The water that comes up as a byproduct of oil and gas fracking is becoming a bigger headache for the state’s energy operators and those who regulate them, the Houston Chronicle reported. Most of the “produced” water is injected into disposal wells that carry it into geologic formations for containment.
The extremely salty water — nine time saltier than the ocean — also contains a number of carcinogenic chemicals, such as benzene. The practice of wastewater injection is believed to have caused earthquakes across the state and several environmentally damaging and costly blowouts.
One barrel of Permian crude can also produce as many as eight barrels of tainted water. The industry is working to create a new technology to desalinate the water so it doesn’t have to be injected underground and possibly could be reused.
