New studies by scientists at University of Texas and three other universities conclude that reusing oilfield wastewater for hydraulic fracturing will be critical to maintaining productivity in U.S. shale plays. Scientists from Jackson School of Geosciences in Austin studied how much wastewater is produced in eight major U.S. shale plays and options for recycling and reusing the water.
According to the Houston Chronicle, researchers said oil and natural gas wells in eight major shale basins produced more than 160 billion gallons of wastewater in 2017. They said Delaware Basin will produce about 10.4 trillion gallons of wastewater over the lifetime of the shale play, including 2.85 trillion gallons (36 percent) for hydraulic fracturing operations. They said treating the wastewater and reusing it for hydraulic fracturing is the best and most sustainable option and “key for the future of the industry.”