Marcellus Shale water treatment has become an issue of contention and many people who take an interest in the welfare of our earth are striving for better solutions. This gas pocket stretches from West Virginia to New York State for about six hundred and fifty miles. With a possible five hundred trillion cubic feet of gas the mining activities use nine million gallons per day of water.
To increase the ability to flow a liquid is mixed with chemicals. It is forced down the mine under high pressure to gain access to the gas. This fracturing process could use up to four million gallons of liquid per well. In the event of the fracturing process having to be repeated it could use more. The liquid returns above ground heavily contaminated.
Besides the high salt content it also contains calcium, sodium, barium, oil, strontium, iron, heavy metals, soap, radiation and other dangerous components. This waste product has become extremely corrosive and if not treated correctly could be harmful to the environment. The salt could be as high as forty five thousand parts per million.
Mostly the waste is transported off site. This presents a problem in moving the large volumes from the mine to another area requiring hundreds of trucks. These vehicles have a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment. Also they create an enormous increase in traffic flow. This in turn loads the cost of the product used.
Some similar mines have tried to resolve this issue by injecting the liquid back into the earth. This is known as a deep injection process. In the area in question this is not viable due to geographic characteristics. A more viable alternative is to treat the product on site. This would relieve the environmental impact and also be far more cost effective.
It was found that a portable plant that could be utilized on more than one site would be the most effective. The product could then be treated and around eighty percent recovered for reuse. As it is not removed to another location it is also available for further fracturing. The small remainder could then be relocated or even put through a more stringent treatment.
The issues still remains in question as to the most effective methods of dealing with the problem. Although the costs are high the value of this vital resource is maybe more than we realize. Environmentalists question the possible impact on the water supply in the area. If not handled correctly it is obvious that this could prove dangerously detrimental. Read more about: marcellus shale water treatment
To increase the ability to flow a liquid is mixed with chemicals. It is forced down the mine under high pressure to gain access to the gas. This fracturing process could use up to four million gallons of liquid per well. In the event of the fracturing process having to be repeated it could use more. The liquid returns above ground heavily contaminated.
Besides the high salt content it also contains calcium, sodium, barium, oil, strontium, iron, heavy metals, soap, radiation and other dangerous components. This waste product has become extremely corrosive and if not treated correctly could be harmful to the environment. The salt could be as high as forty five thousand parts per million.
Mostly the waste is transported off site. This presents a problem in moving the large volumes from the mine to another area requiring hundreds of trucks. These vehicles have a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment. Also they create an enormous increase in traffic flow. This in turn loads the cost of the product used.
Some similar mines have tried to resolve this issue by injecting the liquid back into the earth. This is known as a deep injection process. In the area in question this is not viable due to geographic characteristics. A more viable alternative is to treat the product on site. This would relieve the environmental impact and also be far more cost effective.
It was found that a portable plant that could be utilized on more than one site would be the most effective. The product could then be treated and around eighty percent recovered for reuse. As it is not removed to another location it is also available for further fracturing. The small remainder could then be relocated or even put through a more stringent treatment.
The issues still remains in question as to the most effective methods of dealing with the problem. Although the costs are high the value of this vital resource is maybe more than we realize. Environmentalists question the possible impact on the water supply in the area. If not handled correctly it is obvious that this could prove dangerously detrimental. Read more about: marcellus shale water treatment
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