We've Been Through This Before -- The Bakken Has Plenty Of Water. The Permian? No Problem -- Rigzone -- January 22, 2019

From Rigzone: frack water demand in the US skyrockets.

While U.S. shale oil production is hitting record levels, Rystad has found that frac water demand has more than doubled since 2016. The demand in the Permian alone currently exceeds all of U.S. demand of 2016.

The future for frack water demand also looks positive, with Rystad predicting demand to grow by an additional 6 percent in 2019 [inconsequential]. The Permian will see demand surpass 2.5 billion barrels by 2020.

"Even with such steep growth, market concerns about sourcing challenges and bottlenecks appear to be minimal.”

Rystad noted strong growth for the water treatment market in 2018, with a 28 percent expansion to 1.4 billion barrels last year. The market is forecast to double 2016 totals by 2020.

Note: the amount of water used in the Bakken has remained relatively stable for several years.

Lake Sakakawea To Rise Significantly This Month

I've done the math at least twice before, so I'm not going to do it again, but trust me, there's more than enough water in North Dakota for fracking the Bakken.

However, if there's any doubt, now we hear there will be even more water in Lake Sakakawea this month. The Bismarck Tribune is reporting:

People along  Lake Oahe and Lake Sakakawea and those who use the lakes can expect a significant rise in water levels this month.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday that runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa last month was 4.3 million acre-feet, or 130 percent above normal. An acre-foot is the amount of water that would cover an acre, a foot deep.

Based on soil moisture and snowpack conditions, the corps said the forecast for the 2014 runoff season has decreased slightly from 31.7 million acre-feet last month to 31.1 million acre-feet, still 123 percent of normal. Average annual runoff is 25.2 million acre-feet.

This is all part of global warming, I suppose. [For the record: global warming has taken a 18-year pause.] Lake Sakakawea is expected to rise five (5) feet.

And still my favorite song:

Yellow River, Christie

The Williston Wire: Fuddruckers Coming To Williston; FIve Guys Burgers and Fries Considering Williston

No links; the Williston Wire is easy to subscribe to.

Huge: Five Guys Burgers and Fries consider opening in Williston. This would be huge; over the top.

Williams County commissioners approve bypass route:

Commissioners discussed the route briefly at a meeting recently before agreeing to authorize the state to move forward with the route with the city's language, which follows what was the so-called "yellow" route closer to town as far north as possible before cutting west to the "red" route on 142nd Avenue Northwest and then east on 56th Street Northwest.

The owners of 3 Amigos Southwest Grill are opening a new self-serve frozen yogurt shop at the same location.

Wow -- developers to bring in another hotel and Fuddruckers. Fuddruckers will be opening in May or June along Highway 2 north of Wal-Mart. The restaurant will be stand-alone but next to a new, 102-room, four-story hotel. The developer is Serka Services, a company that has been noted on the blog before and works globally and often as a contractor for the Department of Defense.

Lake Sakakawea: 1,829.3 feet. At the lower end of "what might be considered a comfort zone." Water will start to be released in the months ahead to generate hydroelectric power through Garrison Dam turbines.  Contrary to what others might say, water for fracking from the Lake will have no material effect on the level of the Lake.

Huge Story on Fracking Water in the Bakken

Link to The Bismarck Tribune.

A temporary cease-fire in the war for Lake Sakakawea water was issued Tuesday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The corps will approve its first surplus water agreement to pipe lake water to the oil field, opening the faucet to what could become a significant source of water for hydraulic fracturing of thousands of wells in the oil patch.

Larry Janis, division director for the corps’ Omaha district office, said in an email to Bob Shaver, who directs water appropriations for the State Water Commission, that the agreement was approved at corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. The paperwork will be processed in Omaha, Janis said.

The State Water Commission has been sitting on 20 applications for a total of 70,000 acre feet of lake water since the corps said nearly three years ago that it will begin charging a fee for storing the water and needed time to implement the storage policy, said water resource engineer Dan Farrell.

I did not read the "small print" so I do not know what is all about.  All I know is that if the Corps charges a fee for "storage" they are also liable when their "stored water" floods.

For newbies: the amount of water taken from the Missouri for fracking is minuscule. I've talked about that ad nauseam.

