Produced Water - the Unlikely Hero of the Permian Basin

摘要

Produced water (PW) has traditionally been viewed as a byproduct of oil and gas development. Over the past decade onshore unconventional oil and gas development has forced the industry to reevaluate how it looks at PW. Some of Texas' greatest new onshore oil developments are in areas that have extremely stressed fresh water supplies. When looking for a reliable source of water for hydraulic stimulation the energy producers have begun to use water that has little of no value to competitive interests, including impaired water and brackish water. This paper will look at several examples where industry has gone a step further and has resorted to using PW as the base fluid for new hydraulic stimulations. The old way of thinking about PW focused on disposal. The new way of thinking about PW involves combining disposal, blending and recycling. The Permian Basin offers some unique examples of how PW can often be the solution to help energy producers meet their water needs.