New Duke Study Finds “Low” Risk of Flowback Contaminating Water
Monday October 17, 2016
Duke University researchers recently published a new study, which finds the volume and quality of water that returns to the surface during oil and natural gas development (which the study refers to as “FP water”) is almost entirely composed of naturally occurring formation brine (about 92 to 96 percent), with between four and eight percent of wastewater consisting of fracking fluid used in development. Even then, the study finds, fracking fluid is only found within the first few months of development.
Because much of the FP water is formation brine, the authors mention it can be safely processed and reused depending on its salinity and chemical composition. FP water that is unable to be recycled is therefore re-injected back into the formation, a practice used for decades and described by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a “safe and inexpensive option” for the disposal of hazardous byproducts.
In short, this is yet another study that confirms oil and gas development is safe. In fact, one of the lead researchers – Avner Vengosh, who has produced a number of anti-fracking studies over the years – had to admit that the risk of contamination from this process is very “low.” From the press release:
“This means that the probability of having environmental impacts from man-made chemicals in fracking fluids is low, unless a direct spill of the chemicals occurs before the actual fracking.” (emphasis added)
Vengosh explains why this is the case noting,
“‘Much of the public fear about fracking has centered on the chemical-laden fracking fluids – which are injected into wells at the start of production – and the potential harm they could cause if they spill or are disposed of improperly into the environment […] Our new analysis, however, shows that these fluids only account for between 4 and 8 percent of wastewater being generated over the productive lifeti...