Another Look at Water and Fracking -- The Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Before reading the data points regarding water and fracking, go back to this link first. This was an early link in which the US Army Corps of Engineers agreed to release enough water from the reservoir to frack up to 10,000 wells per year.

A reader sent me a PDF summary regarding water and fracking that was presented at the 2011 North Dakota Water Convention. The PDF came in as an attachment so I don't have the original link, but it is probably located at the NDIC site.

Here are some high points (some numbers rounded):

• There are 35 fracking crews in North Dakota
• A single fracking crew/rig can frack about 20 wells/year
• 35 x 20 --> 700 wells can be fracked/year in North Dakota at the present time
• The current average water used in fracking is about 6 acre-feet per site
• In 2011, a total of about 4,000 acre-feet of water might be used for fracking in North Dakota

Again, if the US Army Corps of Engineers is willing to release enough water to frack 10,000 wells/year, and at most, the number of wells that can be fracked in North Dakota right now is about 700, one can see why I have repeatedly said water is not an issue in North Dakota (except, of course, distribution: trucks, pipeline, private, public, etc).

The "700" figure looks about right; it looks like the state will see about 2,000 wells drilled this year, and to me, it looks like about 1/3 to 1/2 (maybe more) of these wells will not be fracked during the confidential period.

This post was done in haste; there may be errors in the math (or arithmetic).  The data points are correct, to the best of my knowledge.

Whatever Happened To the Storage Fee the US Army Corps Was Going to Charge -- And Then the Floods Came -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

Earlier this year, the US Army Corps of Engineers said they were going to charge a "storage fee" for folks who took the water from the Missouri River for fracking. That was before the flooding.

I would suppose that Minot folks who were flooded have a legitimate claim against the US Army Corps of Engineers now that the corps could not keep their stored water inside the banks.

"You" can't have it both ways. Either it's their stored water or it isn't. And if it is, they are responsible for any damage it causes.

That and 65 cents will buy you a cup of coffee at McDonald's in Williston.

More Than Enough Water for Fracking

Link here.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Lake Sakakawea ended April at one of the highest spring levels on record.
Data points:

• Elevation at end of April: 1,847 feet
• 7.5 feet higher than same time last year
• US Army Corps of Engineers will begin releasing water at twice the rate it had been
• Missouri River running through Bismarck will rise 5 feet and stay that high throughout the summer

Yeah, that's more than enough for fracking. Can the Army still charge uses of the Missouri River a "storage fee" when water is so high it's being released? Just a rhetorical question.

Enough Water for Fracking in the Bakken? You Betcha!

The water behind the dams and all through the Bakken is higher than ever. (That's a bit of hyperbole; it's higher, but not necessarily setting new records.)

US Army Corps of Engineers starting to increase outflow of water. At one time the Corps said there was not enough water for fracking -- and then they said they could release enough water to frack ten thousand wells/year. That was before this story.


Fort Peck Reservoir fourteen (14) feet higher than last year at this time.

Thanks to a wet winter, Fort Peck Reservoir rose by 2.9 feet in March and is 14.5 feet higher than it was a year ago at this time, according to a report from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Likewise, other dams along the Missouri River were flush with water, prompting the Corps to begin raising outflows to allow more room for spring runoff.

By the way, the global warming folks predicted all this increase precipitation and rising water. 

Two words: "storage fee."

On another note, President Obama signed emergency declaration for North Dakota flooding on the Red River. Note: the Red River is on the far east side of the state and is too far away for use by the oil industry, located on the western side of the state. 

Enough Water in Western North Dakota for Fracking? You Betcha

As posted earlier, the US Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to release 100,000 acre-feet of water from the Missouri River for industrial uses (fracking).  For a fee.

When this discussion first came up, the Corps said there was not enough water in the Missouri for fracking.

100,000 acre-feet is enough to frack 10,000 wells/year. That is about ten times more water than needed. It is estimated that somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 wells will be fracked in North Dakota this calendar year.

It was interesting to note that within the past couple of weeks it has come to light that the US Army Corps of Engineers flood plan for western North Dakota is .... drum roll .... 100,000 acre-feet above the plan.

I have not seen anyone else note the coincidental nature of these two facts: how much the Corps is willing to release, and the current state of the Corps' flood plan. The numbers were identical.

