Oil Removal Solutions Blog

We just got back from the recent Shale Water Expo in Houston. This was the first conference and exhibition in the United States to focus on the natural gas drilling industry’s biggest issue:  water.

Water management is on everybody’s mind these days. Water, the high-cost, high-volume component in hydraulic fracturing, is more than just an operating expense. It has become an item of public concern that’s in the news every day. Not surprisingly, one conference panel featured a water engineer, hydrogeologist, recycling advocate, and regulators from the Texas Railroad Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality. Presentations by environmental experts, academics, industry thought leaders and entrepreneurs rounded out this timely summit.

Recently, an increasing number of companies in the oil and gas industry’s hydraulic fracturing wastewater disposal business have found employing efficient, low-maintenance oil skimming technology can bring sustained improvements to their bottom lines. We’re talking added monthly profits of $3,000 to $18,000. Sound appealing?

Wastewater disposal companies in Texas, West Virginia and Ohio, who have purchased oil skimmers to recover and sell oil that is present in the hydraulic fracturing wastewater being delivered to their facilities, have capitalized on this new revenue within just 2 to 3 months of using the technology. And, that’s not all. In addition to generating new revenue streams and delivering a nearly immediate return-on-investment, oil skimmers used in wastewater disposal applications also reduce operational costs and increase operational efficiency.

“Fracking.” We are all familiar with the term in one way or another as it’s been one of the most discussed and debated media topics as of late. From articles and news segments with titles such as Fracking Draws Support From Unions As Jobs Flourish, Worrying Environmentalists to A Real American Story: Why the Fracking Revolution Happened Here, the “fracking” or “hydraulic fracturing,” conversation is broad.

And, the business is vast. The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimates that there are more than 1 million fracked wells throughout the U.S. and that roughly 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will rely on the popular and effective shale oil and gas extraction technique. (http://cewc.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ei_shale_gas_regulation120215.pdf)