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UT Study Analyzes Water Use in Barnett Shale Drilling

According a new study financed by the University of Texas Energy Institute, the amount of water used in drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the Barnett Shale area in 2011 amounted to about 8.5 billion gallons, or about 4 percent of the water used in the 15-country region.

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Trucks carry cement that will be mixed to fill the space between multiple layers of casing in preparation for the hydraulic fracturing process at a Chesapeake Energy drill site in Dimmit, Texas in the Eagle Ford Shale.
Credit: Tamir Kalifa

According a new study financed by the University of Texas Energy Institute and published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the amount of water used in drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the Barnett Shale area in 2011 amounted to about 8.5 billion gallons, or about 4 percent of the water used in the 15-country region. According to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, lead researcher Jean-Philippe Nicot said that he was less concerned about the quantity of water used than about chemical spills and other surface effects of drilling.

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