Oil & Natural Gas Technology

DOE Award No.: FWP 49462

Water Management Practices Used by 

Fayetteville Shale Gas Producers

Submitted by:

John A. Veil

Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne, IL

Prepared for:

United States Department of Energy

National Energy Technology Laboratory

June 2011

Office of Fossil Energy
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Water Management Practices 

Used by Fayetteville Shale Gas Producers

ANL/EVS/R-11/5

prepared for

U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy, 

National Energy Technology Laboratory 

prepared by

J.A. Veil

Environmental Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

June 2011
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 1

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Shale Gas

Natural gas is an important energy source for the United States. Shale formations represent a 

growing source of natural gas for the nation and are among the busiest oil and gas plays in the 

country. As an indication of their importance, in less than one year’s time, the U.S. Department 

of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Information Administration (EIA) dramatically increased its 

estimate of the proportion of future domestic gas production that is likely to come from shale 

formations.

Figure 1 shows a May 2010 EIA projection of the source of natural gas supplies through 2035.

Shale gas supplies were anticipated to play an increasingly important role, increasing from 10% 

in 2009 to about 24% in 2035.

Figure 1 – U.S. Natural Gas Supply by Source – Projection Released May 2010

Source: DOE/EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2010 (EIA 2010a). Note that Tcf refers to trillion cubic feet. 

In contrast, Figure 2 shows an accelerated growth of shale gas over a similar period of time. The 

new EIA projections released in December 2010 now show that shale gas will increase from 

14% of the national supply in 2009 to 45% in 2035.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Tcf/year

Alaska

Gas Shale

Coalbed 

Methane

Conventional 

Onshore

Offshore

Gas Associated 

with Crude Oil

Net Imports
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 2

Figure 2 – U.S. Natural Gas Supply by Source – Projection Released December 2010

Source: DOE/EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2011 – Early Release Overview (EIA 2010b).

Shale Gas Resources in the United States

Important shale gas formations are found in many parts of the United States, as shown on the 

map in Figure 3. Much of the early rapid growth in shale gas production took place in the Barnett 

Shale formation near Fort Worth, Texas. As the technology evolved, operators began to explore

other large shale formations in other parts of the country. The most active gas shales to date are 

the Barnett Shale, the Fayetteville Shale, the Antrim Shale, the Haynesville Shale, the Marcellus 

Shale, and the Woodford Shale. The Eagle Ford Shale, in southern Texas, has received a great 

deal of attention in the past year. Depending on the geographical location within the Eagle Ford 

Shale, a well may produce natural gas, natural gas liquids, or crude oil. A 2009 Shale Gas 

Primer, sponsored by DOE, includes a chart showing the gas production from several major 

shale gas formations (GWPC and ALL 2009 – see page 10).

DOE/NETL Research Program

DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) administers an Environmental Program 

that aims to find solutions to environmental concerns by focusing on the following program 

elements:

1. Produced water and fracture flowback water management, particularly in gas shale 

development areas,

2. Water resource management in oil and gas basins,
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 3

3. Air quality issues associated with oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) 

activities,

4. Surface impact issues associated with E&P activities,

5. Water resource management in Arctic oil and gas development areas,

6. Decision-making tools that help operators balance resource development and 

environmental protection, and

7. Online information and data exchange systems that support regulatory streamlining.

Figure 3 – U.S. Shale Gas Plays

Source: Provided by staff from DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy.

There are currently 27 extramural projects in the Environmental Program, with a total value 

of roughly $32 million (not including participant cost-share). Approximately $10 million of 

this total is directed toward projects led by industry, $9 million to projects led by universities, 

$11 million to state agencies and national non-profit organizations, and $2 million to national 

laboratories for technical support to other project partners. The project portfolio is balanced 

between projects focused on technology development, data gathering, and development of 

data management software and decision support tools.

Some of these projects are referenced in this report. Program and individual project information 

can be found at the following NETL links:
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 4

Technology Solutions for Mitigating Environmental Impacts of Oil and Gas E&P 

Activity http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/factsheets/program/Prog101.pdf

Natural Gas and Petroleum Projects, Environmental Solutions, Produced Water 

Management 

http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/Projects/ENV_TOC.html#Produced

Purpose of Report

Water issues continue to play an important role in producing natural gas from shale formations. 

