Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, 

LNG

December 2, 2014 1:00 AM

(http://www.post-gazette.com/image/2014/11/28/venture1-png.png)

Fairmont Brine's processing plant in Fairmont, W. Va., where the charge to take in a barrel of wastewater is, 

on average, $6. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 1 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
By Anya Litvak / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Brian Kalt’s big idea is to wedge a wastewater treatment plant in between the locations where shale 

producers drill in Pennsylvania and where they must truck their produced water hundreds of miles 

west to pump it into deep disposal wells in Ohio.

He envisions billboards saying something like, “If you were treating your water instead of forever 

taking it out of circulation, you’d already be at your destination.”

It will be the second wastewater treatment plant for Mr. Kalt, general manager at Fairmont Brine 

Processing, a company spun out of an opportunity that presented itself to North Shore-based Venture 

Engineering last year.

The firm has secured a 600-acre site in Wheeling, W.Va., for the new facility, which will be able to 

break down produced water from oil and gas wells into distilled water, salt, and other byproducts 

through a patented evaporation and crystallization process.

That’s what its current plant in Fairmont, W.Va., has been doing for the past year, albeit on a smaller 

scale than what is envisioned for Wheeling.

“The facility in the panhandle is special because you have to drive past it to go [to a] deep injection 

well,” Mr. Kalt said.

Not taking the exit means making a conscious choice do so something less environmentally 

responsible, he said.

While many companies can and do recycle their flowback water onsite, eventually the number of wells 

being drilled will decline while the water produced from existing wells will continue to increase. 

The volume of produced water — that is, wastewater that comes out of the well after the initial 

flowback period once the well is put into production — is expected to rise to almost 44 million barrels 

in 2018, according to Stephen Hughes, design engineering manager at Tetra Tech. Of that, about 7 

million barrels will not be recycled, twice as much as wasn’t recycled last year.

Hundreds of disposal wells and wastewater treatment facilities near the sweet spots of the shale plays 

will be needed to address this influx, he predicted.

Mr. Kalt sees regulations eventually catching up with that trend, perhaps limiting the amount of fresh 

water that can be used in fracking or, more likely, impeding the ramp up in injection wells that would 

be needed to handle the growing produced water wave. Economics will play a large part as well, he 

said, as injection well owners hike up prices and transportation costs escalate.

Fairmont charges on average about $6 to take in a barrel of wastewater. To its clients, it offers two 

types of water: distilled, which is free of bacteria and metals, and pretreated, which is filtered to strip 

out some solids.

“I would definitely want to use distilled water at the frack site,” Mr. Kalt said. “It has no bacteria, does 

not scale, and in addition we’re softening the water.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 2 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
That cuts down on the need for biocides, scale inhibitors and friction reducers — chemicals used in 

fracking fluids. But to date, Mr. Kalt isn’t aware of any of his clients who have actually tried to frack 

with distilled water and no chemicals.

Companies aren’t even as interested in the distilled water as in the dirtier stuff, Mr. Kalt said, in large 

part because they can haul the less-treated water back on the same trucks as they use to drop off the 

wastewater.

But with some movement in the West Virginia legislature to restrict freshwater use in fracking, he 

expects “by next year, our distilled water becomes a little bit more sought after.”

Right now, Fairmont doesn’t charge for the water it produces through its evaporation and 

crystallization process. “The real reason is we’re getting our name out there,” Mr. Kalt said.

Aside from water, Fairmont also produces salt, which it sells mostly to neighboring townships at a flat 

price of $45 per ton, and calcium chloride, a liquid heavier than water that is often used as a drilling 

fluid and to control pressure during fracking.

The plant has eight customers and processes about 5,000 barrels of wastewater a day.

“In some aspects, I kind of saw it as a commercial pilot plant,” said Dave Moniot, president and CEO 

of Venture Engineering and owner of Fairmont Brine.

Mr. Moniot, along with a group of private investors, bought the plant last year from AOP Clearwater, 

which opened it in 2008 but couldn’t make it work. Venture, which was brought in to evaluate the 

facility before it closed, recommended $10 million worth of upgrades to its infrastructure. When AOP 

walked away from the project, Mr. Moniot decided to give it a try and pulled the money together to 

take his own advice.

Venture Engineering is itself a relatively young firm, formed in 2008 when three former S/D Engineers 

employees decided to break out on their own after S/D was acquired by Siemens Power Corp. in 

2007.

