American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2018 - 25

Industry's Rising Activity
Returns Spotlight To Issue Of
Smart Water Management
Before the industry downturn, water use was spiking. A
2016 study considered average water consumption per fracturing
treatment in three major U.S. plays and found that, since 2013,
water use in the Permian basin was up as much 434 percent
with similar large increases in the Eagle Ford and Williston
basins. Largely, this increase was attributable to strong oil
prices and progressively longer wellbore laterals.
Data from 2017 show solid rig count growth for onshore
unconventional plays such as the Permian, Haynesville and
Niobrara. Active rig counts are expected to continue climbing
in the coming years and some predict their number will increase
from fewer than 300 in 2016 to as many as 1,000 in this area
by 2022. With oil break-even points hovering around $40 a
barrel for many areas, industry activity in the lower-48 states is
on the rise. With this rising rig count also comes the increased
use of freshwater during frac jobs. Although it is too early to
know all the new regulations on the horizon, it is certain that
the topic of water use will be on the minds of many operators
and service companies.
In 2013 at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Unconventional
Resources Conference in Calgary, Frank Zamora, Sarkis Kakadjian, Joseph Thomson, Robert Torres, and Siwar Trabelsi
presented a paper titled "Shale Fracturing Fluids from Waste
Water (SPE-167175-MS)." The paper highlights the elevated
visibility and public concern around the topic of hydraulic fracturing, specifically with regard to freshwater. At the time,
standard operating procedure was to pay for freshwater on a
job's front end and later pay for produced water disposal on the
job's back end. While this process was effective, it greatly
increased the overall cost of a standard frac job. The paper's
authors highlight the development of a fracturing fluid system
that uses 100 percent untreated produced water, essentially
eliminating the upfront costs of purchasing freshwater while
greatly reducing the cost to transport produced water to disposal
wells and allowing for its beneficial use.
The paper describes a new system of conventional gelling
agents and cross-linkers commonly used in active U.S. shale
plays. The fluid system was developed for temperature ranges
between 120 and 300 degrees F. The authors' field tests prove
shear stability and good proppant transport at 20 BPM through
a 1.25-inch sliding sleeve baffle. Additionally, the fracturing
fluid system can be designed for instant or delayed crosslinking in recycled water with total dissolved solids exceeding
300,000 milligrams a liter, and with hardness exceeding 30,000
mg/L. A key concern at the time was the presence of boron in
produced water. This paper highlights a system that can use
water containing boron levels exceeding 500 mg/L. The authors
claim to have broken the code for the use of recycled water in a
frac job. By utilizing this unique fracturing fluid system designed
to conserve freshwater aquifers and recycle produced and
flowback waters, this process can slash disposal costs.
Whether the system will spread throughout the industry
remains to be seen, but it seems clear that technology's role in

"This paper highlights a system that can
use water containing boron levels
exceeding 500 mg/L. The authors claim to
have broken the code for the use of recycled

water in a frac job.

developing a stimulation regimen will be critical as rig counts
increase and operators look to save money and water.
Recently, Zamora presented a course titled "Hydraulic Fracturing Laboratory Essentials" in Houston, during which he introduced participants to the primary principles and processes of
various oil field chemical analyses and testing equipment. The
four-day event offered participants hands-on laboratory training
and familiarized them with the primary analyses that support
hydraulic fracturing, including the possible use of produced
water. Students learned about key principals of water analysis,
collecting rheological properties of various fluid packages,
proppant analysis, emulsion testing, clay sensitivity testing and
characteristics of different chemical additives. The idea behind
the program was to help participants gain a well-rounded, comprehensive instruction on vital aspects of oil field fluid analysis.
Knowledge of rock/fluid interaction will prove pivotal in helping
these participants design their future frac jobs.
As we move forward in developing unconventional mudstones
in the United States, water and fluids will be keys to successful
and economic hydrocarbon development in important plays.
Taking advantage of emerging technologies such as the one unveiled in Calgary in 2013, combined with a solid knowledge of
the frac fluid development and laboratory testing, will prove to
be critical differentiators for companies seeking to grow and
succeed in producing tight oil.
r

JEREMY VISCOMI is vice pres-

ident of global marketing for
Premier Oilfield Group in Houston and Mid-Continent regional
lead for the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council. For
almost 20 years, he has played
an integral role in many oil
and gas industry technical conferences and special events.
JUNE 2018 25

American Oil and Gas Reporter - June 2018

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