Energy and water production trends in the Powder River Basin

Energy extraction and water are intrinsically linked. Quantifying this relationship is critical to develop effective management strategies that minimize adverse environmental impacts and potentially reduce production costs. The objective of this study was to assess the spatiotemporal variability in water use and water production through hydrocarbon extraction from conventional and unconventional reservoirs using data from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming as a case study. Field level and detailed well-by-well analyses were conducted to quantify the spatiotemporal variability of oil and gas volumes and the corresponding co-produced water from conventional oil reservoirs and coal bed methane (CBM) reservoirs, and additional water used for hydraulic fracturing in unconventional shale reservoirs. Results show that conventional oil and CBM gas production has markedly declined along with produced water. The water demands of unconventional oil and gas development in the last decade have increased with increasing unconventional oil production, however water use per unit of energy produced has increased. Produced water from unconventional oil wells does not meet hydraulic fracturing water demands. CBM wells in proximity to new unconventional well development may be a source of water needing minimal treatment for growing hydraulic fracturing water demands.