Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Using propane gel is essentially the same process as hydrofracking, with an ad-
ded twist. As with water, the gel is pumped deep underground at tremendous pres-
sure, which creates fissures in shale and releases bubbles of natural gas. Like water,
the gel carries sand or man-made proppants to hold the fractures ajar so that gas
can escape. But unlike water, the gel is turned into vapor deep underground by heat
and pressure, and then flows to the surface with the natural gas, where it is recap-
tured; sometimes the used gel is reused or resold. Also, unlike water, propane does
not wash chemicals or naturally occurring salts and radioactive elements back to
the surface.
Gasfrac, a Canadian company, used propane in place of water in over 700
wells in 2012 in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick,
and has drilled test wells in several states, including Texas, Colorado, and
the day, as one put it, when “the oil and gas industry could even be a net producer
of water rather than a net user.”
But wider use of propane gel is hampered by high cost, limited data about its
effectiveness (largely because intensely competitive drilling companies are loathe
to share information about innovations), and the industry's resistance to change.
The remediation (cleaning) of wastewater is another hydrofrack-related busi-
ness that has seen meteoric growth recently. Ecosphere Technologies, of Stuart,
Florida, uses a process called “advanced oxidation.” In the chemical-free treat-
ment, ozone is used to eliminate the chemicals used for bacteria control and scale
inhibition, and recycles 10 percent of the water, according to the company.
48
Other companies use “tunkey solutions,” which allow drillers to clean water on
site and to authenticate the results with tests. WaterTectonics, for instance, is a rap-
idly growing firm that uses electric currents to bind together contaminants, allow-
ing them to be cleaned from the water. The company, which has a global licensing
agreement to clean hydrofracking fluids for Halliburton, tripled its staff and fin-
impacted WaterTectonics, “the opportunity in frack water treatment is a very large
market that is predicted to grow at an accelerated rate over the next ten years,” said
TJ Mothersbaugh, the company's business development manager.