This report examines water issues relating to shale gas production in the Fayetteville Shale. In 

particular, the report focuses on how gas producers obtain water supplies used for drilling and 

hydraulically fracturing wells, how that water is transported to the well sites and stored, and how 

the wastewater from the wells (flowback and produced water) is managed.

Last year, Argonne National Laboratory made a similar evaluation of water issues in the 

Marcellus Shale (Veil 2010). Gas production in the Marcellus Shale involves at least three states, 

many oil and gas operators, and multiple wastewater management options. Consequently, Veil 

(2010) provided extensive information on water. This current study is less complicated for 

several reasons. 

Gas production in the Fayetteville Shale is somewhat more mature and stable than 

production in the Marcellus Shale.

The Fayetteville Shale underlies a single state (Arkansas).

There are only a few gas producers that operate the large majority of the wells in the 

Fayetteville Shale.

Much of the water management information relating to the Marcellus Shale also applies 

to the Fayetteville Shale. Therefore, it can be referenced from Veil (2010) rather than 

being recreated here.

The author has previously published a report on the Fayetteville Shale (Veil 2007) and 

has helped to develop an informational website on the Fayetteville Shale (Argonne and 

University of Arkansas 2008). Both of these sources, which are relevant to the subject of 

this report, are cited as references.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 5

Chapter 2 – The Fayetteville Shale

The Fayetteville Shale is an unconventional natural gas reservoir located on the Arkansas side of 

the Arkoma Basin. The formation ranges in thickness from 50 to 550 feet and in depth from 

1,500 to 6,500 feet. The shale is a Mississippian-age shale that is the geologic equivalent of the 

Caney Shale found on the Oklahoma side of the Arkoma Basin and the Barnett Shale found in 

north Texas (Argonne and University of Arkansas 2008).

Location

The Fayetteville Shale play stretches across Arkansas from approximately Fort Smith east to 

beyond Little Rock, Arkansas. It is approximately 50 miles wide from north to south. Figure 4 

shows those counties that have some gas wells drilled to the Fayetteville Shale formation.

According to the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, although wells were drilled in Woodruff, 

Prairie, Phillips, and Lee counties, no production was attributed to any of those counties

(Gates 2011).

Figure 4 – Map of Arkansas Showing the Counties with Fayetteville Shale Wells

Source: Map taken from Argonne and University of Arkansas (2008); updated using data from Arkansas 

Geology Survey (2010).
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 6

The most active area of natural gas development is from western Conway County through 

eastern White County. Due to the less than favorable geological conditions, development further 

to the east is not anticipated to proceed in the near future (Gates 2011).

Well Activity

The website of the Arkansas Geological Survey includes a spreadsheet of Fayetteville Shale well 

information (Arkansas Geological Survey 2010). The number of completed Fayetteville Shale 

wells per year (from that spreadsheet) is displayed in Table 1. The data show a steady increase 

through 2009, then a slight drop for 2010.

Table 1 – Fayetteville Shale Wells Completed per Year

Year No. Fayetteville Shale Wells Completed

Pre-2004 2

2004 14

2005 46

2006 132

2007 456

2008 730

2009 892

2010 745

Total 3,017

Source: Arkansas Geological Survey (2010).

Table 2 offers another way of looking at the well data. It shows the total number of wells 

(including both active and inactive wells) and the number of active wells by operator. Only five 

operators have more than 50 wells under their control. In December 2010, Petrohawk announced 

that it was selling its Fayetteville Shale wells to XTO. Following completion of that transaction, 

only four operators will have a significant number of wells in the Fayetteville Shale.

The total number of wells in Table 1 differs from the total in Table 2. The Arkansas Geological 

Survey (2010) does not include a well completion date for all the wells listed; therefore, the total 

in Table 1 is lower than the total of the Total Wells column in Table 2. The total of the Active 

Wells column in Table 2 is lower than either of the other columns because not all of the 

completed or permitted wells are currently active.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 7

Table 2 – Number of Wells in Fayetteville Shale as of December 2010

Operator

Total 

Wells Active Wells

Southwestern (SEECO) 2,198 1,681

Chesapeake 911 668

XTO 357 214

OneTec 114 107

Petrohawk 89 72

All others combined 152 76

Total 3,821 2,818

Source: Arkansas Geological Survey (2010).

Figure 5 shows the locations of producing Fayetteville Shale wells as of June 2010 from the top 

five operators (White 2010). Most of those wells are located in five counties (Cleburne, Conway, 

Faulkner, Van Buren, and White).

