Webinar Summary

Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in oil and gas production to enhance flow of fluids to the wellbore. It uses large amounts water, along with sand and chemicals. The process creates fractures in a rock formation that would otherwise have very low permeability to create fluid flow paths to the wellbore. There is public concern with the environmental impacts of increased drilling activity and the use of hydraulic fracturing. Treatment for recycling and reuse is an area of great interest, study, and commercial development. Incidents of induced seismicity have been associated with increased underground injection disposal.  This webinar discusses hydraulic fracturing and well construction technology, the chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing, flowback and associated problems, and treatment and disposal methods. This webinar is presented by the EWRI Environmental Health & Water Quality Committee.

Primary Discussion Topics

• Hydraulic fracturing and well construction technology
• Water and chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing
• Flowback and produced wastewater
• Treatment, disposal and reuse

Learning Outcomes

• Gain exposure on up-to-date issues with hydraulic fracturing
• Understand the technologies involved in drilling and hydraulic fracturing
• Become familiar with volumes and character of water and wastewater associated with drilling and hydraulic fracturing
• Recognize best management practices for minimizing potential for environmental health and water quality impacts
• Learn about advances in water treatment, recycling and reuse for drilling and hydraulic fracturing

Webinar Benefits

• Understand the basics of hydraulic fracturing and well construction
• Learn about water resources needed for hydraulic fracturing
• Learn what chemicals are used in hydraulic fracturing
• Understand characteristics of flowback and produced water
• Learn about trends in oil & gas drilling and production
• Learn about research and new technologies to reduce water demand, and to treat, reuse and recycle water
• Learn about common community environmental health concerns related to water and wastewater

Intended Audience

• Municipal and industrial water and wastewater staff
• Public agency engineers
• Consulting engineers

Webinar Outline

• Introduction
• What Is hydraulic fracturing? An overview of the technology and how it is applied
• Water used In hydraulic fracturing – auantities and sources of water used
• Chemical additives used In hydraulic fracturing and purpose – substances added to water used for hydraulic fracturing and the purpose of these additives
• Wastewater from hydraulic fracturing flowback and produced water – characteristics and special challenges of treating these wastewaters
• Baseline and ongoing water quality monitoring
• FracFocus database
• Public concerns and environmental impacts

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