Today, it is being reported that flooding is expected again this spring in western North Dakota.

The National Weather Service says flooding risk is "well above average" for many locations on the James, Knife, Cannonball and Little Missouri rivers and Little Muddy, Apple and Beaver creeks.

According to a flood outlook the National Weather Service released on Thursday, all historical weather patterns would produce flooding in many locations in western or central North Dakota. That means something out of the ordinary would have to happen for flooding to be averted in those places, given the current snowpack and water flow conditions. Knife River, Apple Creek, Little Muddy Creek, James River and Pipestem Creek all are very likely to face flooding, according to the historical models, hydrologist Allen Schlag said.

By the way, BEXP has started taking water from the Missouri, previously reported at this site.

BEXP Pumping Water From the Missouri Near Trenton -- Bakken, North Dakota, USA

I am being told that BEXP has started pumping water from the Missouri River, near Trenton.  The water, of course, is to be used for fracking.

More to follow.

The big question is whether BEXP and the US Corps of Army Engineers are in discussion or if this even pertains to the Corps.

Update on Clash Over Water Fees for Missouri River

The public comments period was closed February 1, 2011. The period had been extended for 15 days, receiving comments from more than 70 tribes, federal, state and local agencies.

The US Army Corps of Engineers wants to charge a fee for taking water from the Missouri River.

There has never been a precedent for this charge according to Senator John Hoeven (previously the governor of North Dakota).

"The Missouri River shall forever be the property of the state of North Dakota and our water users must have access without cost and without the requirement of surplus water agreements. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is attempting to achieve monetary gain where none is justified," governor Jack Dalrymple said. Corps Project Manager Larry Janis said a review of public comment received is still ongoing.

The Corps proposes a fee of $20.91 per acre foot of water.

It should be noted that the Corps has said it can release 100,000 acre feet of water for fracking. It should also be noted that the Missouri River is 100,000 acre feet above the flood stage plan.

Potential For Massive Run-Off Due to Melting Snow This Spring -- North Dakota, USA

The US Army Corps of Engineers says there is a chance for flooding this year similar to the massive flooding that occurred in the Missouri River Basin in 2009. Whether it floods may have much to do with rainfall.

Apparently, the current storage of water in all six mainstem reservoirs is "just 100,00 acre-feet above the base of the annual flood control pool."

*******

In an unrelated story, but the number is very coincidental, the US Army Corps of Engineers recently agreed to set aside 100, 000 acre-feet of water from the Missouri River Basin for use by oil companies for fracking. That is enough water to frack 10,000 wells, ten times more than all the wells drilled last year in North Dakota. (Numbers rounded.)

In case the link is broken in the future, December 17, 2010:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it plans to make a temporary allocation of 32 billion gallons, or 100,000 acre feet available annually to the oil industry, but it will charge a hefty fee for storing that water in the Garrison Dam reservoir.

 

The corps decided to study water allocations after receiving numerous applications for industrial water permits for the oil industry.

It now has nine applications pending for a total of 34,000 acre feet of water.

100,000 acre-feet is enough for 10,000 oil wells a year, based on an average use of 3 million gallons per well. Next year is expected to the biggest year ever for new wells at 2,000, according to the Department of Mineral Resources.

*******

It certainly makes one wonder if that's how the 100,000 figure was arrived at when deciding how much water could be made available for fracking.

More Than Enough Water For Fracking

Metric: water being released from Garrison Dam. Dynamic link. 

UPDATES

April 26, 2013: The Dickinson Press is reporting that there could be a water shortage due to fracking. Long term readers know I completely disagree. See post of December 28, 2012.  The amount of water required to frack 2,000 wells in the Bakken represents about one-tenth of one percent:

Maximum water storage of Lake Sakakawea is 23,800,000 acre-feet. 30,000 acre-feet represents 0.1% (one-tenth of one percent) of the volume of Lake Sakakawea.

As usual, my disclaimer. The math could be wrong. But I've been posting these numbers since 2011, and no one has corrected me on them.

I doubt that any of the other regional papers (Montana, North Dakota, or South Dakota) have yet picked up on this story, and probably won't.