Figure 5 – Producing Wells from the Top Five Operators as of June 2010

Source: White (2010).

Fayetteville Shale Statistics

The Director of the Arkansas Geological Survey, Bekki White, made a presentation to an 

Environmentally Friendly Drilling program workshop in November 2010. Her presentation 

included various statistics about natural gas activities in the Fayetteville Shale (White 2010):
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 8

Southwestern Energy Co. reports an average completed well cost of approximately 

$2.8 million with an average horizontal lateral length of ~4,303 feet.

Through August 2010, the cumulative production for the Fayetteville Shale was 1.4 Tcf.

50% of each well’s reserves are produced in the first 4–5 years of production.

An estimated 10,000 wells will eventually be drilled in the Fayetteville Shale gas play

(based on 6 wells/section).

This works out to about 20 years of drilling development (based on 500 wells/year).

An “unofficial industry estimate” of recoverable gas from the acreage positions of 

Southwestern Energy and Chesapeake Energy is approximately 11 Tcf and 9 Tcf,

respectively.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 9

Chapter 3 – Water Needs and Availability

How Much Water Is Needed

In order to estimate the total annual amount of water needed for natural gas development 

activities in the Fayetteville Shale region, an estimate of water volume needed for each 

individual well must be multiplied by the anticipated number of wells that will be drilled in a 

high production year. Table 1 shows the number of Fayetteville Shale gas wells completed in 

each of the last 7 years. The numbers rose steadily until peaking in 2009 at 892 wells. The 2010 

total was slightly lower, although this may be a reflection of the poor economy in 2010 and the 

relatively low price of natural gas. To extrapolate to a future high gas well year, the 2009 total is 

multiplied by 150% (=1,338 wells). This is not a precise multiplier, but is used to represent the 

potential for some future growth.

GWPC and ALL (2009) provide estimates of water requirements for four of the major shale gas 

plays. The water required for drilling a typical shale gas well ranges from 1,000,000 gallons in 

the Haynesville Shale to 60,000 gallons in the Fayetteville Shale, depending on the types of 

drilling fluids used and the depth and horizontal extent of the wells. The volume needed to 

fracture a well is considerably larger. According to GWPC and ALL (2009), the frac fluid 

volume ranges from 3,800,000 gallons per well in the Marcellus Shale to 2,300,000 gallons per 

well in the Barnett Shale. For the Fayetteville Shale, an estimated 2,900,000 gallons are used per 

well. Another estimate that is based on actual operator data is an average of 4,300,000 gallons of 

water used per well in the Fayetteville Shale (Mantell 2010a). It should be noted that these 

values are averages. The exact value for any specific well can vary significantly depending on a 

number of factors including the length of the lateral (horizontal section of the well) and the 

number of frac stages. Longer laterals, for example, will increase the volume of water required 

per well, but not necessarily the volume of water required relative to the length of the lateral or 

volume of gas produced.

Multiplying these per-well volumes by the extrapolated number of new wells completed in a 

future high production year gives an annual volume of 4.1 to 5.8 billion gallons for a full year. 

Assuming the water is required evenly over the whole year yields an estimated daily volume 

requirement of 11.2 to 15.8 million gallons/day.

These numbers are subject to various caveats, however:

The estimates of maximum wells drilled could significantly overestimate or 

underestimate the actual quantity. Many factors can influence actual drilling rates.

As gas companies refine and improve their efforts to recycle and reuse flowback and 

produced water from wells already fracced, the water needed per well may decrease.

Conversely, if operators drill longer horizontal wells with more frac stages, the volume 

per well could increase.

Nevertheless, these volume projections give a reasonable idea of the water needs for natural gas 

production within the Fayetteville Shale.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 10

Comparison of Natural Gas Water Needs to Other Water Users

The total water volume requirements make more sense when placed in context with the total

water resources available within the state and with other existing and competing uses. The U.S. 

Geological Survey publishes water use estimates for the United States every 5 years. The most 

recent report (Kenny et al. 2009) reports on water use for 2005. Table 4 shows the 2005 water 

withdrawals for Arkansas by water-use category.

Table 4 – Water Withdrawal by Category for Arkansas in 2005

Category Volume (million gallons per day)

Public Supply 266

Domestic 0

Irrigation 1,510

Livestock 23

Aquaculture 11

Industrial 113

Mining 1

Thermoelectric 2,000

Total 3,920

Source: Kenny et al. (2009).

