Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation: Proceedings of a Workshop
2017

Workshop

You must be logged in to download this publication.

Select Book Type

Paperback - $63.00
Ebook - $49.49

Request an exam or desk copy

Produced water—water from underground formations that is brought to the surface during oil and gas production—is the greatest volume byproduct associated with oil and gas production. It is managed by some combination of underground injection, treatment and subsequent use, treatment and discharge, or evaporation, subject to compliance with state and federal regulations. Management of these waters is challenging not only for industry and regulators, but also for landowners and the public because of differences in the quality and quantity of produced water, varying infrastructure needs, costs, and environmental considerations associated with produced water disposal, storage, and transport.

Unconventional oil and gas development involves technologies that combine horizontal drilling with the practice of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is a controlled, high-pressure injection of fluid and proppant into a well to generate fractures in the rock formation containing the oil or gas. After the hydraulic fracture procedure is completed, the injected fluid is allowed to flow back into the well, leaving the proppant in the newly created fractures. As a result, a portion of the injected water returns to the surface and this water is called "flowback water" which initially may mix with the naturally occurring produced water from the formation. The chemistry and volume of water returning to the surface from unconventional oil and gas operations thus changes during the lifetime of the well due to the amount of fluid used in the initial stage of well development, the amount of water naturally occurring in the geologic formation, the original water and rock chemistry, the type of hydrocarbon being produced, and the way in which production is conducted. The volume and composition of flowback and produced waters vary with geography, time, and site-specific factors.

A workshop was conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to highlight the challenges and opportunities associated in managing produced water from unconventional hydrocarbon development, and particularly in the area of potential beneficial uses for these waters. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Additional materials

Workshop Highlights

Publication information

100 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-45262-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-45263-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/24620

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Bibtext
EndNote
Reference manager

First Name
Last Name
Email (required)
I agree to receive emails from the National Academies (required)

We respect your privacy and will never share your information.

Search this publication

Front Matter i-xii
1 Introduction 1-4
2 Setting the Stage: Keynote Session 5-18
3 Regional Similarities and Differences: Environmental and Regulatory Context for Potential Use of Flowback and Produced Water 19-28
4 Technologies for Managing Flowback and Produced Waters for Potential Use 29-38
5 Characterization of Flowback and Produced Waters for Potential Use 39-50
6 Research and Technology Innovation in Context 51-56
7 Facilitated Discussion 57-62
References 63-64
Appendix A: Workshop Agenda 65-68
Appendix B: Members of the Roundtable on Unconventional Hydrocarbon Development 69-70
Appendix C: Biographies of Workshop Planning Committee 71-76
Appendix D: Biographies of Workshop Moderators and Presenters 77-82
Appendix E: Workshop Participants 83-86
Appendix F: Glossary 87-88

Log In

Former MyNAP users: You'll need to reset your password on your first login to MyAcademies. Click "Forgot password" below to receive a reset link via email. Having trouble? Visit our FAQ page to contact support.

Members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, or National Academy of Medicine should log in through their respective Academy portals.

Email (required)
Password (required)

Don't have an account?

Register

Email (required)
New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters
I accept the terms of use
terms of use

Thank You

Thank you for creating a MyAcademies account!

Enjoy free access to thousands of National Academies' publications, a 10% discount off every purchase, and build your personal library.

Forgot Password

Enter the email address for your MyAcademies (formerly MyNAP) account to receive password reset instructions.

Email (required)

Reset Requested

We sent password reset instructions to your email . Follow the link in that email to create a new password. Didn't receive it? Check your spam folder or contact us for assistance.

Reset Password

New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters

Reset Password

Your password has been reset.

Verify email

Verify Your Email Address

We sent a verification link to your email. Please check your inbox (and spam folder) and follow the link to verify your email address. If you did not receive the email, you can request a new verification link below

Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation: Proceedings of a Workshop (2017)

Chapter: Appendix F: Glossary

Additional materials

Publication information

Suggested citation

My Academies

Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation: Proceedings of a Workshop (2017)

Chapter: Appendix F: Glossary