Thanks for Amanda Brock’s shout-out to CAP Resources on her recent editorial in GWI (June 2017, pg 28). As always, she does a terrific job of laying out the myriad of facts in a succinct and compelling manner.
We’ve been tracking the water treatment market since 2007, and what I find particularly interesting is that at last, now, there are some real drivers for water treatment. However, it is interesting to note that they certainly aren’t what we envisioned back in 2007 (two “crashes” ago!) A few, extremely important points in particular:
- The emphasis on cost minimization is at an all-time high: we will make $45.00 oil prices work.
- The “go green” sentiment has not only caught on with oil companies, it is shaping their strategy.
- Mega-frac’s are an increasing reality (perhaps a conflicting “alternative fact” to my prior statement?)
- We are far less finicky about needing pristine water quality than we used to be, (a good thing); a lower bar makes treatment more affordable.
- The world is starting to realize pipelines are NOT the enemy, they are the solution.
And lastly, the most recent driver is now a real factor in how we manage produced and frac flowback water (drum roll) …our onshore UIC disposal system is showing signs of stress in more than a few areas (suggesting disposal injection be limited in certain specific regions and formations.)
- Our onshore UIC disposal system is showing signs of stress in more than a few areas (suggesting disposal injection could potentially be constrained in certain specific regions and formations.) Re-using and treating more water means we also dispose of less water, and done right, should minimize water trucking to disposal wells.
In other words (and the key takeaway for us all): injecting less water and minimizing transport means treating more water.
Stay tuned for more. We’ll be citing findings from our UIC Infrastructure and Risk Assessment report regarding disposal wells over the weeks to come.
Laura Capper – President & CEO of CAP Resources | EnergyMakers Advisory Group