Table 5 compares the estimated future water withdrawals for shale gas production with the 2005 

actual water withdrawals from Kenny et al. (2009). The projected volume of water needed in 

even a high well completion year is just a fraction of 1% of the total water already withdrawn 

within Arkansas.

Table 5 – Comparison of Water Needed for Shale Gas and Total Existing Water 

Withdrawals

Volume (Million 

gallons per day)

Water Required for Shale Gas Production 

Compared to Total Withdrawal (%)

Water needed for shale gas 11.2–15.8 –

Total water withdrawal 3,920 0.29–0.40

Although the counties in which Fayetteville Shale production is centered are only a portion of 

the entire state, these calculations suggest that sufficient water should be available within the 

region to support natural gas development. However, that does not mean that every tributary to 

every stream has sufficient surplus water resources, nor does it mean that water should be 

withdrawn in equal quantities during all seasons of the year. Drought conditions will lower 

stream flows so that even existing users may face shortages during those periods. Gas producers 

would be well served to plan ahead to collect and store water during times of abundance so that 

the water is available when needed.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 11

Chapter 4 – Water Issues Associated with Shale Gas Production

Water plays a role in different aspects of shale gas production. Three important water issues are 

discussed in this chapter. Most of the photos used in this chapter were taken by the author during 

a field tour of the Fayetteville Shale in August 2007. Any photos that were taken from other 

locations are noted accordingly.

Stormwater Runoff from Disturbed Areas

Before a new well can be drilled, the operator clears vegetation and constructs a pad for the 

drilling rig and other equipment used in preparing the well and an access road to get from the 

county road to the well site. The operator pays a use fee to the landowner for disturbing an area. 

According to Veil (2007), one of the large operators pays for disturbing 500 feet by 500 feet of 

land, plus the area of the access road. In practice, however, the operator generally clears only 

300 feet by 250 feet for the pad and the reserve pit plus two adjacent smaller “rig ditch pits,” 

which collect fluids that fall onto the footprint area beneath the rig. The pits are constructed with 

a plastic liner, and the pad and access road are covered with gravel. Figure 6 shows the gravel 

pad at a recently completed well site. Figure 7 shows the gravel access road, Figure 8 shows the 

reserve pit, and Figure 9 shows one of the adjoining rig ditch pits. Figure 10 shows a reclaimed 

reserve pit location.

Figure 6 – Newly Constructed Well Showing Gravel Pad
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 12

Figure 7 – Gravel Access Road

Figure 8 – Reserve Pit
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 13

Figure 9 – Rig Ditch Pit

Figure 10 – Reclaimed Reserve Pit
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 14

Operators are required to employ appropriate management practices to control stormwater 

runoff. These are included in a stormwater erosion and sediment control plan that is prepared for 

each well site. These plans can include implementation of technologies such as runoff control 

barriers (e.g., filter fences, surface stabilization) and selection of well pad location within a lease 

to minimize slope or proximity to streams. Other examples of approaches to minimize 

environmental impacts can be found at the Minimizing Impacts of Site Preparation page1of 

Argonne and University of Arkansas (2008).

Water Supply for Drilling and to Make Up Frac Fluids

The second important water issue involves finding an adequate and dependable supply of water 

to support well drilling and completion activities. Water used for drilling and making up frac 

fluids can come from several sources: surface water bodies, groundwater, municipal potable 

water supplies, or reused water from some other water source (most commonly this is flowback 

water from a previously fractured well).

The two per-well water volumes cited in Chapter 3 are: (a) 60,000 gallons for drilling fluids + 

2,900,000 gallons for frac fluids = 2,960,000 gallons (GWPC and ALL 2009), and (b) 4,300,000 

gallons (Mantell 2010a). Water can be brought to the site by numerous tank trucks. However, 

operators try to avoid hauling multiple truckloads of water across unimproved public county 

roads. Consequently, where another source of water is available within a mile or so, it can be 

piped to the site. Figure 11 shows a temporary pipeline made of aluminum irrigation pipe used to 

convey water from a pond to the well site.

