Drilling wastewater being used by California farmers
Friday, July 10, 2015
Billions of gallons of wastewater are produced when oil and gas shale wells are drilled. According to Bloomberg, wastewater is now being used for crops in drought-stricken California instead of being injected into disposal wells. Companies are selling the water to farms in need of it or recycling it.
In 2014, Chevron piped 8 billion gallons of treated wastewater to almond and pistachio farms in the San Joaquin Valley. Earlier this year, California Resources Corp. said it intends to quadruple the amount of water it sells to growers.
Companies choosing to recycle the wastewater and use it again for wells have discovered that less expensive and extensive treatment makes the wastewater suitable for drilling.
Via: Bloomberg > California Farms are Using Drilling Wastewater to Grow Crops
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.