Produced Salt Water: The Overlooked Resource in Resource Plays? Solving Water Issues via Paradigm Shifts, New Technologies, Markets, and Community Partnerships Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D. AAPG
Multi-Pronged Challenges and Opportunities Challenges Outrage over diversion of water for non-community use Contamination fears (aquifers and surface) Potential of Induced Seismicity Opportunities Optimize / minimize use of water Avoid using surface water and groundwater Recycle, reuse, purify Water gathering systems / consolidation of processing
Paradigm-Shift: New Set of Opportunities Drilling Programs: Salt Water As the Target? Dispense with salt water disposal wells altogether – don’t inject, purify Prospect for brine (with associated gas and oil) that has optimal qualities for purifying to gray water and potable water quality Develop joint ventures with communities in need of water Develop infrastructure (communities use bond issues for the infrastructure)
Produced Water Purification: Finally Economic? Equitable uses and distribution of water Emissions standards increasingly stringent Technology of purification improving Reverse osmosis Distillation Innovative methods Improved remote monitoring to minimize cost of corrosion control, scale inhibitors, etc. ! Range of markets: agricultural, potable, boutique
Getting Started: Identify Goals & Ultimate Objectives Communities and Technological Change Equitable uses and distribution of water Sustainable life / communities Sustainable extraction of resources we need Avoiding unintended consequences Microbial consequences Toxicities Health issues Communicate ! Encouraging over-population (which is the problem? Population? (Malthus) or Technology (Latour, Verbeek)
Recurring Ethical Themes in Technology Neutrality vs. Moral Agency • Hydraulic fracturing is a • neutral process; the people who apply it can behave in an evil way Hydraulic Fracturing Is Evil • • Responsibility, Design, Risk Assessment • For best result, use “neutrality” argument and emphasize responsibility (for the implementers of technology as well as the beneficiaries / stakeholders)
Alliances: What Are They? Which ones work? • Which ones do not? Why? • Industry-specific with other groups Communities • Technical professionals • Educational • Groups (parents, religious • Communicate with different constituencies: groups, etc.) Mission & vision consistent
Trust: What does it look like? Erikson: Trust is the first level of • psychosocial development – if not established early, mistrust, paranoia, and suspicion cannot be overcome How to establish trust? • Communication • Openness • Access to all levels of an • organization No “David & Goliath” • relationships
“It Is Better to be Feared than Loved” Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince ACTIVIST GROUPS: PETA • Sierra Club • Greenpeace, etc. • “SHAREHOLDER ADVOCATES”: Carl Icahn, etc. • Manipulating issues to affect • investor behaviors Niccolo Machiavelli COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS: Life-sustaining • Decorative water • Design “value - adds” •
Water Wars: Coming soon? Inevitable? The “Leviathan” called in to assure equitable distribution? Common power will force cooperation? Reality – Strong Government / Monarch, etc. will ASSURE the Thomas Hobbes: 1588 – development of a war? 1679 – The Leviathan We need dissent as pressure relief • (1660) We need perception of self-interest • being satisfied “No arts; no letters; no society; Must avoid extreme escalation of • and which is worst of all, water conflicts (avoid making it a continual fear and danger of violent death; and the life of life or death issue) man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Note: Hobbes lived during England’s Civil War ― Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
Avoiding Escalation to War Waged Over Water Quietly Fund Dissenters? Encourage “pressure release” via • self-interest expression Publish / social networking • constructive debate Lionize teams and groups of • different sides Avoid Escalation Do not reward martyrdom • Encourage Multiple Solutions Grassroots technological adoption • Fund alternative technologies • Make Injection a Thing of the Past Economically reclaim / reuse / recycle
Decision-Points http://zenzebra.net/decisionpointswater/
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