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In downturn, frackers turn to toilet water in drought-prone Texas
Reuters ^ | 8-21-2015 | Anna Driver

Posted on 08/20/2015 11:01:40 PM PDT by Citizen Zed

Pioneer is the first oil and gas company to sign a long-term wastewater supply contract with Odessa, a city of about 110,000 people. The Dallas-based company recently began construction on a pipeline network that will transport the treated water from the city's sewage plant to one of its oilfields about 20 miles away.

"The money has been approved," said Stephen McNair, president of Pioneer's water management group.

Pioneer's goal is to eliminate the use of fresh water in fracking in 5 to 10 years, said McNair.

The municipal reclaimed water the company intends to use comes from sewage plants that treat human waste and water from activities that include bathing and food preparation, according to Texas regulators.

City officials say the deal will provide a steady stream of revenue and reduces truck traffic.

"We didn't think we were making our highest and best use of our effluent water, we were using a lot for irrigation," said Larry Long, the Odessa city attorney who helped to negotiate the deal with Pioneer.

(Excerpt) Read more at mobile.reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: 2016election; election2016; energy; fracking; oil; tedcruz; texas
Oh crap.
1 posted on 08/20/2015 11:01:40 PM PDT by Citizen Zed
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To: Citizen Zed
If the gray water is treated, there shouldn't be any crap (nor bacteria, for that matter, although those can be killed off with biocides. If the reservoir is already sour (containing H2S) it may not make a lot of difference.

Considering there are bacteria which eat oil, though, I'd make sure the water was sterile before being pumped into any well I had even a consultancy control of. I can just see some eco-terrorist (or other terrorist) group flushing mass quantities of something like that in order to damage the wells, the field, and the industry.

2 posted on 08/21/2015 12:43:18 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Citizen Zed

I don’t understand why this would be the least bit controversial.

Finding new uses for treated wastewater is the environmentally responsible thing to do.


3 posted on 08/21/2015 3:49:22 AM PDT by WayneS (Yeah, it's probably sarcasm...)
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To: Citizen Zed

I think they should route raw waste through the white house and all government buildings in Washington D.C. before sending it back to Texas for fracking wells.

In that manner, the water would clean itself by coming into contact with all government employees, elected officials, and all others associated with the government there and the “crap” would simply stay there among other “crap” we call the government and could be recirculated cleanly back to Texas.

The old saying “birds of a feather stick together” applies as “crap that smells and looks the same sticks together.”

And....that crap would certainly STICK there and stay.


4 posted on 08/21/2015 4:02:17 AM PDT by DH (Once the tainted finger of government touches anything the rot begins)
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To: Citizen Zed

“Drought-prone Texas” is also “flood-prone Texas.”


5 posted on 08/21/2015 4:02:25 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("All the time live the truth with love in your heart." ~Fr. Ho Lung)
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