The Eagle Ford Shale Region needs rain. South Texas is suffering one of the worst droughts on record and concern over the industry's use of water will continue. Operators are beginning to recycle flow back, but much of the water isn't returned at a time it can be recycled. If the drought continues, the industry will be looking for new ways to source water for completions.
"With widespread pasture losses, crop failures and shortages of water in rivers, reservoirs and wells, the Carrizo and Gulf Coast aquifers, which underlie the region, already are under increased pressure to meet the needs of agriculture and cities.""Add to that the tens of thousands more wells expected to be drilled in the coming two decades, each of which requires millions of gallons of water to unlock the hydrocarbons within the shale, and the increased workforce needed to make the boom happen, and a perennial question for the region becomes even more urgent:Is there enough water?"
"It depends on which part of the Eagle Ford shale play you're talking about, how much water will be needed, what are the supply options, and what level of activity is taking place. On top of those variables is a relative lack of regulation for water used in drilling."
"Most of the water used for oil and gas drilling in the Eagle Ford comes from groundwater, which is regulated by groundwater conservation districts."
"Among those districts, there is less concern that drilling activities will impact the massive Carrizo-Wilcox, located above much of the oil- and gas-rich shale, than the Gulf Coast Aquifer, located to the south and east of the Carrizo."
Read the full news release at mysanantonio.com