hf-report20121214

Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing
on Drinking Water Resources: Progress Report December 2012
Table 2. Secondary research questions and applicable research projects identified for the water acquisition stage of
the hydraulic fracturing water cycle. The table also identifies the sections of this report that contain detailed
information about the listed research projects.
Secondary Research Questions Applicable Research Projects Section
Literature Review 3.1
How much water is used in hydraulic fracturing
operations, and what are the sources of this water
How might water withdrawals affect short- and longterm
water availability in an area with hydraulic
fracturing activity
What are the possible impacts of water withdrawals
for hydraulic fracturing operations on local water
quality
Service Company Analysis 3.3
Well File Review 3.4
FracFocus Analysis 3.5
Water Availability Modeling 4.3
Literature Review 3.1
Water Availability Modeling 4.3
Literature Review 3.1
2.1.2. Chemical Mixing: What are the possible impacts of surface spills on or near well
pads of hydraulic fracturing fluids on drinking water resources
Once onsite, water is mixed with chemicals to create the hydraulic fracturing fluid that is pumped
down the well, as illustrated in Figure 6. The fluid serves two purposes: to create pressure to
propagate fractures and to carry the proppant into the fracture. Chemicals are added to the fluid to
change its properties (e.g., viscosity, pH) in order to optimize the performance of the fluid. Roughly
1% of water-based hydraulic fracturing fluids are composed of various chemicals, which is
equivalent to 50,000 gallons for a shale gas well that uses 5 million gallons of fluid.
Figure 6. Chemical mixing. Water is mixed with chemicals and proppant onsite to create the hydraulic fracturing fluid
immediately before injection.
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