Alternative Water Sources for Shale Gas Development

David Alleman Dan Arthur, P.E., SPEC ALL Consulting

SPE Workshop Reducing Environmental Impact of Unconventional Resource Development San Antonio, TX April 23-25, 2012

Acknowledgements

Funding provided by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Project directed by ALL Consulting with support from GWPC

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Fresh Water Supply Concerns

Forecasted national increase of 70 million people in next 25 years.

Approximately 180 trillion gallons of groundwater have been depleted in the U.S. during the 20th Century alone.
In the US, 21 percent of irrigation is achieved by pumping groundwater at rates that exceed the water supplies ability to recharge.

Domestic, industrial, and agricultural users are left to compete for the nations diminishing freshwater resources.
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Droughts
Texas

Western U.S.
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Access
Permits Federal State River Basins Commissions Water Districts Water Rights
Water wars in traditionally wet regions
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Alternative Water Sources

Reduce demand on fresh water supplies May allow for full capacity operation when conventional water sources become scarce Can Reduce costs Can improve community relations Can either supplement or replace fresh water sources

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Potential Alternative Sources

Industrial Waste Water Produced Water Saline Groundwater Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) Abandoned Mine Pools Mine Discharges

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Industrial Waste Water

Highly Variable Quality Quantity Location Tend to be stable supplies

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Produced Water
Produced water
Conventional Re-use in shale operations

Variable -the quantity and quality of produced water can vary greatly from basin to basin, from well to well, and over time from the same well Produced water is from conventional oil can be a stable source Not available in all shale plays

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Produced Water

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Saline Aquifers
Saline Aquifers TDS concentrations of 1,000 35,000 mg/L Many are relatively shallow (< 1,000 ft.) The quantity and quality of water can vary greatly from aquifer to aquifer, from well to well, with depth, and over time from the same well Has the potential to provide stable water supply Large quantities of saline water may be available in many regions throughout the U.S.

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Saline Aquifers

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POTWs
Municipal sewage treatment plants - typically treated to remove suspended solids, adjust pH, and to remove organics (nutrients) No treatment or data for TDS generally not a problem The quantity and quality of POTW effluent is fairly consistent Stable, long-term source Organic load can still be fairly high
May require treatment to avoid biofouling Using this water may have a positive environmental impact, but Some streams are dependent upon these flows

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POTWs

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Alternate Source Considerations

Regional Availability Quantity Quality
Consistent? treatment?

Proximity/Transportation Liability? Access

Permits Water Rights
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Alternative Water Source Data

Data quantity, quality, and availability:
Varies substantially between water sources Varies substantially within a water source

Data for alternative sources is, understandably, limited

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AWSIS System Design

On-line, GIS based system using a Google-Earth Interface Compatible with: Mac and PC systems Most popular browsers Microsoft Platform (SQL Server, .NET Framework) for enhanced compatibility and ease of updates

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AWSIS Use and Information

Select a location by clicking a map symbol or by searching for plant name or operator System displays: Summary power plant information Whether alternate water sources occur within a given radius Click again to see: Detailed data for each available water source (exportable to Excel) Default is 15 mi. - can be reset up to 100 mi.

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Summary
Viability of Alternate Water Sources
Each alternate source presents challenges As energy demands and stresses on fresh water supplies increase, over-coming these challenges will become more feasible Site-specific analysis is necessary to determine if a given alternate water source is feasible for use

AWSIS
Internet-based application with a Google-Earth interface that allows for easy identification of potential alternative water sources

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To Access AWSIS
http://www.all-llc.com/projects/coal_water_alternatives/

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Contact Information
David Alleman dalleman@allllc.com ALL Consulting

www.ALL-LLC.com
Citation: Alleman, D., ALL Consulting ,and Arthur, J.D., ALL Consulting Alternative Water Sources for Shale Gas Development. Presented at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Advanced Technology Workshop (ATW) on Reducing Environmental Impact of Unconventional Resource Development, April 23-25, 2012.

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