mexican government in the future. We simulate four HF scenarios to assess new total water stress indicators for each block, considering shale production schemes using representative well drilling density (well lateral length(s) per unit area) and HF water intensity (HF water volume per unit lateral length) from existing EF development in Texas. Results suggest that the most feasible management scenario would consider the drilling of ∼1360 new unconventional wells/yr with projected HF water use of ∼57 Mm3/yr (0.7% of the total water withdrawals). The remaining scenarios will largely affect groundwater resources. Though applied to the EF in Mexico, this screening tool can assess water use constraints in emerging unconventional plays globally.

The intensification of the water footprint of hydraulic fracturing.

Unconventional oil and gas exploration in the United States has experienced a period of rapid growth, followed by several years of limited production due to falling and low natural gas and oil prices. Throughout this transition, the water use for hydraulic fracturing and wastewater production in major shale gas and oil production regions has increased; from 2011 to 2016, the water use per well increased up to 770%, while flowback and produced water volumes generated within the first year of production increased up to 1440%. The water-use intensity (that is, normalized to the energy production) increased ubiquitously in all U.S. shale basins during this transition period. The steady increase of the water footprint of hydraulic fracturing with time implies that future unconventional oil and gas operations will require larger volumes of water for hydraulic fracturing, which will result in larger produced oil and gas wastewater volumes.

The water footprint of hydraulic fracturing in Sichuan Basin, China

Shale gas is likely to play a major role in China's transition away from coal. In addition to technological and infrastructural constraints, the main challenges to China's sustainable shale gas development are sufficient shale gas production, water availability, and adequate wastewater management. Here we present, for the first time, actual data of shale gas production and its water footprint from the Weiyuan gas field, one of the major gas fields in Sichuan Basin. We show that shale gas production rates during the first 12 months (24 million m3 per well) are similar to gas production rates in U.S. shale basins. The amount of water used for hydraulic fracturing (34,000 m3 per well) and the volume of flowback and produced (FP) water in the first 12 months (19,800 m3 per well) in Sichuan Basin are also similar to the current water footprints of hydraulic fracturing in U.S. basins. We present salinity data of the FP water (5000 to 40,000 mgCl/L) in Sichuan Basin and the treatment operations, which include sedimentation, dilution with fresh water, and recycling of the FP water for hydraulic fracturing. We utilize the water use data, empirical decline rates of shale gas and FP water productions in Sichuan Basin to generate two prediction models for water use for hydraulic fracturing and FP water production upon achieving China's goals to generate 100 billion m3 of shale gas by 2030. The first model utilizes the current water use and FP production data, and the second assumes a yearly 5% intensification of the hydraulic fracturing process. The predicted water use for hydraulic fracturing in 2030 (50–65 million m3 per year), FP water production (50–55 million m3 per year), and fresh water dilution of FP water (25 million m3 per year) constitute a water footprint that is much smaller than current water consumption and wastewater generation for coal mining, but higher than those of conventional gas production in China. Given estimates for water availability in Sichuan Basin, our predictions suggest that water might not be a limiting factor for future large-scale shale gas development in Sichuan Basin.

Projecting the Water Footprint Associated with Shale Resource Production: Eagle Ford Shale Case Study.

Production of oil from shale and tight reservoirs accounted for almost 50% of 2016 total U.S. production and is projected to continue growing. The objective of our analysis was to quantify the water outlook for future shale oil development using the Eagle Ford Shale as a case study. We developed a water outlook model that projects water use for hydraulic fracturing (HF) and flowback and produced water (FP) volumes based on expected energy prices; historical oil, natural gas, and water-production decline data per well; projected well spacing; and well economics. The number of wells projected to be drilled in the Eagle Ford through 2045 is almost linearly related to oil price, ranging from 20 000 wells at $30/barrel (bbl) oil to 97 000 wells at $100/bbl oil. Projected FP water volumes range from 20% to 40% of HF across the play. Our base reference oil price of $50/bbl would result in 40 000 additional wells and related HF of 265 × 109 gal and FP of 85 × 109 gal. The presented water outlooks for HF and FP water volumes can be used to assess future water sourcing and wastewater disposal or reuse, and to inform policy discussions.

Water Use for Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil and Gas in the South Platte River Basin, Colorado

AbstractWater use for oil and gas development (i.e., hydraulic fracturing) is a concern in semiarid basins where water supply is often stressed to meet demands, and oil and gas production can exacerbate the situation. Understanding the impacts of water use for hydraulic fracturing (HF) on water availability in semiarid regions is critical for management and regulatory decisions. In the current work, we quantify water use for HF at several scales — from municipal to state‐wide — using the IHS Enerdeq database for the South Platte Basin. In addition, we estimate produced water (a by‐product of oil and gas production), using data from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to explore reuse scenarios. The South Platte River Basin, located in northeastern Colorado, encompasses the Denver‐Metro area. The basin has one of the most productive oil and gas shale formations in Colorado, with much of the production occurring in Weld County. The basin has experienced higher horizontal drilling rates coupled with an increasing population. Results show water use for horizontal and vertical wells averages 11,000 and 1,000 m3, respectively. Water use for HF in the South Platte Basin totaled 0.63% of the basin's 2014 total water demand. For Weld County, water use for HF was 2.4% of total demand, and for the city of Greeley, water use was 7% of total demand. Produced water totaled 9.4 Mm3 in the basin for 2014, which represents 42% of the total water used for HF.

