Hydrofracking Wastewater Treatment Market to Triple

Hydrofracking wastewater treatment market to triple

The U.S. market for treating produced water and flowback water generated during the process of hydrologic fracturing, or “fracking,” in oil and gas production will increase substantially from $138 million in 2014 to $357 million in 2020, according to a recent report by Bluefield Research (Boston, MA).

The report finds that, overall, the U.S. oil and gas industry will spend $6.38 billion in 2014 on water management, including water supply, transport, storage, treatment, and disposal. The transport and disposal components will account for 66% of the total costs, while treatment will only constitute 2% of that expenditure this year, but treatment will gain as the industry requires more reuse of its wastewater. The “fracking” industry has been a kind of “wild west” for the U.S. water industry, according to Bluefield analyst Reese Tisdale, because of the explosive build-out of fracking wells, the lack of clear regulation of water management in key markets, and the absence to date of a consistent method for treating the wastewater.