Updates
August 15, 2013: The Bismarck Tribune story; same story, different writer, I guess.
Original Post
Salt water for fracking in the Bakken?Recently I noted that experts said that fresh water had to be used for fracking but yet there was an article recently that suggested salt water was being used for fracking off the California coast.
Now this in The Dickinson Press:
In recent years, Halliburton told its customers that hydraulic fracturing required fresh water, said Walter Dale, strategic business manager for water management solutions.
But technology advancements have changed that, and Halliburton is now promoting a system it says can reuse water that is injected into deep underground formations in North Dakota.
The system [described at the link] can reduce the fresh water usage, reduce truck traffic and reduce disposal costs, providing environmental benefits and saving operators an estimated $100,000 to $400,000 per well, Dale said.Read the article: the jury is still out; rules and regulations have to be written, etc., etc.
There is more than enough water in the Bakken for fracking; this is all about a) cost; and, b) trucks on the road.
There was an issue many years back that certain kinds of water, like brackish would cause well bores to produce less. I think by now the additives address these issue. I find that most solutions brings its own new set of problems. Salt water may work but what does it do to the machinery?
ReplyDeleteSome number cruncher will sell just the upside not the downside. In the end the savings will most likely be less than advertised but they may still be savings all the same.
I remember this issue, or some other issue, in which it was said that salt water would be very, very hard on the machinery.
DeleteUnlike some areas in the world, there is no shortage of fresh water in the Bakken for fracking, it really is all about trucking (associated costs and wear/tear on the highways).