Paper: SUSTAINABLE FRACTURING REDUCING FRESH WATER DEMAND AND DISPOSAL VOLUMES

Multiple-stage hydraulic fracturing has dramatically increased hydrocarbon production in the United States. Large fresh water requirements, coupled with recent concerns over water sustainability, have increased the importance of oilfield water management. FIML Natural Resources, LLC was using fresh water for hydraulic fracturing, and then hauling the waste water to a disposal site. To reduce fresh water consumption and the cost for disposal, a pilot study was performed to assess reuse of all their fracturing flowback fluid, produced water, and drilling waste water. Instead of extensive multistep water treatment to bring the water to a near-fresh state, Baker Hughes took a holistic approach, resulting in a singlestep mobile treatment system to remove critical contaminants and sufficiently clean the water to design a fracturing fluid. This paper will discuss the optimized recycling and reuse operation, fracturing fluid development from recycled water, the field application and a cost savings comparison