One operator has constructed a large reservoir (500 acre-foot capacity) near the Little Red River 

and has plans to withdraw approximately 1,500 acre-feet of water on an annual basis from the 

river during high flow. The operator plans to construct distribution pipelines from this reservoir 

to strategic distribution points throughout White County, where the water will be available for 

drilling and well fracturing for 1,200 to 2,000 wells (Satterfield et al. 2008). Operators are also

constructing multiple small, 1- to 5-acre reservoirs throughout the Fayetteville Shale region,

from which water will be piped to individual well pads for frac jobs (Argonne and University of 

Arkansas 2008).

Withdrawal of water from surface water bodies or from groundwater is regulated by the 

Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC), or if the site is on federal land, by the Bureau 

of Land Management and/or the Army Corps of Engineers. For waters regulated by the ANRC, 

operators must apply for a permit to withdraw water and report the amount of water withdrawn 

annually. The Regulatory Requirements Associated with Well Preparation page2of Argonne and 

University of Arkansas (2008) outlines the requirements for withdrawing water.

 

1 The URL is http://lingo.cast.uark.edu/LINGOPUBLIC/environ/siteprep/index.htm. Accessed January 11, 2011.

2 The URL is http://lingo.cast.uark.edu/LINGOPUBLIC/reg/wellprep/index.htm. Accessed January 11, 2011.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 15

Figure 11 – Aluminum Pipe Used to Convey Water

Management of Water Flowing to the Surface from the Well

The third important water issue involves managing the water that comes to the surface from the 

gas well. During the frac job, the operator injects a large volume of water into the formation. 

Once the frac job is finished, the pressure is released, and water begins returning to the surface. 

Some companies and organizations consider flowback to be a process rather than a fluid stream. 

They use the term “flowback” to describe the process of excess fluids and sand returning through 

the borehole to the surface. They further consider all the water produced during flowback 

operations to be produced water. However, most sources distinguish between: (a) the fluids 

returning to the surface in the first few hours to several days following a frac job (flowback 

water), which consists primarily of the water that was injected as a component of the frac fluids, 

and (b) the lower volume of ongoing, long-term water flow to the surface (produced water). Over 

an extended period of time, the volume of produced water from a given well decreases. While 

acknowledging these different points of view, this paper follows the convention of describing 

flowback as a fluid stream different from produced water.

The initial flowback is typically collected in frac tanks parked on the well site (see Figure 12). 

However, a significant volume of water comes out of the well at a slower rate over an extended 

period of time (the produced water). This is collected in an onsite water storage tank (Figure 13). 

The tank is pumped out periodically by vacuum trucks, which haul the water offsite for disposal.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 16

Figure 12 – Frac Tanks at Well Site Where Frac Job is Taking Place

Figure 13 – Water Storage Tank at Producing Well Site

Not all of the injected frac fluid returns to the surface. GWPC and ALL (2009) report that only a 

portion (from less than 30% to more than 70%) of the original frac fluid volume used in shale 

formations returns as flowback. The rest of the water remains in pores within the formation. 

However, anecdotal reports from Marcellus Shale gas operators suggest that the actual 

percentage is at or below the lower end of that range. Hoffman (2010) notes that, as of 
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 17

January 2010, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) had data for 131 wells that had 

been drilled in the Marcellus Shale. For that dataset, about 13.5% of the injected frac fluid was

recovered. However, both the volume and flow rates of flowback and produced water are known 

to vary significantly between different shale plays, so the applicability of data from one play to 

another is uncertain. Based on an informal conversation with a representative of one of the large 

Fayetteville Shale gas producers, the combined return volume of flowback water and subsequent 

produced water for the Fayetteville shale is toward the lower end of the range, or about 25% 

(Mantell 2010b).

Operators must manage the flowback and produced water in a cost-effective manner that 

complies with state regulatory requirements. Although various options have been used in other 

shale gas plays, the primary options used in the Fayetteville Shale are underground injection 

through a disposal well (either owned by the operator or by a third-party commercial disposal 

company) or reuse for a future frac job either with or without treatment. A few other examples 

are discussed below.

During the summer of 2010, the author wrote to each of the major gas operators in the 

Fayetteville Shale and to the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission (AOGC) to collect information 

on how the flowback and produced water from Fayetteville Shale gas production is managed. 

Only Southwestern Energy and the AOGC provided replies to the requests. Additional 

information on Chesapeake’s practices was obtained from presentations made by Chesapeake 

staff at conferences.

