ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Analysis of Chemical and Toxicological Properties
of Fluids for Shale Hydraulic Fracturing
and Flowback Water
Teresa Steliga, Dorota Kluk, Piotr Jakubowicz
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Oil and Gas Institute – National Research Institute,
Lubicz 25A, 31-503 Cracow, Poland
Submission date: 2015-04-02
Final revision date: 2015-05-20
Acceptance date: 2015-05-25
Publication date: 2015-09-21
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(5):2185-2196
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ABSTRACT
An analysis of environmental threats showed that the complete influence of shale gas production on the
environment is bigger than in the case of gas production from a traditional oilfield. Hydraulic fracturing of
shale, done on a much larger scale, results in huge amounts of liquid waste that must be managed in a rational
way. An optimum solution to this problem is reusing flowback water to develop fluids for later fracturing.
This article discusses the composition of the fluids used in hydraulic fracturing of non-conventional deposits
as well as the flowback water. In the case of the examined liquids, toxicological tests have been carried out
using microbiotests of ToxKit types Microtox, MARA, Daphtoxkit F magna, and Thamnotoxkit F.
The research was done on a sample of fluids for hydraulic fracturing, and on flowback water obtained in
hydraulic fracturing of shale formations in Poland. The tests are essential for correctly managing flowback
waters after fracturing.