Golf courses use a whole lot more. I can't speak to water issues outside the Bakken but the concern about the Missouri seems ill-placed based on earlier analyses. Here's an excerpt from linked article:

A scathing report issued Thursday by the Western Organization of Research Councils says water used in the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is reaching a crisis point in Western states.The regional network of organizations’ 37-page report, titled “Gone for Good,” warns of continued diminished water supplies in areas that have been hit hard by drought in recent years. The report also states that the data currently available and processes used to track energy industry water used for fracking are not sufficient, and that the “current level of water use for oil and gas production simply cannot be sustained.

Let's compare amount of water used for agriculture in the west compare to the amount of water used for fracking. Something tells me we are going to see a lot of flooding stories in North Dakota this year, both in the Red River, and the Missouri River.

August 27, 2012: US Army Corps of Engineers' plan to charge for upstream water is criticized by South Dakota governor. Upstream folks pay for the water; downstream folks get flood protection for free. The Corps can't have it both ways. By the way, if the Corps says they own the water, they are then responsible for the 2010 spring flooding when they did not keep their water under control. Again the Corps cannot have it both ways. Much of the water in the North Dakota and South Dakota state reservoirs comes from run-off water from the state.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard argued that upstream states have the right to manage the river's natural flows, or water that would flow through the system without the reservoirs. States should continue to have authority to manage that water by granting water rights to users, he wrote in a letter read at a Corps of Engineers hearing in Pierre.

The corps' plan also appears to propose requiring contracts and payments from users who take water from the reservoirs, while people downstream of the dams would not pay anything while benefiting from flood control, water supplies and electricity generated by the dams, the governor said.

May 7, 2012: US Army Corps of Engineers wants to charge for water coming from Missouri River; same old story. My position hasn't changed. More than enough water. If the army wants to charge a storage fee, then the army should be held accountable for the water they failed to keep within their storage system last spring, 2011. 

May 7, 2011: There is so much water in the river, that the US Army Corps of Engineers is going to release more water. No word on where the plans stand for the Corps to charge storage fees to consumers of water from the river.  Meanwhile, there is so much water in northeastern South Dakota, it looks like the Everglades. This is making it difficult to get crops in the ground this spring.

James River Water Development District Manager Darrell Raschke says if you fly over Brown County, it looks like the Everglades.

The Agricultural Statistics Service says that as of May 1, only 22 percent of the spring wheat crop had been planted statewide, compared to 68 percent on a five-year average.

April 30, 2011: Rise in water level of Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea one of the highest on record. US Army Corps of Engineers releasing water at twice the rate. Still, Missouri River at Mandan/Bismarck will rise five (5) feet this spring and remain at that level all summer. 

March 25, 2011: The issue of water from Lake Sakakawea is still unsettled. This article is full of subjective comments; this blog has the objective data. There is more than enough excess water in the reservoir to frack the wells. In fact, the US Army Corps of Engineers has released enough water for 10,000 wells/year FOR A FEE -- the legality of the fee is being contested. A record number of wells will be drilled in North Dakota this year; the estimate is 2,000. The water released is five to ten times more than needed. A Sierra Club representative made unsubstantiated comments with no scientific background related to waste water.

February 2, 2011: North Dakota state official says the US Army Corps of Engineers plan to charge fees for use/storage of water from the river is "illegal."

February 2, 2011: Background: first the US Army Corps of Engineers said there was not enough water in the river to meet the needs of the ND oil industry. I was one of the first to point out that was incredibly wrong. Subsequently, the Corps agreed there is much more water than necessary to meet those needs, but they would charge for the "use" of that water. The state noted that much of the water that runs in the Missouri River comes from North Dakota run-off, and thus the state residents should have access to that water based on North Dakota rules, regulations, and fees (in this case: free).

ORIGINAL POST

Incredible story. I was one of the first to point out that Missouri River had more than enough water for fracking ... over a year ago.

Enough water set aside for 10,000 wells a year.

Here's my original post regarding the water in the Missouri River regarding fracking. The amount of water needed by the oil industry in North Dakota is estimated to represent about two-tenths of one percent of the Missouri River flow. That's flow. The river is not a static body of water.

This is not rocket science. Two-tenths of one-percent, and at one time the US Army Corps of Engineers wanted to prohibit any water from coming out of the river for fracking.

As I said then, anything to destroy the domestic oil industry.