The company has concentrated on the energy industry, serving landfill energy clients as well as oil 

and gas producers.

Fairmont Brine has some of the same owners and investors as Venture, but not all, Mr. Moniot said. 

The same is true for the wastewater plant planned for Wheeling and for TriState LNG, a new venture 

that’s a 50-50 partnership with Seattle-based Plum Energy, which builds and operates small-scale 

LNG plants and delivers their product to customers.

TriState plans to build an 80,000 gallon-a-day plant in Appalachia, likely on the same site as the 

Wheeling wastewater plant or maybe next to the current plant. 

Its model is to work through a marketing company that will then sell the fuel to oil and gas producers 

looking to substitute or supplement their use of diesel.

Mr. Moniot said he expects the LNG plant to be operational by Dec. 2015, but the company will start 

buying LNG elsewhere and supplying to customers as early as the first quarter of next year in order to 

secure the customer base by the time its own production rolls around.

“We call it feeding the market,” said Kirt Montague, Plum’s president and CEO. “A lot of these 

customers are anxious to start using LNG now.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 3 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
1 Comment

RSS (http://comments.us1.gigya.com/comments/rss/6285601/pg_powersource/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.post-gazette.com%

2Fpowersource%2Fcompanies-powersource%2F2014%2F12%2F02%2FEngineering-firm-ventures-into-wastewater-LNG%

2Fstories%2F201412020008%2F) | Subscribe

mkhunt mkhunt 83 days ago

0

In fact, Mr. Montague estimates there is several hundred thousand gallons of LNG demand already in 

the region.

Over the past few years, several companies have announced moves to convert their drilling rigs and 

frack trucks to be able to run on natural gas and large industrial manufacturers of such equipment are 

starting to offer new designs amenable to LNG.

The LNG plant recently secured an off-take agreement for its fuel, Mr. Kalt said, but the yet-to-be 

constructed wastewater treatment plant is still waiting for commitments from clients to begin 

construction.

While Mr. Kalt has a “built it and they will come” mentality, Mr. Moniot is waiting for signatures.

Nevertheless, both are expected to start operations late next year. Their combined capital cost is 

projected to be around $100 million.

Anya Litvak: alitvak@post-gazette.com (mailto:alitvak@post-gazette.com) or 412-263-1455.

Get unlimited digital access - web, mobile, tablet, apps and more. (https://my.postgazette.com/purchase)

Join the conversation:

Commenting policy (http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/2008/07/31/Guide-tocommenting/stories/200807310458) | How to report abuse

Post a new comment

Sadly, variety of contaminants makes purifying the water an extremely complex undertaking. Anyone who 

has smelled the volatile odors will understand. At this time the testing of air and water in West Virginia is in a 

state of scandal...falsification of samples and testing has been proven in court. The only environmental 

decision anyone could make would be to ban frack drilling, period.

()

Login

Post

Reply

ADVERTISEMENT

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 4 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
Commenting policy (http://www.post-gazette.com/frontpage/2008/07/31/Guide-tocommenting/stories/200807310458) | How to report abuse

Yes, every day

Yes, occasionally

No, never

What do you think?

Do you drink soda?

Most Read

1. More sand goes into shale wells, and more 

comes out (/powersource/companiespowersource/2015/02/22/More-sand-goesinto-shale-wells-and-more-comesout/stories/201502220074)

2. Seasonal rise in gas prices expected to 

continue through March

(/business/2015/02/23/Seasonal-rise-ingas-prices-expected-to-continue-throughMarch/stories/201502230124)

3. Miner dies in Indiana County mining 

accident (/local/region/2015/02/20/Minerdies-in-accident-at-Heilwood-Mine-inIndiana-County/stories/201502200324)

4. Fuel-hauling trains could derail at 10-peryear pace (/powersource/companiespowersource/2015/02/23/Fed-predicts-upÃá

ADVERTISEMENT

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 5 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
to-10-derailments-a-year-of-trains-haulingcrude-oil-or-ethanol/stories/201502230092)

5. With expected Keystone veto, Obama to 

open new era of presidency

(/powersource/policypowersource/2015/02/23/With-expectedKeystone-veto-Obama-to-open-new-era-ofpresidency/stories/201502230088)

6. Some W.Va. residents allowed to return 

home after Monday's derailment

(/local/region/2015/02/19/Some-W-Varesidents-allowed-to-return-home-aftertrain-derailment/stories/201502190259)