Comparative analysis of hydraulic fracturing wastewater practices in unconventional shale development: Water sourcing, treatment and disposal practices

This paper is the first of a two-part series designed to assess and summarize extant knowledge regarding hydraulic fracturing water and wastewater management practices using a comparative, multidisciplinary approach. To provide context for both papers, the water and wastewater practices are summarized for the four focus plays: Montney, Duvernay, Barnett, and Marcellus. In Alberta and British Columbia, which host the less-studied Duvernay and Montney plays, play-scale unconventional water and wastewater data are extracted and combined from three databases: FracFocus.ca, geoSCOUT, and AccuMap. A reasonable picture of hydraulic fracturing water use and practices in western Canada emerges from the over 4,000 wells studied. From late 2011 to early 2014, the average number of fracturing stages reported increased from 7 to over 14, while reported cumulative water use approached approximately 15 million m3 in 2013, the first year for which full data in all three databases was available. The majority of wells consuming 10,000 to 50,000 m3 of water are slickwater type, located largely in the two target plays; however, several wells using >50,000 m3 of water appear in the Horn River Formation in BC. While it is possible to identify in the databases wastewater treatment facilities and deep wastewater injection wells, it is at present difficult to constrain wastewater disposal practices and chemistry in Alberta and British Columbia. The analysis points to the need for further coordination between academics, industry, and governmental agencies to develop publicly available, searchable databases that carefully document water sourcing, wastewater recycling/reuse/disposal, and chemistry, in order to properly form hydraulic fracturing water management strategies.

Managing the Increasing Water Footprint of Hydraulic Fracturing in the Bakken Play, United States.

The water footprint of oil production, including water used for hydraulic fracturing (HF) and flowback-produced (FP) water, is increasingly important in terms of HF water sourcing and FP water management. Here, we evaluate trends in HF water use relative to supplies and FP water relative to disposal using well by well analysis in the Bakken Play. HF water use per well increased by ∼6 times from 2005-2014, totaling 24.5 × 10(9) gal (93 × 10(9) L) for ∼10 140 wells. Water supplies expanded to meet increased demand, including access of up to ∼33 × 10(9) gal/year (125 × 10(9) L/year) from Lake Sakakawea, expanding pipeline infrastructure by hundreds of miles and allowing water transfers from irrigation. The projected inventory of ∼60 000 future wells should require an additional ∼11 times more HF water. Cumulative FP water has been managed by disposal into an increasing number (277 to 479) of salt water disposal wells. FP water is projected to increase by ∼10 times during the play lifetime (∼40 years). Disposal of FP water into deeper geologic units should be considered because of reported overpressuring of parts of the Dakota Group. The long time series shows how policies have increased water supplies for HF and highlights potential issues related to FP water management.

Water Use and Management in the Bakken Shale Oil Play in North Dakota.

Oil and natural gas development in the Bakken shale play of North Dakota has grown substantially since 2008. This study provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of water quantity and management impacts from this development by (1) estimating water demand for hydraulic fracturing in the Bakken from 2008 to 2012; (2) compiling volume estimates for maintenance water, or brine dilution water; (3) calculating water intensities normalized by the amount of oil produced, or estimated ultimate recovery (EUR); (4) estimating domestic water demand associated with the large oil services population; (5) analyzing the change in wastewater volumes from 2005 to 2012; and (6) examining existing water sources used to meet demand. Water use for hydraulic fracturing in the North Dakota Bakken grew 5-fold from 770 million gallons in 2008 to 4.3 billion gallons in 2012. First-year wastewater volumes grew in parallel, from an annual average of 1,135,000 gallons per well in 2008 to 2,905,000 gallons in 2012, exceeding the mean volume of water used in hydraulic fracturing and surpassing typical 4-year wastewater totals for the Barnett, Denver, and Marcellus basins. Surprisingly, domestic water demand from the temporary oilfield services population in the region may be comparable to the regional water demand from hydraulic fracturing activities. Existing groundwater resources are inadequate to meet the demand for hydraulic fracturing, but there appear to be adequate surface water resources, provided that access is available.

Water Availability for Shale Gas Development in Sichuan Basin, China.

