Source and Fate of Hydraulic Fracturing Water in Texas

1. Source and Fate of Hydraulic
Fracturing Water in Texas
Jean-Philippe ‘JP’ Nicot
Bureau of Economic Geology
Jackson School of Geosciences
The University of Texas at Austin
Atlantic Council Workshop on
“Fossil fuel produced water: asset or waste”
Washington, D.C. – June 25, 2013

2. 2
Bureau of Economic Geology
BARNETT SHALE
HAYNESVILLE
SHALE
EAGLE FORD SHALE
PEARSALL SHALE
SHALES
TIGHT GAS
Granite wash, Cleveland, Marmaton
BOSSIER SHALE
Cotton Valley,
Travis Peak
Spraberry
and others
Canyon Sands
Vicksburg,
Wilcox
Olmos
WOODFORD SHALE
BARNETT SHALE
AVALON / BONESPRING
TIGHT OIL
WOLFCAMP SHALE
CLINE SHALE

3. 3
Bureau of Economic Geology
Final Result:
Hydraulic Fracturing Water Use
2008: 36 kAF 2011: 81.5 kAF
1 AF = 325,851 gallons
1 AF = 2-3 households/yr
1kAF = 1.23×106 m3
Source of raw data: IHS Enerdeq database; in Nicot et al. 2012 report

4. 4
Bureau of Economic Geology
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
M
unicipal
M
anufacturing
M
ining
Steam
-electric
Livestock
Irrigation
2001-2010AverageWaterUse(kAF)
Texas water use
Total = ~15,000 kAF/yr

5. 5
Bureau of Economic Geology
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
M
unicipal
M
anufacturing
M
ining
Steam
-electric
Livestock
Irrigation
2001-2010AverageWaterUse(kAF)
Texas water use
Total = ~15,000 kAF/yr
2011 Mining consumption:
Oil and Gas = ~120 kAF water use
(HF, drilling, waterflooding)
HF = ~81.5 kAF water use
HF = ~65 kAF water consumption
All others = ~100kAF
Total consumption = ~190 kAF
2008 Mining consumption:
Oil and Gas = ~60 kAF (~36 kAF HF)
(HF, drilling, waterflooding)
Coal/Lignite = ~20 kAF
Aggregates = ~70 kAF
Others= ~10 kAF
Total= ~160 kAF
HF water use is small at the state level, also true
for water consumption

6. 6
Bureau of Economic Geology
GW/SW split: little known
• 2006 survey in Barnett:
~60% groundwater
Based on ~30% of water use
SW
GW

7. 7
Bureau of Economic Geology
GW/SW split: little known
• 2006 survey in Barnett:
~60% groundwater
• 2011-12 Barnett:
~20-30% groundwater
• 2012 Haynesville-ETx:
~70% groundwater
• 2012 Eagle Ford:
~90% groundwater
• 2012 Permian B.:
~100% groundwater
Based on ~30% of water use
SW
GW

8. 8
Bureau of Economic Geology
GW/SW split: little known
• 2006 survey in Barnett:
~60% groundwater
• 2011-12 Barnett:
~20-30% groundwater
• 2013 Barnett:
• ~60% groundwater
Based on ~30% of water use
SW
GW

9. 9
Bureau of Economic Geology
Fraction
from
recycling /
reuse and
brackish
East Texas:
R/R: 5%
BK: ~0%
Eagle Ford:
R/R: ~0%
BK: 20%
Barnett:
R/R: 5%
BK: 3%
Anadarko:
R/R: 20%
BK: 30%
Midland:
R/R: 2%
BK: 30%
Delaware:
R/R: 0%
BK: 80%
Based on ~30% of water use
Fresh
water
R/R
Brackish
Large Operators: from 0% to 100% BK
depending on play and operator

10. 10
Bureau of Economic Geology
Flowback
at end of
Year1
Haynesville:
~15%
Eagle Ford:
~20%
Barnett:
~60%
Anadarko:
~100%
Midland:
~75%
Delaware:
~80%
Cotton Valley:
~60%
Based on ~30% of water use

11. 11
Bureau of Economic Geology
Monthly produced water percentiles –
Barnett Shale
Number of wells having
produced that many months
90th percentile
Median
5th percentile
Nicot et al., in review

12. 12
Bureau of Economic Geology
5th, 30th, 50th, 70th, and 90th monthly
produced water percentiles – Barnett Shale
Number of wells having
produced that many months
75th percentile
Median
30th percentile
Nicot et al., in review

13. 13
Bureau of Economic Geology
5th, 30th, 50th, 70th, and 90th cumulative
produced water percentiles – Barnett Shale
Number of wells having
produced that many months
90th percentile
Median
5th percentile
Nicot et al., in review

14. 14
Bureau of Economic Geology
5th, 30th, 50th, 70th, and 90th produced water
fraction (%) percentiles – Barnett Shale
Number of wells having
produced that many months
75th percentile
Median
30th percentile
Nicot et al., in review

15. 15
Bureau of Economic Geology
Produced water time variability
2011
2011
2010
2010
2009
2008
2009 2008
2007
2005
2006
2007
Nicot et al., in review

16. 16
Bureau of Economic Geology
County-level produced water fraction

17. 17
Bureau of Economic Geology
•1 month
•2 months
•3 months
•6 months
•1 year
•2 years
•3 years
County-level produced
water fraction from well
completion
Nicot et al., in review

18. 18
Bureau of Economic Geology
• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
Annual injection well
volumes through time
Nicot et al., in review

19. Houston
San Antonio
Eagle Pass+
Laredo+
C.C.
The Valley
Credit: NASA - NOAA
QUESTIONS?

20. 20
Bureau of Economic Geology
Source of data for publications?
2007
2011
2012