Water Solution | Russell T. Rudy Energy LLC
Anything that is too good to be true usually is. Consequently, I read a recent article in “World Oil” with a heavy dose of skepticism. The article, apparently based on a press release from Fairmount Santrol, extolls the virtues of a new proppant transport technology for use in fracking. This new product, SSP 350, apparently has been developed for use with produced brine rather than fresh water. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
The traditional solution to the problem of produced salt water, or formation brine, has been to inject it into disposal wells. This is expensive, an environmental concern, and recently suspected of causing seismic events in North Texas and Oklahoma. Attempts at treating formation brine for alternative uses have met with some success, but logistics and economics are typically problems.
Concurrently, the shale revolution has resulted in fracking on an unprecedented level. Fracking requires large amounts of water. Unfortunately many of the larger shale plays, such as the Bakken in North Dakota, the Eagle Ford in South Texas, and the Permian in West Texas and Southeast New Mexico, are in areas where water is already scarce and expensive.
Consequently, a proppant transfer technology that make the use of formation brine possible would have huge economic and environmental benefits. The article states that “Proppant 350 offers an opportunity to reduce water treatment, logistics and disposal costs while potentially eliminating the need for fresh water sources.”
Brian Goldstein, with Fairmount Santrol concludes, “Thanks to this innovation, operators can now, more than ever, design their completions based on reservoir characteristics rather than operational constraints. This technology advancement is significant, offering flexibility to use water that is 10 times more salty than sea water.”
I hope, for the sake of all parties, that he is right.
To read the article in its entirety, please go to http://www.worldoil.com/news/2017/1/19/fairmount-santrol-extends-propel-ssp-proppant-transport-technology .
Russell T. Rudy Energy, LLC buys oil, gas and mineral interests nationwide. Please call (800-880-0940), or write (info@rudyenergy.com ) to let us know if you agree, disagree or would just like to comment on this, or any of our posts.
