EPA's Hydraulic Fracturing Research in Brief
Drinking
Water Well
Hydraulic Fracturing
Water Cycle
The EPA's study includes research
on hydraulic fracturing of shale
formations to extract natural gas and
oil. The scope of the research is defined
by the hydraulic fracturing water
cycle—five areas where the process
has the potential to impact drinking
water resources. It begins with water
acquisition and ends with treatment
and/or disposal of wastewater.
Number of Projects by Research Activity
The EPA is using a variety of research
activities to answer five primary and
16 secondary research questions, as
outlined in the Agency's Plan to
Study the Potential Impacts of
Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking
Water Resources, www.epa.
gov/hfstudy. EPA researchers are
conducting 21 individual research
projects that fall under five types of
activities: analysis of existing data,
scenario evaluations, laboratory
studies, toxicity assessments and case
studies. Research progress for each
type of research activity is summarized
in the 2012 Progress Report.
Analysis of existing data
Scenario evaluations
Laboratory studies
Toxicity assessment
Retrospective case studies
Prospective case studies
EPA/601/F-12/008
November 2012
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources
2012 Progress Report
Water Acquisition
Wastewater
reatment Plant
Drinking Surface
Water Well
Aquifer
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
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Water Acquisition
Research Projects
What is water acquisition?
The first stage of the EPA's hydraulic fracturing water cycle that requires
large volumes of water to fracture rock formations
Water sources include ground water, surface water and recycled
wastewater from the process itself—treated flowback and produced water
Treated wastewater can include wastewater from hydraulic fracturing
operations as well as other types of wastewater
Why is the EPA looking at water acquisition as part of this study?
• Characterize sources and volumes of water currently used in
hydraulic fracturing operations
• Understand how withdrawals may change the quality and
availability of local drinking water
What are the possible impacts of large volume water withdrawals from
ground and surface waters on drinking water resources?
Secondary Research Questions
How much water is used in hydraulic
fracturing operations, and what are the
sources of this water?
How might water withdrawals affect
short- and long-term 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?
Research Projects
Literature Review
Well File Review
FracFocus Analysis
Service Company Analysis
Water Availability Modeling
• Literature Review
• Water Availability Modeling
• Literature Review
Analysis of existing data
I Scenario evaluations
Laboratory studies
I Retrospective case studies
Prospective case studies
Literature Review
Review and summarize literature on:
• Volumes and sources of water used in hydraulic fracturing fluids
• Local impacts to water availability in areas with hydraulic fracturing activity
• Water quality impacts from ground and surface water withdrawals
Service Company Analysis
Summarize data provided by nine hydraulic fracturing service companies—owners and operators of
production wells—on volumes and sources of water used in hydraulic fracturing fluids
Well File Review
Well files are records of activities that occurred at production wells that have been provided by the nine
hydraulic fracturing operators. This effort will summarize data from 333 randomly selected well files on
volumes and source of water used in hydraulic fracturing fluids
FracFocus Database Analysis
Compile and summarize total water volumes reported at FracFocus.org—a voluntary industry database—by
geographic location, well depth, water types and oil/gas production
Water Availability Modeling
Summarize data on water usage for hydraulic fracturing in a semi-arid climate (Upper Colorado
River Basin) and a humid climate (Susquehanna River Basin)
• Use watershed models to explore water availability for public water supplies under a variety of
scenarios, focusing on water usage in the Upper Colorado and Susquehanna River Basins
www.epa.gov/hfstudy
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