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Characterization and Reuse of Oil and Gas Waters Active

By Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center November 19, 2018

In the “Characterization and Reuse of Oil and Gas Waters” task of the Oil and Gas Waters Project, we collect new water samples from conventional and hydraulically fractured unconventional plays in high priority oil and gas basins and use the geochemistry of water produced along with oil and gas (a) as a tool to interpret deep basin fluid flow and to fingerprint brines from specific reservoirs, (b) to better understand produced water impacts at the surface or in shallow subsurface aquifers, and (c) to help inform treatment and reuse options.

Below are other science projects associated with this project task.

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helicopter with survey equipment

Geophysical mapping of produced water in near-surface environments

This task within the Oil and Gas Waters Project focuses on the development of oil and gas resources results in substantial volumes of produced water. Particularly when produced from deep geologic formations, these waters can exhibit elevated salinity in comparison to shallow groundwater at the same location. Knowing the spatial and temporal occurrence of high salinity produced water in groundwater...
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center
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Geophysical mapping of produced water in near-surface environments

This task within the Oil and Gas Waters Project focuses on the development of oil and gas resources results in substantial volumes of produced water. Particularly when produced from deep geologic formations, these waters can exhibit elevated salinity in comparison to shallow groundwater at the same location. Knowing the spatial and temporal occurrence of high salinity produced water in groundwater...
Learn More
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Quantities of Water Associated with Oil and Gas Thumbnail

Quantities of water associated with oil and gas development

Work in this task of the Oil and Gas Waters Project focuses on quantifying the water used during hydrocarbon development and the water produced along with oil and gas. Hydraulic fracturing is an integral part of oil and gas development in many areas, and water use for this purpose has increased considerably in the last decade. Water produced from petroleum reservoirs includes hydraulic fracturing...
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
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Quantities of water associated with oil and gas development

Work in this task of the Oil and Gas Waters Project focuses on quantifying the water used during hydrocarbon development and the water produced along with oil and gas. Hydraulic fracturing is an integral part of oil and gas development in many areas, and water use for this purpose has increased considerably in the last decade. Water produced from petroleum reservoirs includes hydraulic fracturing...
Learn More
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oil derrick

Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is the process of injecting water, sand, and/or chemicals into a well to break up underground bedrock to free up oil or gas reserves. The USGS monitors the environmental impact of this practice across the country, from potential earthquakes to degraded groundwater quality.
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Water Resources Mission Area
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Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is the process of injecting water, sand, and/or chemicals into a well to break up underground bedrock to free up oil or gas reserves. The USGS monitors the environmental impact of this practice across the country, from potential earthquakes to degraded groundwater quality.
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Investigations Waters Task3 Banner

Oil and Gas Waters Project

The primary objective of this project is to provide information on the volume, quality, impacts, and possible uses of water produced during generation and development of energy resources (particularly hydrocarbons) as well as related fluids injected into reservoirs for energy development and associated waste disposal. The purpose of this work is to address scientific and societal questions...
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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Oil and Gas Waters Project

The primary objective of this project is to provide information on the volume, quality, impacts, and possible uses of water produced during generation and development of energy resources (particularly hydrocarbons) as well as related fluids injected into reservoirs for energy development and associated waste disposal. The purpose of this work is to address scientific and societal questions...
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Absorbance and Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix Data for Produced Waters from Oil and Gas Producing Basins in the United States

Waters co-produced during petroleum extraction are normally considered wastes but are also possible resources, especially in water-stressed regions. Produced waters can be chemically complex. High salinity, naturally occurring radioactive materials, and organic substances derived from the producing formation can complicate treatment processes. Rapid screening methods to characterize produced water
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Brine Research Instrumentation and Experimental (BRInE) Laboratory

Low biomass microbiology samples collected from a hydraulically fractured well producing from the Niobrara Shale in Colorado

Low biomass waters provide a unique challenge in the field of microbial ecology. It is difficult to determine, when biomass concentrations are extremely low, whether or not the sequencing data received are of good quality and representative of the waters sampled. Fifty-nine samples including 8 blanks were collected from a low biomass hydraulically fractured well producing from the Niobrara Shale i
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project task.

