NGI: Fracked Oil, NatGas Wells Less Water Intensive Than Other Energy Extraction, Say Duke Researchers

Energy companies drilling in 10 onshore basins across the country used nearly 250 billion gallons of water over a 10-year period to extract unconventional natural gas and oil, a large number but still less than 1% of the total amount of industrial water used nationwide, a Duke University study has found.

During the study period, 2005 to 2014, fractured (fracked) wells drilled in 10 basins studied also generated an estimated 210 billion gallons of wastewater, researchers calculated in a report published Tuesday.

"Water use and wastewater production are two of the chief environmental concerns voiced about hydraulic fracturing," said Duke's Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry/water quality at the Nicholas School of the Environment. "Yet until now, we've had only a fragmented and incomplete understanding of how much water is actually being used, and how much wastewater is being produced."

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