Does anyone know the names of the companies in the forefront of the race for frac water devices that purify and recycle all of that water used for the wells? I can imagine with technology moving along there may be a day when such a device is set up at each well and the water is purified and shot right back down the hole. I know that recycling water is expensive now, but once a thing goes mainstream prices get a lot better...
I believe I read that North Dakota is setting up for water recycling stations already.
Once it has been down the hole, it is contaminated with salt, and hydrocarbons to the point it is very difficult if not impossible to clean and reuse it. The same with all of the other water that comes from wells as part of the production. Find a way to "purify" and you would be rich. I've seen quite a few discussions on it.
company would be GE, as the 'race' to desalinate water has been going on for decades.
When 'that day' comes for the technology, there won't be any need to 'recycle frac-water', as there will be an 'unlimited' supply of fresh-water from the oceans (ocean water = infinately cleaner than frac-water) , so i wouldn't go betting the farm on any frac-recycle ventures . . . .
I believe that in ND they centrifuge to get the solids out but I agree with Rick, cleaning the water would be a monumental task. I believe it would even be cheaper to do the (propane) gas frack.
Or find a way to get the contaminated water to gel/emulsify and carry the proppant to the cracks it is creating. The way I understand it, current products will not work once the water is contaminated.
RK, I bet that propane fracturing is EXPENSIVE this month with the way I have been hearing people cry about propane prices around here. We have came a long way from the Nitroglycerin use and Atomic detonation attempts!! ;)
They use alot of ceramic propant in ND these days and not all of it stays in the cracks. Not hugely valuable but they use alot of it. It was $0.38 a pound last I heard, plus it would not have to be shipped from China where much of the ceramic propant is produced according to what I have read.
I continue to be impressed by the knowledge you guys have.
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ps. Yesterday I contacted EOG to ask why they haven't contacted us to lease ... here is the legal, as taken from our Mineral Lease document:
One Hundred Eight and one-half (108 1/2) acres of land, more or less, being a part of the J. A. Navarro 4 League Grant, and part of the subdivision of said Grant, in the name of Leon Alcosta, situated on Live Oak Creek, about twelve miles West from Pleasanton, Texas, in Atascosa County, Texas, being the same property described in a certain release from Pat Stevens, Receiver, dated June 12, 1917, and recorded in Volume 70, Page 637 of the Deed records of Atascosa County, Texas;
THEIR REPLY: "Abstract 9 (or A-9) is associated with the J A Navarro Survey in Atascosa County.
Appears to be situated just west of Hwy 16 and north of Hwy 173. This particular survey is about 10 miles from our area of operation. I have no idea who, company wise, would be leasing in this survey.
Does anyone know who might be leasing in our area?
I just couldn't help but jump in on this discussion since I was born on a farm where clean fresh water is a must; but, spent the majority of adult life working for a major chemical company in and out of the US. Let's not kid ourselves that the technology is already here to clean up the down hole frac water. The problem is that it is considerably cheaper to use the already clean water coming out of the ground next to or very near the site that has been there for many years if not hundred of years. One thing for sure, I'm no tree hugger nor liberal environmental activist and I would like a couple of these wells on my places just as much as anyone else. However, clean inexpensive ground water is the lifeblood of the majority of our country and there is no reason to use up that precious resource just because an oil company wants to save a few bucks so he can buy another corporate jet or hold another dog and pony show for some Wall Street bag man at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston or Dallas!
With that said, I'm sure many of you can remember the same thing said about emissions to the air. Yes, it has been costly to clean up gas or vapor emissions from our refineries, our power plants and the like; but, we have come a long way toward that effort and yes it was expensive; but, it isn't nearly as expensive today as it was 40 years ago when we started the effort, so let's not blow the water clean up off as just can't be done or it's just too expensive. There is a lot of great technology already out there and if it every became a mandatory objective, the price would come down considerably and in a hurry.
While you don't have much to do, purchase this book and see how the other half lives and thinks. It's titled "The Frackers". Don't expect to learn much about oil; but, you will learn or at least be able to see how the other half lives and what they really think about us, the mineral owners.
Sorry for butting in on the conversation; but, this needs some real thought rather than just blowing it off.
Thanks again!
r w kennedy said:
I believe that in ND they centrifuge to get the solids out but I agree with Rick, cleaning the water would be a monumental task. I believe it would even be cheaper to do the (propane) gas frack.
OK, so here are some links to information I have found today. I'm a bit behind on this topic...but I am catching up! It appears that for fracking the used water doesn't need to be clean enough for drinking. Please note that I am not promoting any particular company, just that the technology is coming along...
Absolutely! I sure don't want to add any more obstruction to their drilling and even fraccing process: however, there are already recognized ways to clean up the frac water; but, it is just another thing to increase drilling costs and more equipment to be on site; but, as you have just indicated it is very realistic and can or will be done once someone says whoa, there has to be a better way than what we are doing right now.
Thanks for the input!
Mary Beth said:
OK, so here are some links to information I have found today. I'm a bit behind on this topic...but I am catching up! It appears that for fracking the used water doesn't need to be clean enough for drinking. Please note that I am not promoting any particular company, just that the technology is coming along...