Machine learning approaches to identify lithium concentration in petroleum produced waters

Prices for battery-grade lithium have increased substantially since 2020, which is propelling the search for additional sources of this important element. Battery-grade lithium is predominately recovered from continental brines. Most crude oil and natural gas wells recover briny formation water, which may represent an additional source. Chemical analysis of these waters has been shown to indicate
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E. D. Attanasi, Timothy Coburn, Philip A. Freeman
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Utica shale play oil and gas brines: Geochemistry and factors influencing wastewater management

The Utica and Marcellus Shale Plays in the Appalachian Basin are the fourth and first largest natural gas producing plays in the United States, respectively. Hydrocarbon production generates large volumes of brine (“produced water”) that must be disposed of, treated, or reused. Though Marcellus brines have been studied extensively, there are few studies from the Utica Shale Play. This study presen

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Madalyn S. Blondes, Jenna L. Shelton, Mark A Engle, Jason Trembly, Colin A. Doolan, Aaron M. Jubb, Jessica Chenault, Elisabeth L. Rowan, Ralph J. Haefner, Brian E. Mailot
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Brine Research Instrumentation and Experimental (BRInE) Laboratory

Compositional analysis of formation water geochemistry and microbiology of commercial and carbon dioxide-rich wells in the southwestern United States

Studies of naturally occurring subsurface carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulations can provide useful information for potential CO2 injection projects; however, the microbial communities and formation water geochemistry of most reservoirs are understudied. Formation water and microbial biomass were sampled at four CO2-rich reservoir sites: two within Bravo Dome, a commercial CO2 field in New Mexico; one
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Jenna L. Shelton, Robert S. Andrews, Denise M. Akob, Christina A. DeVera, Adam C. Mumford, Mark Engle, Michelle R. Plampin, Sean T. Brennan
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston Microbiology Laboratory

The isometric log-ratio (ilr)-ion plot: A proposed alternative to the Piper diagram

The Piper diagram has been a staple for the analysis of water chemistry data since its introduction in 1944. It was conceived to be a method for water classification, determination of potential water mixing between end-members, and to aid in the identification of chemical reactions controlling a sample set. This study uses the information gleaned over the years since the release of the Piper diagr
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Jenna L. Shelton, Mark A. Engle, Antonella Buccianti, Madalyn S. Blondes
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Geochemistry of formation waters from the Wolfcamp and “Cline” shales: Insights into brine origin, reservoir connectivity, and fluid flow in the Permian Basin, USA

Despite being one of the most important oil producing provinces in the United States, information on basinal hydrogeology and fluid flow in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is lacking. The source and geochemistry of brines from the basin were investigated (Ordovician- to Guadalupian-age reservoirs) by combining previously published data from conventional reservoirs with geochemical resul
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Mark A. Engle, Francisco R. Reyes, Matthew S. Varonka, William H. Orem, Ma Lin, Adam J. Ianno, Tiffani M. Westphal, Pei Xu, Kenneth C. Carroll
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Brine Research Instrumentation and Experimental (BRInE) Laboratory

A practical guide to the use of major elements, trace elements, and isotopes in compositional data analysis: Applications for deep formation brine geochemistry

In the geosciences, isotopic ratios and trace element concentrations are often used along with major element concentrations to help determine sources of and processes affecting geochemical variation. Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA) is a set of tools, generally attuned to major element data, concerned with the proper statistical treatment and removal of spurious correlations from compositional d
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Madalyn S. Blondes, Mark A. Engle, Nicholas Geboy
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Water produced with coal-bed methane

Natural gas produced from coal beds (coal-bed methane, CBM) accounts for about 7.5 percent of the total natural gas production in the United States. Along with this gas, water is also brought to the surface. The amount of water produced from most CBM wells is relatively high compared to conventional natural gas wells because coal beds contain many fractures and pores that can contain and transmit
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U.S. Geological Survey National Produced Waters Geochemical Database (ver. 3.0, December 2023) Viewer

The U.S. Geological Survey National Produced Waters Geochemical Database Viewer (ver. 3.0) provides access to an updated compilation of geochemical and related information for water from oil and gas wells in the United States. The information includes identification and location information, well descriptions, dates, rock properties, physical properties of the water, organic chemistry and more.

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Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Brine Research Instrumentation and Experimental (BRInE) Laboratory