MASTER Module 4b

Bill Pike, LTI/NETL

Current NETL Water Management R&D Efforts 

Drilling Engineering Association Quarterly Forum
‹#› 

Outline

• Introduction to NETL

• Shale/Water Issues Overview

• Updates on Selected Research Projects
‹#› 

MISSION

Advancing energy options

to fuel our economy,

strengthen our security, and

improve our environment

National Energy Technology Laboratory

Pittsburgh, PA

Morgantown,

WV

Albany,

OR

Fairbanks, AK

Sugar Land,

TX

Oregon Pennsylvania West Virginia

R. Boyle, 04/26/2010
‹#› 

Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil

Advancing Technologies Supporting Development of Domestic 

Unconventional Resources

Tens of billions of 

barrels of residual oil 

recoverable via CO2

enhanced oil recovery 

in mature fields in 

22 states

Potentially thousands 

of trillion cubic feet of 

natural gas from 

methane hydrate in 

Alaska and the 

Gulf of Mexico

Hundreds of trillion 

cubic feet of natural 

gas in shales and 

tight gas sands 

across the country

Shales photo courtesy of Statoil
‹#› 

Fundamental

Research

Feasibility

Studies

Prototype

Development

Field

Demonstration Commercialization

Technology Timeline

 Extreme Drilling

 Unconventional Oil and EOR

 Environmental

 Resource Assessment

 Tech Transfer

Section 999

Complementary Program Section 999

Consortium Program

 Ultra-deepwater

 Unconventional Res.

 Small Producer

Appropriated Program

 Unconventional Fossil Energy Resources

 Environmental Impacts (Gas)

 Methane Hydrates

SCNGO

Integration

NETL-SCNGO Oil and Gas R&D Program

CDPs SBIRs

Traditional

Program
‹#› 

Shale Gas/Water Issues

 Supply

Surface and subsurface options vary from play to play

 Reuse of fracture flowback becoming more common in 

some plays

 Management/Handling

Solutions have evolved to meet play-specific challenges 

ranging from topography to geochemistry

 Mix of economic and regulatory drivers

 Treatment/Disposal

Options vary from play to play

Subsurface disposal often remains least expensive option

Treatment and reuse becoming more effective choice in 

some plays for economic, logistical, and PR reasons
‹#› 

Marcellus (PA, WV)

 Source

 Ample supply of surface water

 Operators have developed systems of impoundments fed by ponds 

connected by network of piping to supply well pads

 Drilling use 80,000 gal water/well (nearly all recycled); fracturing use 

4-5 million gal/well 

 Industry has reported >85% of frac flow back being recycled

 Disposal 

 Frac flowback volume low (~12 to 25% over 30 days)

 PA geology unfavorable to deep well injection

 Truck to Ohio or WV for injection or to PA brine treatment plants 

operating under discharge limits

 Current mix of dilution, reuse, and disposal seems to 

be working
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Flowback Water Composition

Oklahoma City Geologic Society 

10/20/2010 2

Flowback Water Sources for Recycling are Variable

Sample #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11

Specific Gravity 1.026 1.036 1.019 1.012 1.07 1.1 1.17 1.105 1.066 1.02

pH 7.92 7.51 7.91 6.61 6.72 6.68 6.05 7.11 7.04 6.83

Bicarbonate 1,010 717 1,190 259 183 193 76 366 366 839 94

Chloride 19,400 29,400 10,000 6,290 59,700 87,700 153,000 96,400 58,300 11,500 19,730

