# Produced Fluid Generation And Injection Well Disposal Considerations

Shale Gas Water Management Initiative March 27, 2013

Pittsburgh, PA

Presented by David Yoxtheimer , P.G.

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# Shale Development Water Use

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# Flowback Water Management Options

Flowback management options ! Direct reuse (blending) ! On-site treatment w/reuse ! Off-site treatment w/reuse ! UIC well disposal

Treatment technologies include ! Chemical precipitation ! Electrocoagulation ! Evaporation (MVR) ! Filtration
During 2012 in PA ~87% of shale gas flowback and produced water was recycled and ~13% disposed of via injection wells

# 2012 Marcellus: By the Numbers

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# US Underground Injection Wells

• ~151,000 Class II UIC wells in US

• 80% are Class II-R wells for enhanced recovery

• 20% are Class II-D wells for disposal

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# EPA UIC Well Permitting Requirements

• UIC Wells are regulated under the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act and require the following:

- Defining Area of Review/Zone of Endangering Influence

- Injection well construction

- Injectivity testing

- Well operation (maximum injection pressure rates)

- Mechanical integrity testing

- Plugging and abandonment

- Financial Responsibility

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# Injectivity Testing Requirements

• Letter of Authorization from EPA

• Short term testing (no more than 30 days)

• Volume limitation imposed

• Maximum injection pressure limitation imposed

• Well must be protective of USDWs

• Continuous monitoring required

• PADEP regional offices notified

# Class II-D Wells In Pennsylvania

• USEPA has primacy for UIC program

• 5 operating Class II-D UIC wells in PA with ~86,460 BPM capacity with little Marcellus fluids injected

• 2 wells with contested permits (30K BPM)

• 3 draft permits issued with others in the permitting process

• Most wells targeting the Oriskany sandstone, Medina Whirlpool sandstone, deeper carbonates or shallower sandstones via depleted gas wells

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# Class II-D UIC Wells in Ohio

• 181 Class II-D wells in OH

• OHDNR has primacy on the UIC program

• Injected ~14 MM BBLs in 2012

• Average injection rate of 184 BBLs/D (7,728 GPD or 5.3 GPM)

• New well siting and testing regulations in place to avoid induced seismicity

## Ohio UIC Disposal Well Regulation Updates

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# West Virginia Disposal Wells

• WVDEP has primacy for UIC program

• Currently about 70 wells, 13 commercial Class II-D wells

• Target formations include:

– Oriskany
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– Newburg,

– Upper Devonian (Gordon, Gantz )

– Mississippian units

# Fluid injection can increase seismic activity

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# Shear Stress

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# Cases of Induced Seismicity in US

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# Projections of UIC Well Use

• Every 1 MMCF of Marcellus gas in PA generates approximately 8 BBLs of produced water

• Approximately 3.6 MMBBLs of Marcellus produced water generated in 2012 was disposed in UIC wells

• 1.1 BBLs of produced water is disposed of via injection wells for every 1 MMCF of Marcellus gas produced

• 95.5% of the disposed produced fluids from PA currently are injected into Ohio’s UIC wells

• Within a decade, produced fluid requiring disposal is projected to be 3.3 MMBBLs, a 65% increase over current volumes.

• In 30 years this volume grows to nearly 8 MMBBLs, a 4- fold increase.

# Projected Increase in Marcellus Produced Fluids Disposal via UIC Wells

# Conclusions

• Additional disposal well capacity will be necessary to handle this waste stream if current practices continue

• Innovative waste management practices will need to be developed to offset the use of UIC wells (crystallizers, beneficial reuse?)

• Suitable disposal capacity could be a limiting factor in Marcellus/Utica shale development at some point in the future as reuse demands decrease

• Induced seismicity can be an issue, but a thorough geologic understanding and new regulations can minimize this risk

## Questions??

Thank you!!

David Yoxtheimer, P.G.
Extension Associate PSU MCOR 320 EES Building University Park, PA 16802 814-865-1587 (office) day122@psu.edu www.marcellus.psu.edu 

# The End