Albuquerque water-treatment company Altela Inc. says it has a solution to environmental discharge concerns about natural gas drilling in Marcellus Shale through fracturing or hydro-fracking.
The company this week started treating 100,000 gallons of frac water a day at a plant in Williamsport, Pa., and successfully removing contaminants to better-than-drinking-water standards, said Altela CEO Ned Godshall.
The treated water can be reused for hydro-fracking or can be put into rivers with no harmful effects to people or wildlife, Godshall said in a news release.
Fracking involves pumping a high-pressure mix of water and chemicals to crack rock formations deep underground and release oil and gas. The practice has taken on national importance as companies use it in more states. Landowners, environmental groups and others have raised questions about potential contamination of drinking water and health effects.
A new Pennsylvania regulation that became law Monday requires drilling companies to remove salt and other contaminants from hydro-fracking, or frac, wastewater before releasing treated water into rivers. The regulation was implemented after officials discovered high levels of bromide and other harmful chemicals in river water samples.
“With 4 million gallons of water generated from a single natural gas well, it’s imperative water-treatment plants find a safe and effective way to treat frac water,” said Godshall. “Altela can do just that.”
The Albuquerque company tested its treatment system last year through the National Energy Technology Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Godshall, who grew up in Pennsylvania, said he considers that state’s ability to properly treat frac wastewater as key to the ultimate success of the natural gas drilling in Marcellus Shale, an eight-state region in the northeastern United States.
Altela’s new technology — the AltelaRain 600 system — in Williamsport should help preserve thousands of jobs that would be at risk if drilling companies cannot meet regulations, Godshall said.
Estimates say some 215,000 jobs could be created by fracking in Pennsylvania by 2015 if the industry thrives.
