Outlining Water Storage Options for 

Fracturing Operations to Highlight 

Economic Options 

D. Steven Tipton, P.E. 

June 26,2013 

Mississippi Lime Production & Produced Water Congress 2013 

Oklahoma City, OK 
Water 

! Water, like religion and ideology, has the power 

to move millions of people. Since the very birth 

of human civilization, people have moved to 

settle close to it. People move when there is too 

little of it. People move when there is too much 

of it. People journey down it. People write, sing 

and dance about it. People fight over it. And all 

people, everywhere and every day, need it. 

 Mikhail Gorbachev 
Significance of Water to Our Business 

! More than ever, water is an integral part of 

the success of oil and gas operations in 

shale basins. So, think about this 

!No Water 

!No Fracturing 

!No Oil and Gas – Resource Plays 

3
! Water source • Subsurface aquifers • Rivers, lakes or ponds • Rural or urban water supplies • Gray Water • Acid Mine Drainage ! Water transport • Pipeline • Trucking ! Water storage • Frac Tanks (500 bbls) • Modular Tanks (up to 40,000 bbls) • Portadam (size as required) • Pits or ponds (100,000+ bbls) ! Water treatment and reuse • Biocides • Settling • Ecosphere • Electrocoagulation • Distillation • Crystallization ! Water disposal • Evaporation • Water disposal wells 

. 

Acquire 

Transport 

Stimulate Store 

Flowback 

Dispose/ 

Recycle 
Water Storage 
Why Is Water Storage Important? 

