The water challenge--Innovative solutions emerge to address one of hydraulic fracturing s most critical concerns

摘要

As hydraulic fracturing enters a new phase in the current shale boom, the industry has learned a thing or two about the process, not the least of which is that it makes both economic and environmental sense to include the three R's - reuse, recycle and reclaim - as part of the equation.It takes three million to five million gallons of water to unlock the hydrocarbons of just one unconventional shale well. That, along with the costs associated with disposal, political pressure, and regulatory changes regarding disposal of fluids, has prompted operators large and small to take a look at their water recycling and reuse strategies.