United States Office of Water EPA-820-R-16-003 Environmental Protection Washington, DC 20460 June 2016 Agency Technical Development Document for the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category Technical Development Document for the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category EPA-820-R-16-003 JUNE 2016 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water (4303T) Washington, DC 20460 Acknowledgements and Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency. Neither the United States Government nor any of its employees, contractors, subcontractors, or their employees make any warrant, expressed or implied, or assume any legal liability or responsibility for any third party’s use of or the results of such use of any information, apparatus, product, or process discussed in this report, or represents that its use by such party would not infringe on privately owned rights. Questions regarding this document should be directed to: U.S. EPA Engineering and Analysis Division (4303T) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460 (202) 566-1000 iii Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ......................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose and Summary of the Rule.......................................................................... 1 1.2 How to Use This Document .................................................................................... 1 2 Regulatory Background ...................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Background on Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Pretreatment Standards ................................................................................................................. 2 2.2 The National Pretreatment Program (40 CFR part 403) ......................................... 5 2.3 Oil and Gas Extraction ELG Rulemaking History ................................................. 8 3 State Pretreatment Requirements ........................................................................................ 9 4 Related Federal Requirements .......................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER B. SCOPE AND INDUSTRY DESCRIPTION ..................................................................... 12 1 Unconventional Oil and Gas ............................................................................................. 12 1.1 Overview of Oil and Gas Resources ..................................................................... 12 1.2 Scope of This Rulemaking .................................................................................... 14 2 Industry Description: UOG Well Development Process .................................................. 22 2.1 UOG Exploration .................................................................................................. 23 2.2 UOG Well Drilling and Construction ................................................................... 24 2.3 UOG Well Completion ......................................................................................... 27 2.4 UOG Production ................................................................................................... 32 3 Industry Description: UOG Well Drilling and Completion Activity ................................ 33 3.1 Historical and Current UOG Drilling Activity ..................................................... 33 3.2 UOG Resource Potential ....................................................................................... 37 3.3 Current and Projections of Future UOG Well Completions ................................. 38 CHAPTER C. UNCONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION WASTEWATER VOLUMES AND CHARACTERISTICS ......................................................................................... 40 1 Fracturing Fluid Characteristics ........................................................................................ 41 1.1 Base Fluid Composition ........................................................................................ 42 1.2 Additives ............................................................................................................... 43 1.3 Fracturing Fluids ................................................................................................... 47 2 UOG Extraction Wastewater Volumes ............................................................................. 48 2.1 UOG Extraction Wastewater Volumes by Resource and Well Trajectory ........... 48 2.2 UOG Produced Water Volumes by Formation ..................................................... 53 iv Table of Contents CONTENTS (Continued) Page 3 UOG Extraction Wastewater Characterization ................................................................. 59 3.1 Availability of Data for UOG Extraction Wastewater Characterization .............. 59 3.2 UOG Extraction Wastewater Constituent Categories ........................................... 59 3.3 UOG Produced Water Characterization Changes over Time ............................... 80 CHAPTER D. UOG EXTRACTION WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL PRACTICES ............................................................................................................. 82 1 Overview of UOG Extraction Wastewater Management and Disposal Practices ............ 82 2 Injection into Disposal Wells ............................................................................................ 88 2.1 Regulatory Framework for Underground Injection .............................................. 89 2.2 Active Disposal Wells and Volumes .................................................................... 89 2.3 Underground Injection of UOG Wastewaters ....................................................... 92 3 Reuse/Recycle in Fracturing ............................................................................................. 95 3.1 Reuse/Recycle Strategies ...................................................................................... 97 3.2 Reuse/Recycle Drivers ........................................................................................ 100 3.3 Other Considerations for Reuse/Recycle ............................................................ 105 4 Transfer to CWT Facilities ............................................................................................. 107 4.1 Types of CWT Facilities ..................................................................................... 107 4.2 Active CWT Facilities Accepting UOG Extraction Wastewater ........................ 109 5 Discharge to POTWs ...................................................................................................... 111 5.1 POTW Background and Treatment Levels ......................................................... 112 5.2 History of POTW Acceptance of UOG Extraction Wastewater ......................... 115 5.3 How UOG Extraction Wastewater Constituents Interact with POTWs ............. 120 CHAPTER E. REFERENCE FLAGS AND LIST ............................................................................... 155 CHAPTER F. APPENDICES ......................................................................................................... 169 v List of Tables LIST OF TABLES Page Table A-1. Summary of State Regulations/Guidance ....................................................................10 Table B-1. Summary of State Regulatory Definitions ...................................................................16 Table B-2. Active Onshore Oil and Gas Drilling Rigs by Well Trajectory and Product Type (as of October 9, 2015) .......................................................................................36 Table B-3. UOG Potential by Resource Type as of January 1, 2013 ............................................38 Table C-1. Sources for Base Fluid in Hydraulic Fracturing ..........................................................43 Table C-2. Fracturing Fluid Additives, Common Compounds, and Common Uses .....................44 Table C-3. Most Frequently Reported Additive Ingredients Used in Fracturing Fluid in Gas Wells from FracFocus (2011–2013) .....................................................................46 Table C-4. Most Frequently Reported Additive Ingredients Used in Fracturing Fluid in Oil Wells from FracFocus (2011–2013) ......................................................................46 Table C-5. Median Drilling Wastewater Volumes for UOG Horizontal and Vertical Wells in Pennsylvania ............................................................................................................51 Table C-6. Drilling Wastewater Volumes Generated per Well by UOG Formation .....................51 Table C-7. UOG Well Flowback Recovery by Resource Type and Well Trajectory ....................52 Table C-8. Long-Term Produced Water Generation Rates by Resource Type and Well Trajectory .....................................................................................................................53 Table C-9. Produced Water Volume Generation by UOG Formation ...........................................54 Table C-10. Concentrations of Select Classical and Conventional Constituents in UOG Drilling Wastewater from Marcellus