AssessingWaterScarcityforHydraulicFracturinginSemiaridRegions:

CaseStudyEagleFordShale

• BridgetR.Scanlon,BobReedy,J.P.Nicot,andMichaelYoung• BureauofEconomicGeology,JacksonSchoolofGeosciences,

Univ.ofTexasatAustin,Texas• Bridget.Scanlon@beg.utexas.edu

Modified from: EIA and National Geographic

Unconventional Resource Plays

Marcellus

Fayetteville

Haynesville

Barnett

Bakken

Eagle Ford

PermianBasin

BridgetScanlon,Univ.TX,2016

MitchellFoundation:PermianBasin

SloanFoundation:Marcellus,Fayetteville,Haynesville,Barnett,EagleFord,andBakken

WaterdemandforhydraulicfracturingrelativetowatersuppliesProducedwaterandrelatedmanagement

AlternativestoFreshwaterintheEagleFordPlay:BrackishGroundwater

3

Brackishgroundwater

Freshgroundwater

20-yrHFwaterdemand

WATERSUPPLYrelativeto20-yrHFWaterDEMAND(BGAL)

80K10K

0.3K

Scanlonetal.,Env.Res.Lett.2014

0.30

0.35

0.40

0.45

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

WaterCon

sumption(gal/kWh)

Gene

ratio

nCapacity

(1000MW)

CombinedCycleConsumption

NaturalGasReducesWaterDemand

Scanlonetal.,Env.Res.Lett.2014

Managingwaterfordroughtsandfloods

Usingdepletedaquifersforstorage