The Shift Towards Recycling & Re-Use in Oilfield Water Management:
3 Unique Case Studies
Brent Halldorson
Fountain Quail Water Management
Atlantic Council Workshop – Fossil Fuel Produced Water: Asset or Waste? Washington DC June 24-25, 2013
Drilling ScheduleDrilling Schedule
Al Fast-Line or Yellow-Jacket?Al Fast-Line or Yellow-Jacket?
CEO DirectivesCEO Directives
Brackish Water?Brackish Water?
Environmental Footprint
Environmental FootprintSilica DepositionSilica Deposition
NORM ManagementNORM Management
Availability?Availability?
2
A Complex Issue?There are many factors to consider in oilfield water management…
Water NeedsWater Needs
Disposal IssuesDisposal Issues
StorageStorage
LiabilityLiability
Transfer IssuesTransfer Issues
Downhole IssuesDownhole IssuesScaling Index?
Scaling Index?
Lined?Lined?H-11?H-11?
Saltwater LeakSaltwater Leak
Volume?Volume?What Quality?What Quality?
Public OpinionPublic Opinion
Impact Frac Performance?Impact Frac Performance?
Microbial ControlMicrobial Control
CorrosionCorrosion
H2SH2S Odor Issues?Odor Issues?
Organic FoulingOrganic Fouling
Carbonate FoulingCarbonate Fouling
Sulfate FoulingSulfate Fouling
PermitsPermits
WeatherWeather
Induced Seismicity?
Induced Seismicity?
RegulationsRegulations
ContractsContracts
Closure CostsClosure Costs
Clean-Up CostsClean-Up Costs
What Technology?What Technology?
Pit Cover?Pit Cover?
We need to keep it simple and take a
step-by-step approach.
We need to keep it simple and take a
step-by-step approach.
Freshwater
•Higher cost (thermal distillation).
•Lower risk – store and transport freshwater.
Saltwater
•Lower cost (minimal treatment).
•Difficult logistics (storage + transport)
Saltwater or Freshwater?Saltwater or Freshwater?
The Big Question
Charting a Logical Path
SALTWATERSALTWATER
1
RE-USE ZLD
(BASIC) TSS/POLYMER REMOVAL ONLY
(CUSTOM) REDUCE HARDNESS, SCALING INDEX, ETC.
IS THE COST WARRANTED?
LOGISTICS.
FRESHWATERFRESHWATER
2
Freshwater
•Higher cost (thermal distillation).
•Lower risk – store and transport freshwater.
Saltwater
•Lower cost (minimal treatment).
•Difficult logistics (storage + transport)
Case Study A
Background:Early on everyone used freshwater for fracs.Disposal was limited (until Ellenburger used for disposal).Devon has a large acreage position held by production.FQWM had to become very efficient to compete with low cost Ellenburger disposal.
Objectives:
①Move recycling (disposal + freshwater) close to drilling activity.
②Frac with freshwater (minimal storage & transport issues).
③Reduce disposal volume.
④Tie in nearby well flowback & PW using poly pipe.
Fountain Quail Mobile NOMAD Recycling Facility.
3 Hydraulic Fracture Stimulations using distilled & fresh water
NYSE: DVN www.devonenergy.com
Mobility Key to LogisticsDevon’s recent water recycling locations
WiseDenton
Parker
Tarrant
Hood
Johnson
Devon has two units operating at one strategic location:
Lateral “C” (S Wise Co.)
Past locations:
Johnson Ranch (E Wise Co.)
Godley (W Johnson Co.)
Circle R (W Johnson Co.)
Dove Hill (SW Denton Co.)
McCurdy (SW Denton Co.)
Spain (SE Wise Co.)
Casto (SW Denton Co.)14 Sites total (since 2004)
Devon (Lateral-C) – Currently Operating
Case Study B
Background:Customer has 17 wells tied into central SWD. Dispose of 5,000-7,000bpd.Freshwater is limited and costly. Customer prefers fraccing with and handling freshwater.Heavy brine (9.5-10#) has value to operator and others in the region.Early flowback hauled long distance to disposal.
Objectives:
①Use PW as source water to create freshwater using NOMADs. Become independent of groundwater.
②Reduce SWD volume & extend SWD life.
③Re-use NOMAD concentrate brine (9.5#) for drilling & completions.
④Treat high-solids flowback near source.
• Evaporation rate is very high (dry, windy).
• Nature concentrates NOMAD waste brine to 10# at no cost.
Recycling Center – Hub for Water
Flowback
Produced Water
Other Treatable Water Streams
Segregate, skim oil, remove solids, treat
water.
Distilled Water (re-use for fracs)
Clean Heavy Brine (re-use for drilling)
Solids + any un-treatable water for disposal.
Maximize Recovery of Value-Add Products
Oil ($$$)
Recycling
Facility
Optimize & Protect SWD Capacity
PAST: Disposal OR Recycling
FUTURE: Disposal AND Recycling
Case Study C
Background:The Eagle Ford is in “drill-to-hold” mode.Producers need a very mobile solution and can re-use saltwater in nearby fracs.Customer objective was to clean flowback and PW for re-use (high capacity, low cost). Remove TSS, iron and polymers.
Objectives:
①Test flowback (early, middle and late) and PW removal efficiencies at the well site level.
②Set-up in 12 hours and be ready for flowback.
Case Study C
High capacity (10,000bpd).
Solids removed prior to re-use.
Current ROVER Project – Permian Basin
• Customer using PW from SWD disposal well as source water.
• High H2S (~200ppm)
• FQWM and Select put together a package deal for customer (containment, transfer and recycling).
Before / After ROVER Treatment
Keep solids out of recycled water containmentPrevents bacteria blooms & messy cleanupPW is now a resource
Current ROVER Project – Permian Basin
Current ROVER Project – Permian Basin
Remove solids prior to containment.
Direct re-use or “floc-n-drop” into containment.
ROVER Solids Control
Solids build up & reduce effective volume of containment
Bacteria blooms Lower cost initially Expensive clean-up
1 2
Keep solids out of recycled water containment. 100% volume available for HF supply.
Clean brine can be stored longer Dry solids can be buried on
location
TSS Removal
TSS + TDS Removal
Central Plant(60,000bbl/d capacity)
NOMAD Mobile Plant(2,000bbl/d capacity)
ROVERMobile Clarifier(10,000bbl/d capacity)
1
32
Flexibility
New Trends
① Pit covers (prevent evaporation).
② Combine Recycling & Disposal (not Recycling OR Disposal).
③ More use of brackish water and saltwater – be careful about hydrogeology.
④ Have a common sense discussion with parties involved: Landowners are often writing leases stating that E+Ps
must buy groundwater from them.
⑤ Incentivize, not mandate recycling (i.e.: TWRA). www.txwra.org
1. Common Sense Approach. Ask the right questions & keep it simple (saltwater or
freshwater).
2. Range of Solutions. Look for a proven track record. Talk to the customers. Technology must be based on real science backed up with real
results.
3. Flexibility. Solution must be adaptable to the changing needs of the
industry.
4. Cooperation. Share results and experiences (good and bad). We can learn
as much, or more, from what has not worked.
What is Needed?