! Water is the base fluid and biggest component of any 

hydraulic fracturing operation 

! Water volumes required for typical completions range 

from 100,000 to 500,000 barrels per well 

! Water must be stored near the completion operation in 

sufficient quantities to finish a job at the desired pump 

rate 

! Water must be stored in a manner that is economically 

and environmentally sound 

! Water䇻s use and protection are emotionally charged 

subjects in many communities 
Storage Considerations

! Storage Capacity Required 

! Job Duration 

! Mobilization/Demobilization Time 

! Distance Between Job Sites 

! Move Frequency 

! Heating 

7
Storage Options

! Frac Tanks 

! Impoundments 

! Large Capacity Above Ground Moveable Tanks 

! Portadam 

! Portable Bladders 

8
Frac Tanks 

Capacity 

500 BBL 

400 BBL 

Transported by Truck 

Estimated Cost of Storage 

$0.06 to $0.09/BBL/day 

Number needed for a 

250,000 BBL slick water frac 

500 

9
Fresh Water Impoundment – Lined 

Size can vary 

Operational Requirements 

Terrain 

Cost to Construct 

$150,000 to $200,000 

Estimated Cost of Storage 

$0.0012 to $0.0016/BBL/d 

Number needed for a 

250,000 BBL slick water 

frac 

1 

10
Fresh Water Impoundment - Lined 

11
Recycled Water Impoundment - Lined 

Impoundments 

Designed by professional 

engineer 

Permitted by the state 

Size can vary 

Operational requirements 

Terrain 

This pit is 480,000 barrels 

Cost to Construct 

$500,000 including 

engineering, land, legal and 

construction 
Fresh Water Impoundment - Unlined 

Impoundments can be 

Naturally occurring 

Man made 

Size can vary 

Operational Requirements 

Terrain 

Cost to Construct 

$75,000 to $150,000 

Estimated Cost of Storage 

$0.0006 to $0.0012/BBL/d 

Number needed for a 

250,000 BBL slick water 

frac 

1 13
Fresh Water Impoundment - Unlined 

14
Large Capacity Above Ground Moveable Tanks 

Size Can Range by 

type and make of tank 

Bladder 

476 to 5952 BBL 

Rectangular 

2,200 to 20,000 BBL 

Circular 

4,500 to 42,000 BBL 

Portadam 

Determined by user 

15
Portable Bladders 

Capacity 

476 BBL 

5,952 BBL 

Transported by Truck 

Good for Low Volume 

Applications 

Estimated Cost of Storage 

$0.064/BBL/d 

Number needed for a 

250,000 BBL slick water 

frac 

42 

16
Rhinokore Tank 

17
Rhinokore Tank

! Portable Storage Tank Specifications 

• 20,000 BBL 

• 15,400 BBL 

• 12,000 BBL 

• 8,800 BBL 

• 7,000 BBL 

• 4,400 BBL 

• 2,200 BBL 

• Insulated with R20 or R40 walls and an optional R20 floating lid 

! Purchase or Lease Options 

! Estimated Cost of Storage 

• $0.083 to $0.089/BBL/d

! Number needed for a 250,000 BBL slick water frac 

• 13+ 

18
Goliath Tank – Storing Recycled Water 

19
Goliath Tank 

! Portable Storage Tank Specifications 

• 40,000 BBL – 153䇻 Diameter 

• 24,000 BBL – 119.5䇻 Diameter 

• 9,600 BBL – 76.7䇻 Diameter 

• Interlocking Panels 

• Tanks can be insulated 

• 36 mil liner with geomat for underlayment 

! Purchase or Lease Options 

! Estimated Cost of Storage 

• $0.064 to $0.080/BBL/d

! Number needed for a 250,000 BBL slick water frac 

• 6+ 

20
Mobile Aquatic Solutions (Matrix) 

21
Mobile Aquatic Solutions (Matrix) 

! Portable Storage Tank Specifications 

• 40,000 BBL – 160䇻 Diameter 

• 22,000 BBL – 110䇻 Diameter 

• 11,000 BBL – 85䇻 Diameter 

• Overlapping seams designed to exceed API 650 

• 30 ml fitted liner; no field welding 

• 16 oz. geotextile under liner with sand pad 

• 3 – stainless steel truck fill lines and 10䇻 stainless steel discharge line 

! Purchase or Lease Options 

! Estimated Cost of Storage 

• $0.0029 /BBL/d 

! Number needed for a 250,000 BBL slick water frac 

• 6+ 

22
Circular Tank Vendors 

! Poseidon Concepts 

! Mobile Aquatic Solutions (Matrix) 

! MWS (Rockwater) 

! Portadam 

! Select Energy Services 

! Complete Production Service 

! Dragon 
Portadam 

Size can vary 

Storage Required (Larger 

More Economical) 

Terrain 

Good for Long Term 

Application 

Estimated Cost of Storage 

$0.018 to $0.04/BBL/d 

Number needed for a 

250,000 BBL slick water 

frac 

1 or more depending on size 

24
Poly Pipe Cross Sections 

12䇿 SDR 11 HDPE 

8䇿 SDR 11 HDPE 
Granite Wash Example Completion (2 Well Pad) 

! Frac water requirement – 800,000 bbls 

! Closest recycle water pit – 300,000 bbls 

! Closest fresh water pit – 120,000 bbls 

! To move water to the right place at the right time 

required: 

• 14 transfer pumps 

• 16 miles of 8䇿 poly 

• 10 miles of 4䇿 poly 

• 2 miles of 10䇿 aluminum 
K Pad 800,000 bbl 

Primary Water Source 300,000 bbl 

Standby Water Source 120,000 bbl 

 4䇿 Poly Pipe 

 8䇿 Poly Pipe 

10䇿 Irrigation Pipe 

 8䇿 Poly Permanent Pipe 

Fresh Water Pits 

Recycle Water Pits 
Granite Wash Pumping Flow Back to Recycle Pits 
Granite Wash Load Recovery 

Flow Back 

! Capacity over 500 BPH 

! Replenish frac water supply 

Trucking 

! Monitor to determine break even 

with pumping 

! 11 to 12 trucks per day 
South Cana Water Handling Project 

30
Newfield Manages Its Water Storage To 

! Save money 

! Control its own destiny 

! Develop infrastructure for long term operations 

! Reduce the need to dispose of produced water 

! Potential to reduce transportation costs 

! Potential to share facilities with other operators 

! Maintain environmental responsibility 

! Improve social license 
Questions!?!?!