91天堂原創

A leading international think tank, 91天堂原創 Resources Institute (WRI), has published data suggesting that governments and businesses using hydraulic fracturing to develop shale gas could face intense water competition in the world鈥檚 largest reserves. is the first publicly available analysis of water availability across all potential commercial shale gas and tight oil resources worldwide. The report finds 38% of the world鈥檚 shale resources face high to extremely high water stress or arid conditions.

Underappreciated challenge to hydraulic fracturing industry

鈥淲ater risk is one of the most important, but underappreciated challenges when it comes to shale gas development. With 386 million people living on land above shale plays, governments and business face critical choices about how to manage their energy and water needs,鈥� said Andrew Steer, President & CEO, WRI. 鈥淭his analysis should serve as a wake-up call for countries seeking to develop shale gas. Energy development and responsible water management must go hand in hand.鈥�

The Global Shale Gas Development report ranks water stress across the 20 countries with the largest shale resources. In 40% of these countries, future shale production could happen in arid conditions or under high water stress.

Countries either pursuing or most likely to pursue hydraulic fracturing

The report also evaluates water availability for every shale play in the 11 countries either pursuing or most likely to pursue hydraulic fracturing: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Water availability and shale resources vary from country to country, making hydraulic fracturing鈥檚 potential unique in almost every location.

鈥淲ith many countries already facing arid conditions and high water stress around the globe, this report can help to ensure that there鈥檚 enough water available for industries, farms, and people, even if shale development advances,鈥� said Paul Reig, Associate at WRI and the report鈥檚 lead author. 鈥淭hankfully, there are smart and practical steps that countries and businesses can take to help reduce the water risks posed by future shale development.鈥�

Recommendations

The report shares four recommendations to help governments, companies, and civil societies protect water security while minimising business risks:

• Conduct water risk assessments to understand local water availability and reduce business risk.
• Increase transparency and engage with local regulators, communities, and industry to minimise uncertainty.
• Ensure adequate water governance to guarantee water security and reduce regulatory and reputational risks.
• Minimise freshwater use and engage in corporate water stewardship to reduce impacts on water availability.

Seven indicators were used to evaluate water availability and the associated business risks for shale development: Water stress, water-supply variation among months of the year, drought severity, groundwater depletion rates, largest water user, population density, and depth of shale reserve.

Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas

The report builds upon WRI鈥檚 Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, a high-resolution global water mapping and risk-assessment platform that is publicly available. Aqueduct's global water risk mapping tool helps companies, investors, governments, and other users understand where and how water risks and opportunities are emerging worldwide.

Adapted from press release by

Read the article online at: /business-news/02092014/water-competition-a-serious-consideration-for-hydraulic-fracturing-operations/