This project will conduct research to develop improved approaches for the management, treatment, and recovery of water used in unconventional oil and gas production for energy use. It will include ten researchers from universities in Kansas and West Virginia with expertise in energy and water treatment technologies, natural resources management, and aquatic ecology. Unconventional oil and gas has become an increasingly significant industry in the United States, including in Kansas and West Virginia, motivating efforts to minimize the associated environmental impacts. This provides an opportunity for cross-regional collaborations with the potential for broader national impacts. The project?s work will focus on minimizing freshwater use and wastewater production in oil and gas recovery, the treatment of produced water for beneficial reuse and safe disposal, and understanding the impacts of oil and gas exploration on aquatic ecosystems. The research focus aligns with national priorities to develop more sustainable energy and water systems. The project will also support the recruitments and development of diverse early-career faculty and will develop career-focused curriculum in water and energy systems at the participating institutions.
The research team will conduct several studies related to the use of water in unconventional oil and gas production. Polyelectrolyte-stabilized carbon dioxide foams will be examined as alternative hydraulic fracturing fluids that will reduce the demand for freshwater resources in oil and gas production. An improved approach for reservoir pressure management will be examined that balances deep-aquifer produced water injection with brine withdrawals, with the goal of reducing induced seismicity. New methods will be investigated to effectively treat produced water for reuse and/or safe disposal. Treatments methods to be studied include polyelectrolyte complexes to remove scale-forming cations, biodegradation of organic contaminants using fluidized aerobic granules, and removal of organics using microbial desalination cells. Finally, the impacts of oil and gas production on aquatic ecosystems will be studied to understand the capacity of these ecosystems to sustain development.
