Characterizing variable biogeochemical changes during the treatment of produced oilfield waste

Zacariah L Hildenbrand; Inês C Santos; Tiffany Liden; Doug D Carlton Jr; Emmanuel Varona-Torres; Misty S Martin; Michelle L Reyes; Safwan R Mulla; Kevin A Schug

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.388

Characterizing variable biogeochemical changes during the treatment of produced oilfield waste

Sci Total Environ. 2018 Sep 1:634:1519-1529. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.388. Epub 2018 Apr 18.

Authors

Zacariah L Hildenbrand¹, Inês C Santos², Tiffany Liden², Doug D Carlton Jr², Emmanuel Varona-Torres³, Misty S Martin⁴, Michelle L Reyes⁴, Safwan R Mulla⁵, Kevin A Schug⁶

Affiliations

¹ Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States; Inform Environmental, LLC, Dallas, TX 75206, United States. Electronic address: zac@informenv.com.
² Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States.
³ Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States; Inform Environmental, LLC, Dallas, TX 75206, United States.
⁴ Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States.
⁵ Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States.
⁶ Affiliate of the Collaborative Laboratories for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, United States. Electronic address: kschug@uta.edu.

PMID: 29710650
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.388

Abstract

At the forefront of the discussions about climate change and energy independence has been the process of hydraulic fracturing, which utilizes large amounts of water, proppants, and chemical additives to stimulate sequestered hydrocarbons from impermeable subsurface strata. This process also produces large amounts of heterogeneous flowback and formation waters, the subsurface disposal of which has most recently been linked to the induction of anthropogenic earthquakes. As such, the management of these waste streams has provided a newfound impetus to explore recycling alternatives to reduce the reliance on subsurface disposal and fresh water resources. However, the biogeochemical characteristics of produced oilfield waste render its recycling and reutilization for production well stimulation a substantial challenge. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of produced waste from the Eagle Ford shale region before, during, and after treatment through adjustable separation, flocculation, and disinfection technologies. The collection of bulk measurements revealed significant reductions in suspended and dissolved constituents that could otherwise preclude untreated produced water from being utilized for production well stimulation. Additionally, a significant step-wise reduction in pertinent scaling and well-fouling elements was observed, in conjunction with notable fluctuations in the microbiomes of highly variable produced waters. Collectively, these data provide insight into the efficacies of available water treatment modalities within the shale energy sector, which is currently challenged with improving the environmental stewardship of produced water management.

Keywords: Biogeochemistry; Produced water reuse; Unconventional oil and gas development; Water treatment.