Geology Seminar Series - Dr Daniel Alessi, University of Alberta - Assessment and improvement of water management practices in hydraulic fracturing

Wed., Apr. 13, 2022 1:00 p.m. - Wed., Apr. 13, 2022 2:00 p.m.

Location: CL 126

We hope you will join us in attending this special Department of Geology seminar sponsored by the Faculty of Science and organized in conjunction with the Dean’s office!

Title: Assessment and improvement of water management practices in hydraulic fracturing

Presenter: Daniel S. Alessi, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

Location: CL 126 (note: this is a face-to-face seminar)

Abstract:

The production of hydrocarbons from combined vertical drilling and hydraulic fracturing (HF) has been touted as a step towards reduced carbon emissions and sustainable and renewable energy technologies. Indeed, greenhouse gas emissions in the United States have declined by 12.2% since 2011, with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noting in its 2018 report that most of the decrease is attributable to increased natural gas production from HF. Among the most greenhouse gas intensive parts of HF development is its water cycle, including transport of water to the wellpad to make injected hydraulic fracturing fluids, and the transportation and disposal of saline flowback and produced water (FPW) that is generated for years after production begins. In addition, there have been considerable concerns about the environmental impacts of surface releases of FPW during water handling and disposal. Great strides have been made in the past decade to increase the efficiency of water use, including centralized water hubs and increased treatment, recycling, and reuse of FPW for subsequent fracturing jobs. In this presentation, I will discuss the sustainability of the HF water cycle across all major unconventional basins in North America and the potential toxic effects of FPW spills to aquatic organisms. Using the Montney play (Alberta, Canada) as a model example, I will further introduce the concept of total produced salts (TPS), as an improved proxy for water sustainability at the play scale in North America and beyond.