Companies

Fuel-hauling trains could derail at 10-per-year pace (/powersource/companiespowersource/2015/02/23/Fed-predicts-up-to-10-derailments-a-year-of-trains-hauling-crude-oil-orethanol/stories/201502230092)

about 13 hours ago 

More sand goes into shale wells, and more comes out (/powersource/companiespowersource/2015/02/22/More-sand-goes-into-shale-wells-and-more-comesout/stories/201502220074)

1 day ago 

Some W.Va. residents allowed to return home after Monday's derailment

(/local/region/2015/02/19/Some-W-Va-residents-allowed-to-return-home-after-trainderailment/stories/201502190259)

3 days ago 

FirstEnergy looks to switch the topic from power plants (/powersource/companiespowersource/2015/02/19/FirstEnergy-looks-to-switch-the-topic-from-powerplants/stories/201502190090)

4 days ago 

Natural gas production climbed 66 percent in 2014 for Rex Energy (/powersource/companiespowersource/2015/02/18/Natural-gas-production-climbed-66-percent-in-2014-for-RexADVERTISEMENT

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 6 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

Energy/stories/201502180244)

4 days ago 

Oil tankers in fiery West Virginia crash were built with new safety features

(/local/region/2015/02/17/Derailed-CSX-train-in-West-Virginia-hauled-newer-model-tank-carsoil/stories/201502170171)

6 days ago 

ADVERTISEMENT

HOME (http://www.post-gazette.com)

NEWS (http://www.post-gazette.com/news/)

LOCAL (http://www.post-gazette.com/local/)

SPORTS (http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/)

OPINION (http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/)

A & E (http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/)

LIFE (http://www.post-gazette.com/life/)

BUSINESS (http://www.post-gazette.com/business/)

VIDEO (http://www.post-gazette.com/video/)

PHOTO (http://www.post-gazette.com/photo/)

CLASSIFIEDS (http://classified.post-gazette.com)

JOBS (http://www.post-gazette.com/jobs/)

CIRCULARS (http://www.post-gazette.com/circulars)

CARS (http://www.carsoup.com)

REAL ESTATE (http://www.post-gazette.com/realestate)

PG STORE (http://store.post-gazette.com)

WEDDINGS (http://weddings.post-gazette.com/bridal/)

Contact Us (http://www.post-gazette.com/contact/)

Site Map (http://www.post-gazette.com/sitemap)

Media Kit (http://pgmediakit.com/)

34 Allies (http://34allies.com/)

About Us (http://www.post-gazette.com/about)

 RSS Feeds (http://www.post-gazette.com/rssfeeds)

Corrections (http://www.post-gazette.com/corrections.asp)

Technical Help? (http://www.post-gazette.com/help/)

Products & Services (http://www.post-gazette.com/products/)

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 7 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015
ADVERTISEMENT

Terms of Use (http://www.post-gazette.com/termsofuse/)

Privacy Policy (http://www.post-gazette.com/privacypolicy/)

PG Sites:

Sports Blogs (http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/)

PowerSource (http://powersource.post-gazette.com/)

Staff Blogs (http://blogs.post-gazette.com/)

Community Voices (http://communityvoices.post-gazette.com/)

Early Returns (http://earlyreturns.post-gazette.com/)

Sportstown (http://sportstown.post-gazette.com/)

Pittsburgh Mom (http://www.pittsburghmom.com/)

The Digs (http://pgdigs.tumblr.com/)

Special Projects (http://projects.post-gazette.com/)

PG Plate (http://www.pgplate.com/)

Social Media:

Twitter:

News (http://twitter.com/pittsburghpg/)

Customer Care (http://twitter.com/PG_AudienceHelp/)

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pittsburghpostgazette)

Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/pittsburghpg)

Google+ (https://plus.google.com/113247033528605925381/posts)

 (http://pgprojects.uservoice.com)

Print:

Home Delivery (http://www.post-gazette.com/pgdelivery/homedelivery.asp)

Rates (http://www.post-gazette.com/pgdelivery/rates.asp)

Back Copies (http://www.post-gazette.com/pgdelivery/backcopies.asp)

Newsstand (http://www.post-gazette.com/pgdelivery/singlecopylocations.asp)

Electronic:

PGe (http://pge.post-gazette.com)

Press (http://press.post-gazette.com)

Engineering firm ventures into wastewater, LNG Page 8 of 8

http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2014/12/02/En... 2/23/2015