Shale Frac Sequential 

Flowback Analyses and Reuse 

Implications

EPA Technical Workshop, March 30, 2011

Matt Blauch

Superior Well Services
The Ideal Engineered Reuse 

Solution Should Be...

• Able to Reduce 

Environmental Risk

• Effective for Fracturing

• Practical & Economic

• Able to Provide 

microbiological Control

• Non-Damaging to 

Production 
What is needed for reuse?

Sequential Flowback Analyses

Multiple Ion Trend

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 Constituent (ppm)

Flowback (barrels)

Iron Trend

2500 bbls 5000 bbls 14000 bbls
Flowback and Frac Waters Data Set

• 235 Frac Water Sources

• 524 Flowback Samples

• 25 Sequential Flowback Studies
R2 = 0.9954

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000

Chloride (mg/L)

TDS (mg/L)

Chloride Content vs Total Dissolved Solids

In Marcellus Formation
0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000

Constituent (mg/L)

Flowback (bbls)

Barium Sulfate 

Barium & Sulfate Trend

In Marcellus Formation
Distribution of Marcellus 

Sequential Flowback Studies

Susquehanna

Potter

Jefferson

Armstrong

Allegheny

Butler

Westmoreland

Fayette Washington
0

25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L)

Flowback (bbls)

Susquehanna Jefferson

Armstrong Fayette

TDS Content vs. Marcellus Flowback
0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Total Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3)

Flowback (bbls)

Susquehanna Jefferson

Armstrong Fayette

Hardness vs Marcellus Flowback Volume by Region
0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Barium (mg/L)

Flowback (bbls)

Susquehanna Jefferson

Armstrong Fayette

Barium Content vs Marcellus Flowback
0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

-100.0 -80.0 -60.0 -40.0 -20.0 0.0 20.0 Calcium Content (mg/L)

GPS (Longitude)

Calcium Content of Flowback @ 7,500bbl 

West East
Marcellus Well Sites – Load Recovery(%)

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

417 418 419 421 422 423 425 426 427 428 219 225 287 304 340 352

Percent Fluid Recovery (bbls)

Project Number (well site)
0

25,000

50,000

75,000

100,000

125,000

150,000

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000

Total Dissolved Solids (mg/L)

Flowback (bbls)

Susquehanna Jefferson Armstrong Fayette Texas(1) Texas(2)

TDS Content 

Haynesville vs Marcellus Flowback
What is needed for reuse?

Geochemical Controls

• Sophisticated Geochemical Scale Modeling Simulator

• Specific to Downhole Conditions

DownHole SAT Rx

INJECTION WATER CHEMISTRY INPUT
Geologic Hypotheses for Flowback Chemistry

Marcellus Paleogeography

Ref: SPE 125740, Blauch, et.al. 2009 

Figure after Lash, 2009
Deep Basinal Hypersaline Fluids

Oriskany Waters Across Pennsylvania

Ref: SPE 125740, Blauch, et.al. 2009 
Hypothesis Testing – Drilled 

Cuttings Analysis
Hypothesis Testing –

Core Analysis

Cation Bulk Core Salt Scraping

Ba 1% 2%

Ca 40% 42%

Fe 46% 5%

K 4% 7%

Mg 6% 3%

Na 2% 40%

Sr 1% 1%

Total 100% 100%

Ref: SPE 125740, Blauch, et.al. 2009 
Hypothesis Testing Diagnostic Tool –

Piper Analysis

Ca

2+

Mg

2+

Na

+ + K+ CO32- + HCO3-

SO4

2-

Cl

-

SO4

2- + Cl

-

Ca

2+ + Mg

2+

EXPLANATION

Marcellus Flowback Water

Dead Sea Geochemistry

Oriskany Geochemistry

5638.1

341586.6

Early Flowback

Late Flowback

Typical 

Freshwater

Mixing line

Reused 

Frac Water

Mixing line

Ref: SPE 125740, Blauch, et.al. 2009 
Conclusions

• Shale Frac Sequential Flowback Analysis have become 

important to HVHR fracturing in the Marcellus shale

• Variations in flowback geochemistry are observed 

both spatially and volumetrically

• Understanding the origin of dissolved salts is 

important to future water reuse and water 

management strategies

• Predictive analysis tools such as Piper analysis and 

geochemical simulation play an important role in 

water reuse and treatment design

• Functional performance testing of flowback water for 

reuse is recommended 
Acknowledgements

• Thanks to:

– USEPA for the opportunity to present

– Superior Well Services and Nabors

– Kroff Well Services

• Paul Rey, Dave Grottenthaler

– Session chair, Tom Hayes