OKLAHOMA CITY, June 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ground
Water Protection Council (GWPC) released today a
report that examines current regulations, practices, and
research needed to expand the use of produced water, a byproduct of
oil and gas production, as a resource.
Led by its member states, the GWPC brought together a
collaboration of scientists, regulatory officials, members of
academia, the oil and gas industry, and environmental groups to
explore roles produced water might play in developing greater water
certainty. The report consists of three focused modules which
include:
- Module 1: Current Legal, Regulatory & Operational
Frameworks
- Module 2: Produced Water Reuse in Unconventional Oil & Gas
Operations
- Module 3: Produced Water Reuse & Research Needs Outside Oil
& Gas Operations
According to the report, freshwater stress is driven by rising
populations, regional droughts, declining groundwater levels and
several other factors. When surface water is scarce, communities
and industries typically turn to groundwater to meet their
freshwater needs. Produced water may become a resource that
could reduce the use of freshwater for some of these needs in
specific locations.
"As a national association of state oil and gas regulators and
environmental protection agencies, we are concerned about the
overuse of fresh groundwater resources and wanted to explore how
produced water might help fill that gap," said Mike Paque, GWPC
executive director. "By identifying opportunities and challenges of
using produced water and offering options for addressing them, the
GWPC hopes to facilitate the development of produced water as a
supplement to freshwater resources and fulfill its mission to
promote the protection and conservation of groundwater for all
beneficial uses."
Most oil and natural gas produced water is reinjected deep
underground into producing oil and gas reservoirs to enhance
production or into porous rocks for disposal. Presently, the reuse
of produced water accounts for approximately less than 1 percent of
water produced.
The report identifies challenges currently limiting the
reuse of produced water and provides a framework for the evaluation
of reuse options, focusing primarily on research needs. In an
effort to facilitate more research, the report also provides a
literature review, based on search logic developed by the
workgroup. This review catalogs nearly 550 published papers
on produced water in one place.
The full report, Produced Water: Regulations, Current Practices
& Research Needs, can be downloaded on the GWPC web site at
www.gwpc.org/producedwater.
Media Contact:
Mike Nickolaus
405.516.4972
mnickolaus@gwpc.org
Related Images
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Related Links
2019 GWPC Produced Water Report
Ground Water Protection Council Website
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SOURCE Ground Water Protection Council