Southwestern Energy indicated that at most sites, the flowback water is collected in frac tanks, 

filtered, then hauled by tank truck to the next site, where it is reused in new frac fluid. In the 

future, the water may be pumped to the next site instead of trucking it. The longer-term, ongoing 

produced water is collected onsite, then hauled to Class II injection wells. Some of these are 

owned and operated by Southwestern Energy, while others are commercial disposal wells 

(Lane 2010).

Steve Gates of the AOGC offered a similar, but less detailed reply:

“Larger operators have company-owned disposal wells, smaller operators are using 

commercial wells. Water will be reused where practical” (Gates 2010).

Although the information is now a few years old, Puder and Veil (2006) developed a database of 

most of the commercial oil field waste disposal companies operating in the United States. The 

database lists 10 commercial waste management companies operating in Arkansas. Five of these 

facilities indicate that they accept produced water for disposal. Four of the five utilize 

underground injection, while the fifth facility uses land application.

3

The database does not 

indicate whether the incoming produced water is generated from Fayetteville Shale gas wells or 

from other oil- and gas-producing fields in Arkansas.

More current injection well information can be extracted from the Arkansas Geological Survey 

(2010). The spreadsheet shows 14 injection wells from the B-43 field (the Fayetteville Shale) 

 

3 Although Puder and Veil (2006) list one waste management facility that disposes of produced water by land 

application, a representative of a large gas producer suggests that most large operators do not utilize land application 

for disposal (Mantell 2011).
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 18

that are active as of December 2010 (see Table 3). Of those, six list SEECO as the operator, two 

list Chesapeake, and one lists XTO. The other five wells list operators other than the large gas 

producers.

Table 3 – Active Injection Wells in the Fayetteville Shale as of December 2010

Operator Well Name County Date Completed

Chesapeake Cooper White 10/4/2007

Chesapeake Trammel Faulkner 12/18/2008

Clarita Oper. Edgmon, Wayne L. Faulkner No date provided

Deep-Six EW Moore Estate Faulkner 1/10/2008

Peak Water Sys. Peak Water Systems Van Buren 9/20/2010

Petrowater Bennett Van Buren 5/22/2009

Poseidon Energy Poseidon White 3/6/2009

SEECO Campbell Conway 12/23/2009

SEECO Scroggins Faulkner 1/15/2010

SEECO Underwood Faulkner 1/21/2010

SEECO Canady Conway 10/12/2010

SEECO Griffin Mtn. 1 Conway No date provided

SEECO Griffin Mtn. 2–28 Conway No date provided

XTO Energy Ferguson Independence 10/9/2009

Source: Arkansas Geological Survey (2010).

To give readers a sense of what a commercial disposal well looks like, Figure 14 shows a 

commercial flowback and produced water disposal well located southwest of Ft. Worth, Texas,

in the Barnett Shale region. Flowback and produced water are delivered by tank truck and are 

transferred into the storage tanks. As necessary, the flowback and produced water are injected 

into a deep formation that has sufficient porosity and injectivity to accept the water.

According to Mantell (2010a), Fayetteville Shale produced water4generally has good quality for 

reuse. Fayetteville Shale produced water has low total dissolved solids (TDS),5low total 

suspended solids (TSS), and low scaling tendency. The volume of water generated is typically 

sufficient to justify reuse. Chesapeake is currently meeting approximately 6% of its drilling and 

fracturing needs in the Fayetteville Shale with produced water reuse with a target goal of 20% 

reuse in the play. Since TSS levels are low, very limited treatment (filtration) is employed, if 

needed, prior to reuse. Logistics and economics are currently the main limiting factor in 

preventing higher levels of reuse in the Fayetteville Shale.

 

4 As noted earlier in this chapter, some authors do not distinguish between flowback water and produced water. 

Instead, they refer to all water returning to the surface from a completed well as produced water. The reference cited 

for this paragraph follows that naming convention.

5 TDS is relatively low compared to other shale plays but still may be high by most standards. Fayetteville Shale 

produced water averages 20,000 to 25,000 ppm TDS (Mantell 2011).
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 19

Figure 14 - Injection Well and Tank Battery at Commercial Disposal Facility in Texas

Other Water Management Options

Several companies have employed advanced treatment technologies to treat the flowback and 

produced water. Fountain Quail uses a thermal distillation process (the Aqua-Pure NOMAD) to 

generate very clean water and concentrated brine (Veil 2008). While typically used in other 

applications as a mobile treatment system, the NOMAD unit will be employed in Arkansas as 

part of a new fixed treatment facility, Arkansas Saltwater Recycling, LLC, in Twin Groves, 

Arkansas (Halldorson 2010). The facility has a permit from the Arkansas Department of 

Environmental Quality to discharge the treated water into a nearby river. If an operator needs 

clean water for a new frac job, the treatment plant will return the treated water to them. As of 

mid-January 2011, Fountain Quail is ready to open the plant and has all of the permits in order. 

