Engineers use membrane distillation technology to recycle fracking wastewater
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are developing a new way to clean fracking wastewater for reuse, according to Tech Xplore.
Membrane distillation technology can treat highly contaminated wastewater, enabling drillers to filter and reuse the produced water in the oil and gas industry, agriculture and more.
“It is of critical importance to develop alternative strategies for the management of produced water that would reduce the overall cost, allow recovery of valuable resources, and reduce the environmental footprint of this industry,” said Radisav Vidic, professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who is leading the project. “Right now, the industry is not being presented with financially feasible options. This project proves that those options can and do exist.”
Learn more: Tech Xplore > Engineers develop method that can recycle water used in fracking and drilling
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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.