Sulfate 34 0 88 67 0 0 0 670 479 0 3,100

Calcium 630 1,058 294 476 7,283 10,210 20,100 4,131 2,573 282 451

Magnesium 199 265 145 49.6 599 840 1690 544 344 40.7 1,330

Barium 49.4 94.8 6.42 6.24 278 213 657 1.06 5.1 97.4

Strontium 107 179 44.7 74.3 2,087 2,353 5,049 178 112 45.3

Total Iron 4.73 25.7 8.03 14 27.4 2.89 67.6 26.4 33.8 63.4 0

Aluminum 0.17 0.21 0.91 0.38 0.18 0 0.1 0.17 0.78 1.12

Silica 33.8 40.7 33.2

Boron 28.2 27.1 26.7 8.82 45.1 73.1 80.4 94.5 65.7 4.79 4.5

Potassium 192 273 78.7 85.8 977 1,559 2,273 2,232 1,439 135

Sodium 10,960 16,450 5,985 3,261 26,780 39,990 61,400 54,960 32,600 7,048 11,307

TDS 33,300 49,300 18,200 10,800 98,600 144,000 252,000 160,000 97,700 20,200 36,092

TSS 57 246 50 30 10 12 32 120 13,762 1,004

TOC 89 64 133 180 218 70 143 266 235 344

fbw fbw pw pw pw fbw

Woodford Marcellus

Piceance Bakken

GOM

Sea water

2

Source: Halliburton Presentation to OCC – March 2010

Source: Halliburton presentation to OCC, March 2010
‹#› 

Treatment Plants and Disposal Wells in 

Marcellus Play
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Future Need for Water Treatment Options

 Currently PA producing ~650,000+ barrels per month 

of water requiring treatment and/or disposal

 At expected rates of development, this volume will 

grow as wells are brought online and volume of high 

TDS produced water (not flowback water) increases

Estimated minimum of 200% increase in four years

Estimated maximum of 3600% increase in ten years

 Mix of treatment and disposal well options will be 

required to match individual economic/operating 

situations

 Disposal via municipal water treatment plants may 

not be an option
‹#› 

TDS Removal: Applicability vs. Cost

Source: Kimball, R., 2010, CDM presentation at U.S.-China Oil and gas Forum 
‹#› 

Current Water Treatment R&D Project Focus

Crystallization Solids 

Removal

Settling

Filtration

Flotation 

Hydroclone

Oil & Grease 

Removal

Settling

Hydroclone

Flotation

Extraction

Adsorption

Oxidation

Soluble Organics 

Removal

Bioprocesses

Divalent Cation

Removal

Ion Exchange

Precipitation

Nanofiltration

Salinity 

Removal

Thermal Distillation

Reverse Osmosis

Membrane Distillation

Altela

GE Global Research – SCNGO

Texas A&M

GE Global Research - RPSEA

WVU/FilterSure
‹#› 

 Objective: Demonstrate that the patented AltelaRain technology can 

be successfully deployed in a cost-effective manner to treat Marcellus 

Shale produced and flowback water, and that it can operate within state 

and federal regulatory requirements.

Integrated Water Treatment Technology for Sustainable 

Water Resource Management in the Marcellus Shale

Altela, Inc

 Timing: Oct. 2009 – Apr. 2011

DE-FE0000833 
‹#› 

 Accomplishments:

 Determined AltelaRain® technology meets PA regulatory requirements

 AltelaRain® 4000 water desalination system tested at well site in Indiana 

Co., Pa. During nine months of continuous operation, unit successfully 

converted 77% of each barrel treated to pure distilled water.

 Avg. cost per barrel was ~20% lower than conventional disposal cost and 

wastewater truck traffic was significantly reduced. Distilled water 

produced at the site suitable for fracturing or discharge to surface.

 Based on DOE demo project results, Altela redesigned system. Four 

AltelaRain® 600 modules have been sold and installed in Williamsport, 

Pa. to treat approximately 100,000 gpd of produced and flowback water.

Integrated Water Treatment Technology for Sustainable 

Water Resource Management in the Marcellus Shale

Altela, Inc

DE-FE0000833 
‹#› 

 Objective: Design a low-cost, mobile process to treat the low- total 

dissolved solids (TDS) portion of the flowback water from hydraulic 

fracturing operations in order to reduce the cost of shale gas 

production. 

Cost Effective Recovery of Low-TDS 

Flowback Water for Re-use

GE Global Research

 Timing: 

Oct. 2009 – Mar. 2011

DE-FE0000784
‹#› 

Cost Effective Recovery of Low-TDS 

Flowback Water for Re-use

GE Global Research

DE-FE0000784

 Accomplishments:

 Developed parametric tool to evaluate economics of any flowback water 

recovery process relative to conventional disposal for four products:

o Clarification (particulates, free oil/grease, iron, and biota removed)

o Clarification plus softening (removal of Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg)

o Above, plus desalination to < 20,000 ppm from 40,000 ppm TDS

o Above, plus desalination to < 500 ppm

 Determined applicability of low TDS approach for each shale play:

o Fayetteville & Woodford, ~100%, flowback generally <40,000 ppm

o Barnett, by selectively directing the flowback during first 5 days of 

operation, ~30-40% of the flowback may qualify as low-TDS

o Marcellus, <10% of flowback amenable to low-TDS recovery. 

