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7 - Water Usage and Management

from Part II - Environmental Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Jessica M. Wilson  and
Jeanne M. VanBriesen
Edited by
John Stolz ,
Daniel Bain  and
Michael Griffin
John Stolz
Affiliation:
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
Daniel Bain
Affiliation:
University of Pittsburgh
Michael Griffin
Affiliation:
Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
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Summary

The water demand associated with unconventional fossil fuel extraction and the management of the associated produced wastewater present significant environmental challenges. Water usage for unconventional fossil fuel extraction varies in different areas of the country, but overall is a small fraction of total water withdrawals for most locations. Produced water volumes and quality also vary nationwide, and disposal can have significant environmental impacts, especially if produced water is discharged to surface waters. This work discusses water use and requisition, changes in quantity and management of produced water nationwide from 2007 to 2017, and the environmental effects of management options. As unconventional natural gas production expands, selection of management options that do not lead to significant environmental impacts must be prioritized.

Keywords

flowbackproduced watertotal dissolved solidsbrinechloridebromide
Type
Chapter
Information
Environmental Impacts from the Development of Unconventional Oil and Gas Reserves , pp. 150 - 172
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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