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Issues and Opportunities in Evaluating Water Sources for Oil and Gas Operations

Issues and Opportunities in Evaluating Water Sources for Oil and Gas Operations. Wade Oliver, PG Gerry Grisak, PG. Houston and T.C. Railroad Co. vs. East. 1904 Texas Supreme Court

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Issues and Opportunities in Evaluating Water Sources for Oil and Gas Operations

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  1. Issues and Opportunities in Evaluating Water Sources for Oil and Gas Operations

    Wade Oliver, PG Gerry Grisak, PG
  2. Houston and T.C. Railroad Co. vs. East 1904 Texas Supreme Court “…the existence, origin, movement, and course of such waters, and the causes which govern and direct their movements, are so secret, occult, and concealed that an attempt to administer any set of legal rules in respect to them would be involved in hopeless uncertainty, and would, therefore, be practically impossible.”
  3. Groundwater Data Sources TWDB Groundwater Database Most detailed 138,000 wells TWDB Submitted Drillers Reports Database After 2001 336,000 wells TCEQ Drillers Reports Before 2001 800,000+ wells? Limited location data Groundwater Availability Models BRACS Database and Studies Texas Railroad Commission Disposal Wells Geophysical Logs from BEG, RRC, and Commercial Sources Groundwater Conservation Districts Published Reports *Basic Groundwater Hydrology:Heath (1983) – WSP 2220 http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/wsp2220
  4. Types of Aquifers Unconfined Aquifer (fresher) Confining Unit Confined Aquifer (brackish) Confining Unit
  5. One Aquifer – Two Types Unconfined Confined Northwest Southeast Measured Water Level
  6. MajorAquifers Carrizo-Wilcox Gulf Coast
  7. MinorAquifers Queen City Sparta Yegua-Jackson
  8. Gulf Coast Aquifer Geochemistry Study
  9. GroundwaterConservationDistricts Drilling or Exploration Operations Exemption Law related to whether wells for hydraulic fracturing require a permit is ambiguous and unevenly applied throughout the state. GCDs, DFCs, MAGs, GAMs, GMAs, RWPGs Groups of groundwater districts in 16 groundwater management areas decide every 5 years on management goals (desired future conditions) for next 50 years. These goals are used to define groundwater availability throughout TX.
  10. Rig Supply Water Wells 2001 - 2007 2008 - 2013 Source: TWDB Submitted Drillers Reports
  11. Water WellsExceeding1000 mg/L TDS
  12. Percent of Fresh Water Usefor Hydraulic Fracturingby County for 2011 Sources: TWDB Water Use Survey Total Est. GW and SW Use Nicot and others (2012) HF Water Consumption Does not include brackishor recycled/reused water Dimmit (24%) DeWitt (18%) La Salle (17%) Karnes (31%) McMullen (55%)
  13. Opportunities Benefit from better understanding of groundwater source options Deeper brackish resources Less impact on local fresh water supplies Increased understanding of brackish aquifers Cooperation with GCDs Can benefit both GCDs and O&G companies Data sharing (well logs, water production, water quality, etc.) Jointly funded studies?
  14. Contact: Wade Oliver, PG woliver@intera.com 512-425-2058
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