However, 20-40% of flowback may qualify as low-TDS at certain 

locations with isolation of flowback during first 3~5 days.
‹#› 

Cost Effective Recovery of Low-TDS 

Flowback Water for Re-use

GE Global Research

DE-FE0000784

 Accomplishments (continued):

 Conducted bench-scale evaluations of various mechanical, chemical, and 

membrane treatment options and identified process technologies and 

operating conditions needed to reach output water specifications

 Successfully removed inorganic compounds that could physically 

precipitate inside membrane modules and contaminants that could foul 

membrane surfaces 

 Based upon bench-scale experimental data, developed detailed 

conceptual flowsheets for treatment processes for each of the four output 

products and evaluated each process for technical performance, costs, 

and mobility for a 50-gpm flowback feed, mobile system.

 Developed system performance and cost models for commercial 

feasibility determination.
‹#› 

 Objective: Develop process to treat frac flowback water, using a 

wastewater pretreatment process that removes undesirable salts and 

metals and results in 1) reusable water and 2) salt product that meets 

road salt specifications.

Pretreatment and Water Management for Frac Water

Reuse and Salt Production

GE Global Research 

RPSEA 08122-36

Frac water recycle and salt recovery process flow diagram

 Project Period: 

Aug. 17, 2009 –

Aug 16, 2011
‹#› 

Pretreatment and Water Management for Frac Water

Reuse and Salt Production

GE Global Research 

RPSEA 08122-36

 Accomplishments:

 Defined frac water composition and flow rate specifications for fixed and 

mobile treatment systems.

 Ruled out ion exchange as softening technique for high-hardness frac 

water based on required regeneration chemicals and rinse water

 Developed Aspen/OLI model for chemical treatment of frac water. 

Calculated material balances for lime softening and sulfate precipitation

 Defined feed composition range for stationary frac water treatment plant 

operating in Northeast Pennsylvania

 Identified NORM and TENORM disposal options and costs (ongoing)

 Simulated thermal brine concentrator and crystallizer performance and 

demonstrated foaming issue with Marcellus frac water evaporation
‹#› 

Pretreatment and Water Management for Frac Water

Reuse and Salt Production

GE Global Research 

RPSEA 08122-36

 Accomplishments (continued):

 Demonstrated effectiveness of sulfate precipitation for NORM removal 

from frac water and established costs.

 Measured effectiveness of radium removal from frac water using RSC 

(Radium Specific Complexer) resin. Demonstrated sensitivity of resin 

capacity to barium concentration and evaluated cost of radium removal by 

sulfate precipitation vs. ion exchange using resin.

 Screened and tested adsorbents for radium removal and compared 

performance to RSC resin

 Demonstrating that ion exchange is not cost-effective to soften high 

hardness frac water

 Initiated cost analysis for pretreatment by nanofiltration and chemical 

treatment (underway)
‹#› 

Pilot Test of Pretreatment Options to Allow Re-Use of Frac 

Flowback and Produced Brine for Gas Shale Development

Texas A&M University

 Timing: Oct. 2009 – Sept. 2011

 Objective: Identify a reliable and cost-effective pre-treatment 

methodology for use in processes employed to treat and re-use 

field-produced brine and fracture flowback waters. Demonstrate 

technology in field operations using a trailer-mounted unit that will 

remove constituents in high salinity flowback water.

