USGS Fact Sheet 2014–3010: A Framework for Assessing Water and Proppant Use and Flowback Water Extraction Associated with Development of Continuous Petroleum Resources

A Framework for Assessing Water and Proppant Use and Flowback Water Extraction Associated with Development of Continuous Petroleum Resources

By Seth S. Haines, Troy A. Cook, Joanna N. Thamke, Kyle W. Davis, Andy J. Long, Richard W. Healy, Sarah J. Hawkins, and Mark A. Engle

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey is developing approaches for the quantitative assessment of water and proppant involved with possible future production of continuous petroleum deposits. The assessment approach is an extension of existing U.S. Geological Survey petroleum-assessment methods, and it aims to provide objective information that helps decision makers understand the tradeoffs inherent in resource-development decisions. This fact sheet provides an overview of U.S. Geological Survey assessments for quantities of water and proppant required for drilling and hydraulic fracturing and for flowback water extracted with petroleum; the report also presents the form of the intended assessment output information.

First posted March 13, 2014

For additional information contact:
Director, Central Energy Resources Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
Box 25046, MS-939
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225-0046
http://energy.usgs.gov/

Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF). For best results viewing and printing PDF documents, it is recommended that you download the documents to your computer and open them with Adobe Reader. PDF documents opened from your browser may not display or print as intended. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.

Suggested citation:

Haines, S.S., Cook, T.A., Thamke, J.N., Davis, K.W., Long, A.J., Healy, R.W., Hawkins, S.J., and Engle, M.A., 2014, A framework for assessing water and proppant use and flowback water extraction associated with development of continuous petroleum resources: U.S. Geological Survey 2014–3010, 6 p., https://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20143010.

ISSN 2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

Contents

Background

Assessing Water and Proppant Requirements and Flowback Volume

Applications

References Cited