Unconventional shale gas development holds promise for reducing the predominant consumption of coal and increasing the utilization of natural gas in China. While China possesses some of the most abundant technically recoverable shale gas resources in the world, water availability could still be a limiting factor for hydraulic fracturing operations, in addition to geological, infrastructural, and technological barriers. Here, we project the baseline water availability for the next 15 years in Sichuan Basin, one of the most promising shale gas basins in China. Our projection shows that continued water demand for the domestic sector in Sichuan Basin could result in high to extremely high water stress in certain areas. By simulating shale gas development and using information from current water use for hydraulic fracturing in Sichuan Basin (20,000-30,000 m(3) per well), we project that during the next decade water use for shale gas development could reach 20-30 million m(3)/year, when shale gas well development is projected to be most active. While this volume is negligible relative to the projected overall domestic water use of ∼36 billion m(3)/year, we posit that intensification of hydraulic fracturing and water use might compete with other water utilization in local water-stress areas in Sichuan Basin.

Hydraulic Fracturing Water Use Is Tied to Environmental Impact

New map identifies varying water usage in hydraulic drilling operations across the United States and what this means for potential environmental impacts.

Hydraulic fracturing water use variability in the United States and potential environmental implications.

Until now, up‐to‐date, comprehensive, spatial, national‐scale data on hydraulic fracturing water volumes have been lacking. Water volumes used (injected) to hydraulically fracture over 263,859 oil and gas wells drilled between 2000 and 2014 were compiled and used to create the first U.S. map of hydraulic fracturing water use. Although median annual volumes of 15,275 m3 and 19,425 m3 of water per well was used to hydraulically fracture individual horizontal oil and gas wells, respectively, in 2014, about 42% of wells were actually either vertical or directional, which required less than 2600 m3 water per well. The highest average hydraulic fracturing water usage (10,000−36,620 m3 per well) in watersheds across the United States generally correlated with shale‐gas areas (versus coalbed methane, tight oil, or tight gas) where the greatest proportion of hydraulically fractured wells were horizontally drilled, reflecting that the natural reservoir properties influence water use. This analysis also demonstrates that many oil and gas resources within a given basin are developed using a mix of horizontal, vertical, and some directional wells, explaining why large volume hydraulic fracturing water usage is not widespread. This spatial variability in hydraulic fracturing water use relates to the potential for environmental impacts such as water availability, water quality, wastewater disposal, and possible wastewater injection‐induced earthquakes.

Response to Comment on "Comparison of Water Use for Hydraulic Fracturing for Unconventional Oil and Gas versus Conventional Oil".

Response to Comment on "Comparison of Water Use for Hydraulic Fracturing for Unconventional Oil and Gas versus Conventional Oil".

Source and Fate of Hydraulic Fracturing Water in the Barnett Shale: A Historical Perspective

Considerable controversy continues about water availability for and potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing (HF) of hydrocarbon assets on water resources. Our objective was to quantify HF water volume in terms of source, reuse, and disposal, using the Barnett Shale in Texas as a case study. Data were obtained from commercial and state databases, river authorities, groundwater conservation districts, and operators. Cumulative water use from ∼ 18,000 (mostly horizontal) wells since 1981 through 2012 totaled ∼ 170,000 AF (210 Mm(3)); ∼ 26 000 AF (32 Mm(3)) in 2011, representing 32% of Texas HF water use and ∼ 0.2% of 2011 state water consumption. Increase in water use per well by 60% (from 3 to 5 Mgal/well; 0.011-0.019 Mm(3)) since the mid-2000s reflects the near-doubling of horizontal-well lengths (2000-3800 ft), offset by a reduction in water-use intensity by 40% (2000-1200 gal/ft; 2.5-1.5 m(3)/m). Water sources include fresh surface water and groundwater in approximately equal amounts. Produced water amount is inversely related to gas production, exceeds HF water volume, and is mostly disposed in injection wells. Understanding the historical evolution of water use in the longest-producing shale play is invaluable for assessing its water footprint for energy production.

An overview of Canadian shale gas production and environmental concerns

Production of hydrocarbons from Canadian shales started slowly in 2005 and has significantly increased since. Natural gas is mainly being produced from Devonian shales in the Horn River Basin and from the Triassic Montney shales and siltstones, both located in northeastern British Columbia and, to a lesser extent, in the Devonian Duvernay Formation in Alberta (western Canada). Other shales with natural gas potential are currently being evaluated, including the Upper Ordovician Utica Shale in southern Quebec and the Mississippian Frederick Brook Shale in New Brunswick (eastern Canada).This paper describes the status of shale gas exploration and production in Canada, including discussions on geological contexts of the main shale formations containing natural gas, water use for hydraulic fracturing, the types of hydraulic fracturing, public concerns and on-going research efforts. As the environmental debate concerning the shale gas industry is rather intense in Quebec, the Utica Shale context is presented in more detail.