>>Dr. Robert Puls: In a previous session, we talked about chemicals that are used in
hydraulic fracturing: the types of chemicals, their amounts, their purposes. We have with
us today Miss Denise Tuck from Halliburton. Welcome, Denise.
>>Denise Tuck: Thank you, Dr.Puls.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: Thank you for being here. Miss Tuck has over 30 years of experience
in the environmental engineering field. She has worked for Halliburton for over 23 years.
She is the Senior Product Champion for Production Enhancement. She also participates on the
hydraulic fracturing team at Halliburton in regulatory compliance support of its business
activities. She has served on several technical committees with the American Petroleum Institute
and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. She has a chemical engineering degree from Auburn
University and is a registered engineer in Texas. So one of the things we've we've discussed
in the course regarding chemical formulation for hydraulic fracturing is the complexity
of those formulations and the fact that the recipes can change from one formation to another
depending on the the nature of the formation, the physical chemical properties of the formation.
Can you shed some more light on that issue for us?
>>Denise Tuck: Yes, even unlocking the intricacies of each formation is what allows us to do
our business and bring the production online as quickly as possible. And in fact that's
been the key to the shale plays is how quickly you can unlock each one of the shale plays.
And each one of the formulations varies, sometimes formation to formation, and even within a
formation, you can have variations amongst the wells that are in that formation.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: So when you talk about unlocking a formation, what do you mean by
that?
>>Denise Tuck: Trying to grab the best production out of that formation as quickly as possible.
And it depends again on what you're going after, whether or not you're going after oil,
gas, or both in some cases, and how you can bring that formation to the surface as quickly
as possible.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: So how you can optimize production, basically.
>>Denise Tuck: Yes.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: Okay. One of the issues that we've discussed is the issue of using
recycled water, taking flowback-produced water, recycling that, and using it on the next hydraulic
fracturing job, but that obviously must present some challenges when it comes to coming up
with the right formulations for those types of jobs.
>>Denise Tuck: Yes, it does. Any types of different constituents can interfere with
the function of certain chemicals in the fluid formation. So as we formulate the fluid, we
want those chemicals to do certain things within the fluid. In fact, Halliburton has
developed a new fluid system that can handle recycled water up to 300,000 parts per million
of total dissolved solids, and have other constituents present as well. This allows
the operators to be able to use that water to build other fluid systems going forward
and not having to dispose or truck or treat those waters.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: That's one of the most amazing things that I've seen over the last
few years. The fact that industry has gone from using freshwater in in making up their
fracturing fluids, to now being able to, as you say, 300,000 parts per million--that's
incredible in terms of the concentration of total dissolved solids. So this now opens
the door for using all kinds of marginal waters to do a hydraulic fracturing job, correct?
>>Denise Tuck: It does with minimal treatment as well. And those waters can also be used
for drilling purposes, for cementing as well. So you're able to reuse that water in multiple
places across the play as you develop the play.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: One of the other things I've noticed over the last several years too
is there seems to be a trend to using less chemicals, and where things allow for it,
what people call greener chemicals. Can you say something about that?
>>Denise Tuck: It's not just the use of the chemicals. Sometimes it's the deployment of
the technology that allows you to use those new chemicals that are, that go hand-in-hand
with that. Halliburton has developed a new fluid system that is sourced entirely from
the food industry we believe provides a large margin of environmental safety in in its use.
There is also other things we've developed, such as: we've removed the gel carriers to
be able to produce a cross-linked fluid system. But in doing that, we had to develop the technology
to deploy that material because it was a dry material. Those things go hand-in-hand, and
it's not just the development of the chemicals, but it's the deployment of those in the technology,
you know, in the use of the technology to deploy those chemicals that go hand-in-hand
with us.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: Just to get that those fluids down, down into the well.
>>Denise Tuck: Down... Yeah.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: You know, this chemical registry, FracFocus, that the Groundwater
Protection Council with the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, I think both of
them collaborated on putting that together. How do service companies feel about that whole
issue of chemical disclosure?
>>Denise Tuck: Halliburton has from the start supported FracFocus, and continues to support
FracFocus because we believe it is a way for the public to gain information on the fluid
systems that are pumped in an individual well. We have supported that platform as well even
in other countries, such as Canada and Europe because we believe it is important for the
public to have access to that information.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: Now there's been some criticism of the FracFocus website in terms of--first
of all, it's voluntary, although I guess some states now actually require it.
>>Denise Tuck: Actually, it's over 15 states now require it.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: 15 states. Yeah, but there is this issue of proprietary information--in
other words, confidential business information--on some of the fluids that that different service
companies--and there is quite a few of them, and they're in competition with one another.
So can you address this issue of proprietary information?
>>Denise Tuck: As in any industry, there are things that each company has that provides
them a competitive advantage. That is what is deemed to be proprietary information. You
know, the company invests millions and millions of dollars to develop, this and to bring this
information, this formulation to the operators. So it allows them to get a leg up on their
competition. If the proprietary information was made available, then the competition would
be able to take that and reverse-engineer it. In a very short order, it would negate
our investment in all of our research and technology development that we've done, and
it's it's millions every year. And that would stifle our company to bring more innovative
products to the marketplace down the road to solve other problems because if we're losing
our competitive advantage, there's no reason for us to have that.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: Right, and I've, one of the things that I've been impressed is how
the agility of the industry, not just the operators, but also the service companies
to adapt to new areas, to new plays, to new types of formations, to new regulatory environments.
I think that's that's been amazing. One of the one of the things I know you and Halliburton
have been involved with is the national EPA study on hydraulic fracturing and drinking
water resources. And I know you've been involved at the very least in terms of providing them
information, but also actively participating in some of their stakeholder workshops and
and events. Can you can you talk about how that participation has worked out?
>>Denise Tuck: Halliburton believes and wants to partner very much with EPA to bring sound
science to their study. We've provided them in-depth information on techniques of hydraulic
fracturing and on the chemicals that are being used in hydraulic fracturing. The workshops
have been very informative. It's been a very collaborative exchange of information, and
I think it will enhance the study going forward. It remains be seen once the study has been
issued how, you know, how it comes out.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: Yeah, that'll be about a year from now, I guess.
>>Denise Tuck: It will.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: So, I want to thank you for being with here with us today--
>>Denise Tuck: Thank you, Dr. Puls.
>>Dr. Robert Puls: --and and people should know that Denise is one of the foremost experts
in this field in terms of these chemical formulations and constantly changing and upgrading these
things. Thank you.
>>Denise Tuck: Thank you.