Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3895-3906 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Environmental earth sciences |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2013 |
Abstract
When studying technical methods and measures that could be applicable for flowback treatment, recycling and/or disposal, it is important to characterize the volumes and composition of hydraulic fracturing flowback. In this work, water volumes and water quality data are considered for investigating flowback at three selected drilling sites in Germany. The analysis highlighted an increase of chloride concentrations up to saturation limit over the time. High salinity concentrations were used as indicator for estimating the percentage of hydraulic fracturing fluid and formation water in flowback. For the studied shale gas well a proportion of formation water, 69 %, and hydraulic fracturing fluid, 31 %, in flowback were derived. Thus, 92 % of the hydraulic fracturing fluid remained in the formation. The physical/chemical properties of flowback were categorized in groups to enable the allocation of applicable treatment methods. The analysis revealed that no single technology can meet suitable effluent characteristics, thus two or more treatment systems might be used in series operation. In particular, for flowback containing high salinity concentrations the only treatment options are evaporation or crystallization. Hence, methodological distinctions need to be made between concentration, elimination, disposal and recycling, whereby for the existing concentrate treatment or disposal measures need to be completed and scaled up into the process.
Keywords
- Flowback, Frac fluid, Hydraulic fracturing, Treatment technology for wastewater from shale gas
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Science(all)
- Global and Planetary Change
- Environmental Science(all)
- Environmental Chemistry
- Environmental Science(all)
- Water Science and Technology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
- Environmental Science(all)
- Pollution
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Geology
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Earth-Surface Processes
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In: Environmental earth sciences, Vol. 70, No. 8, 01.12.2013, p. 3895-3906.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Hydraulic fracturing wastewater in Germany
T2 - Composition, treatment, concerns
AU - Olsson, Oliver
AU - Weichgrebe, Dirk
AU - Rosenwinkel, Karl Heinz
PY - 2013/12/1
Y1 - 2013/12/1
N2 - When studying technical methods and measures that could be applicable for flowback treatment, recycling and/or disposal, it is important to characterize the volumes and composition of hydraulic fracturing flowback. In this work, water volumes and water quality data are considered for investigating flowback at three selected drilling sites in Germany. The analysis highlighted an increase of chloride concentrations up to saturation limit over the time. High salinity concentrations were used as indicator for estimating the percentage of hydraulic fracturing fluid and formation water in flowback. For the studied shale gas well a proportion of formation water, 69 %, and hydraulic fracturing fluid, 31 %, in flowback were derived. Thus, 92 % of the hydraulic fracturing fluid remained in the formation. The physical/chemical properties of flowback were categorized in groups to enable the allocation of applicable treatment methods. The analysis revealed that no single technology can meet suitable effluent characteristics, thus two or more treatment systems might be used in series operation. In particular, for flowback containing high salinity concentrations the only treatment options are evaporation or crystallization. Hence, methodological distinctions need to be made between concentration, elimination, disposal and recycling, whereby for the existing concentrate treatment or disposal measures need to be completed and scaled up into the process.
AB - When studying technical methods and measures that could be applicable for flowback treatment, recycling and/or disposal, it is important to characterize the volumes and composition of hydraulic fracturing flowback. In this work, water volumes and water quality data are considered for investigating flowback at three selected drilling sites in Germany. The analysis highlighted an increase of chloride concentrations up to saturation limit over the time. High salinity concentrations were used as indicator for estimating the percentage of hydraulic fracturing fluid and formation water in flowback. For the studied shale gas well a proportion of formation water, 69 %, and hydraulic fracturing fluid, 31 %, in flowback were derived. Thus, 92 % of the hydraulic fracturing fluid remained in the formation. The physical/chemical properties of flowback were categorized in groups to enable the allocation of applicable treatment methods. The analysis revealed that no single technology can meet suitable effluent characteristics, thus two or more treatment systems might be used in series operation. In particular, for flowback containing high salinity concentrations the only treatment options are evaporation or crystallization. Hence, methodological distinctions need to be made between concentration, elimination, disposal and recycling, whereby for the existing concentrate treatment or disposal measures need to be completed and scaled up into the process.
KW - Flowback
KW - Frac fluid
KW - Hydraulic fracturing
KW - Treatment technology for wastewater from shale gas
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888372149&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12665-013-2535-4
DO - 10.1007/s12665-013-2535-4
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84888372149
VL - 70
SP - 3895
EP - 3906
JO - Environmental earth sciences
JF - Environmental earth sciences
SN - 1866-6280
IS - 8
ER -