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Water management challenges associated with the production of shale gas by hydraulic fracturing

Dates

Year
2011

Citation

Gregory, K. B., Vidic, R. D., and Dzombak, D. A., 2011, Water management challenges associated with the production of shale gas by hydraulic fracturing: Elements, v. 7, iss. 3, p. 181-186.

Summary

Development of unconventional, onshore natural gas resources in deep shales is rapidly expanding to meet global energy needs. Water management has emerged as a critical issue in the development of these inland gas reservoirs, where hydraulic fracturing is used to liberate the gas. Following hydraulic fracturing, large volumes of water containing very high concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) return to the surface. The TDS concentration in this wastewater, also known as “flowback,” can reach 5 times that of sea water. Wastewaters that contain high TDS levels are challenging and costly to treat. Economical production of shale gas resources will require creative management of flowback to ensure protection of groundwater and [...]

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Attached Files

Communities

  • Western Energy Citation Clearinghouse

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Additional Information

Identifiers

Type Scheme Key
DOI WECC []
ISSN WECC 1811-5209 1811-5217

Citation Extension

citationTypeJournal Article
journalElements
parts
typePages
value181-186
typeVolume
value7
typeIssue
value3

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