08122-05

Primary Performer
Gas Technology Institute

Additional Participants
The University of Texas at Austin
The Bureau of Economic Geology
Texerra
Geopure
Barnett Shale Water Conservation and Management Committee
Appalachian Shale Water Conservation and Management Committee

Abstract
The overall objective of this proposal is to develop water management methods and technologies that reduce demands for freshwater, reduce environmental impact of brine disposal, and ensure supplies of water for well drilling and completion for natural gas development in the Barnett and Appalachian Shale Plays.

Areas of emphasis include: 1) Evaluation of promising commercially-available technologies for water reuse; 2) Development of novel coatings to improve performance and cost of ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis treatment technologies in the demineralization of flowback waters; 3) Development of electrodialysis reversal for low-cost produced water and flowback water demineralization; and, 4) Identification and evaluation of alternate sources of water that may be useful as replacements for groundwater or surface waters that serve as community water supplies.

This work will engage the operators of the most successful current field units treating flowback/ produced waters as well as research scientists and engineers to address each of the four technical areas of emphasis listed above. All aspects will be under frequent periodic review by the Barnett Shale Water Conservation and Management Committee (BSWCMC) and the Appalachian Shale Water Conservation and Management Committee (ASWCMC) to ensure that development efforts are directed toward meeting the needs of the natural gas industry in the Barnett and Appalachian Shale Plays. Membership of these committees includes over 20 producing companies in the respective shale gas plays: Anadarko, Atlas, Chesapeake, Chief, Cabot, CNS, ConocoPhillips, Devon, East Resources, EnCana, EOG, Equitable, Exco-North Coast, Harding Company, J-W Operating, Marathon, Pioneer Resources, Pitts Oil, Quicksilver, Range Resources, Seneca, Williams Production, and XTO Energy.

Impact and benefits of the project:

• Reduces industry demand of freshwater for shale gas developments.
• Eases water availability constraints to well development and completion.
• Decreases environmental impacts due to water transportation including air impacts, fugitive dust, traffic and carbon footprint
• Technologies and know-how can be extended to the development of other shale gas basins.