The company is currently having discussion with the Fayetteville Shale producers to confirm 

level of commitment before actually moving the equipment in (Halldorson 2011). Other 

competing thermal treatment processes have been used in different shale gas plays, and may also 

have been tested in the Fayetteville Shale.

Another technology that has recently seen some use in the Fayetteville Shale for treating 

produced water and flowback water is referred to as advanced oxidation. Ecosphere 

Technologies, Inc., has commercialized an advanced oxidation process (Ozonix®) that combines

ozone generation, cavitation, and electro-chemical decomposition in a reaction vessel. The

process reduces the use of biocides, scale inhibitors, and friction reducers when the treated water 

is reused for frac fluid. During 2009–2010, the Ozonix® technology was used on over 100 wells 

in several shale plays to destroy bacteria and inhibit scale formation, including some tests 

conducted in the Fayetteville Shale. The author was unable to obtain any data on the 

performance of the system as used in the Fayetteville Shale region.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 20

Chapter 5 – Findings

There is a great deal of interest in natural gas production in the Fayetteville Shale. This report 

describes three types of water issues that arise from shale gas development in the Fayetteville

Shale. Those three issues are:

Controlling the stormwater runoff from disturbed areas,

Obtaining sufficient freshwater supply to conduct frac jobs on new wells, and

Managing the flowback water and produced water from the well.

Some of the key findings are listed below:

1. Fayetteville Shale frac jobs typically inject several million gallons of frac fluids (which 

are mostly water).

2. After the initial return of flowback water, within a few weeks following completion of 

the frac job, most wells continue generating formation water (produced water) at a lower 

rate for many years.

3. The larger oil and gas operators in the Fayetteville Shale are working to collect the initial 

surge of flowback water from the newly fracced wells. The flowback may be given some 

basic treatment, such as filtration, then used as makeup water for new frac fluids in 

another well. The ongoing flow of produced water is typically collected in tanks at each 

well site. Periodically, the tank contents are collected by vacuum truck and hauled to 

injection wells, operated either by the gas company or by a commercial waste disposal 

company.

4. A few other more advanced technologies are being used at some locations to treat 

flowback and produced water. They also generate clean fluids that can be reused in other 

frac jobs or may be permitted for surface discharge.

5. Based on estimates described in Chapter 3, there should be adequate surplus fresh water 

available within the Fayetteville Shale region to provide the needed water supply for 

drilling and fraccing new shale gas wells.
Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 21

References

Arkansas Geological Survey, 2010, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing Fayetteville Shale 

well information updated through December 2010. Available at

http://www.geology.ar.gov/xl/Fay_Wells.xls; accessed January 6, 2011.

Argonne and University of Arkansas, 2008, “Fayetteville Shale Information Website,” developed 

under funding from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Low Impact Natural Gas and Oil 

program. Available at http://lingo.cast.uark.edu/LINGOPUBLIC/index.htm; accessed May 24, 

2011.

EIA (Energy Information Administration), 2010a, “Annual Energy Outlook 2010,” U.S. 

Department of Energy, Report DOE/EIA-0383 (2010), May 11. Available at

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EIA, 2010b, “Annual Energy Outlook 2011 – Early Release Overview,” U.S. Department of 

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Gates, S., 2010, personal communication between Steve Gates, Arkansas Oil and Gas 

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Gates, S., 2011, comments sent from Steve Gates, Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, to John 

Veil, Argonne National Laboratory, February 2. 

GWPC and ALL, 2009, “Modern Shale Gas Development in the United States: A Primer,” 

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Kenny, J.F., N.L. Barber, S.S. Hutson, K.S. Linsey, J.K. Lovelace, and M.A. Maupin, 2009, 

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Mantell, M.E., 2010a, “Deep Shale Natural Gas and Water Use, Part Two: Abundant, 

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Mantell, M.E., 2010b, personal communication between Matt Mantell, Chesapeake Energy, and 

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Water Management in the Fayetteville Shale Page 23

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