Nonmetallic Technologies Supporting Water Transport and Store Management in Drilling and Fracturing Operations

Abstract

Water is the one of the most important aspect in unconventional resources (UR) where reservoirs are fractured to create cracks in the deep-rock formations and accordingly boost gas and oil production. Large amount of water is daily consumed for fracturing and drilling operations. To streamline the water transportation and conservation in those operations, several nonmetallic (NM) based technologies have been developed replacing the conventional ones. In water transport management there are two types of NM flexible that are used, the retrievable water transfer flexiable piping called layflat hose and the steel reinforce thermoplastic pipe called (S-RTP), which provide a better alternative as they have higher flexibility and faster installation in the field. In addition, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) modular and bladder/inflatable tanks are water storage systems that have been utilized widely to eliminate the expensive pits construction and enhancing water management. The present papers highlights different NM water transport technologies replacing the current aluminum flowline, which provides many operational advantages. In addition, this paper presents a pipe-in liner technology for pipeline rehabilitation solutions. Besides, the paper presents technical information of modular and inflatable tank that would help eliminating the expensive construction and minimizing water splash/evaporation in the summer season. The technical qualification process of and successful field deployment of Layflat hose will be shared. This study will open the opportunity for further field deployments toward improving the water transport operation and minimizing the environment impact.