DE-FE0000847 
‹#› 

Pilot Test of Pretreatment Options to Allow Re-Use of Frac 

Flowback and Produced Brine for Gas Shale Development

Texas A&M University

DE-FE0000847 

 Accomplishments:

 Identified pretreatment technologies and validated performance of the 

pre-filtration process train (cost, efficiency, product water quality)

 Developed a “chemicals free” methodology for removing contaminants 

from highly saline oil field produced brine

 Developed a preliminary engineering model to project capital and 

operating costs

 Constructed and tested a mobile field laboratory outfitted with each of the 

process train components

 Carried out field site assessments and identified most promising types of 

technology for pretreating hypersaline brine

 Shakedown test: Cerrito Prieto Ranch, Webb Co. Texas, (Eagle Ford)
‹#› 

 Objective: Develop and demonstrate a process for treating hydraulic 

fracturing water returns from Marcellus wells that will allow an increased 

recycle rate while decreasing makeup water and disposal requirements.

Zero Discharge Water Management for Shale Development

West Virginia Water Research Institute , WVU, ShipShaper LLC, FilterSure, Inc.

 Timing: Oct. 2009 – May 2012

DE-FE0001466 

– Test mobile, on site treatment options

– Evaluate volumes, chemistries and disposal options for byproducts

– As filtration is optimized, employ laboratory studies to evaluate filter 

systems and electocoagulation at bench scale

– Test with “real” frac water at the scale of 2 to 6 gpm

– Field test mobile systems upscaled to 150 gpm
‹#› 

WVU/Filtersure Prototype Performance

2GPM Filter Unit

DE-FE0001466 

2 GPM Filter Unit

Measured 

Water 

Chemistry

Actual Frac 

Return Water 

(mg/L)

2GPM prototype 

Mobile Treatment 

Unit (mg/L)

% 

Reduction

TDS 112,000 81,400 27

SO4 414 101 76

Cl 65,000 51,000 22

Na 32,800 19,500 41

Ca 10,600 7,830 26

Mg 1,200 786 35

Fe 16 8 50

Ba 201 93 54

Sr 1,340 1,090 19
‹#› 

WVU/Filtersure Prototype Testing

Planned Laboratory Test

DE-FE0001466 

• Conduct laboratory scale tests at WVU’s NRCCE Facility using 6 

GPM Process Development Unit (PDU)

o Flow 20 BBL of actual frac return water at a rate of 6 GPM

o Samples taken Pre-test, During Test and Post test in timed intervals

o Water samples collected at defined time intervals throughout test cycle for 

TSS, PSD, and chemical analysis

o Pressure, and effluent conductivity and turbidity measured during testing

o Media samples collected at different depths and analyzed post- test

o Solids will be flushed and analyzed

o Effluent samples will be analyzed for TSS, TDS, PSD, metals, chlorides, 

conductivity and turbidity

• Final results will be used to optimize filter media, establish 

backwash frequency and establish new baseline chemistry.
‹#› 

 Two Filter Units running in parallel to treat 5,000 bbl/day (Rate 150GPM)

 Media selected to reject greater than 20 micron sized solids

 Focus on Sulfate reduction – current test show 76% reduction in SO4

Mobile Treatment Unit Constructed for Planned Field Test

Planned Field Test

DE-FE0001466 
‹#› 

Summary

• Water supply, management, treatment and disposal 

issues vary depending on location

• Operators are treating water prior to reuse in ways that 

meet their individual needs

• Volumes of high TDS produced water in the Marcellus 

play will continue to grow despite efforts to reuse fracture 

flowback water

• A robust range of water treatment and disposal options 

will help to accelerate and optimize development of the 

natural gas resource

• DOE investment in R&D supports the development of new 

technologies
‹#› 

SCNGO Water-Energy Research

• Large fracture stimulations for shale plays

• Growth in demand for power generation

• Potential long-term demand from oil shale

• Shale hydraulic fracture flowback

• Mature oil fields with high water cuts

• Increased drilling & fracturing activity

Demand

Growth

Increased

Output

Tighter

Constraints

• Increased competition for water supply

• Tighter regulations for disposal

• Opposition to treatment and disposal

Challenges

• Effective treatment 

technologies

• Low-volume fracturing 

technologies

• Produced water volume 

reduction technologies

• Demand-reducing 

processes

• Science-based 

regulations
‹#› 

NETL Shale Research Portfolio

Produced Water and Fracture 

Flowback Water Treatment

Water Resources Mgmt.

Environmental Impact 

Mitigation and Decision-making

Productivity improvement and 

Recovery Optimization

Reservoir/Resource 

Characterization

Current 

Projects

10

4

2

12

9