A new system for treating shale well flowback water at or near the source was introduced Tuesday near Fort Worth, TX, by Fountain Quail Water Management, a unit of Calgary-based Aqua-Pure Ventures Inc.

The Rover mobile clarifier system is self-contained and can treat up to 10,000 bbl of flowback and produced water per day, according to Fountain Quail.

“The Rover System is an ideal solution for natural gas producers looking to reduce their costs of water sourcing, storage, disposal and transportation,” said Aqua-Pure Chairman Richard Magnus. “We believe this technology, which enables producers to recycle water on demand near the wellhead, will quickly become a widely accepted best practice in our industry.”

Tested in conjunction with a producer in the Barnett Shale, the system removes suspended solids and soluble organics from shale gas wastewater and returns clean brine that can be blended for reuse as hydraulic fracturing (frack) fluid. “What we’ve achieved with the Rover is a repackaging of the technology we’ve successfully deployed in shale plays across the continent. The mobile configuration is suitable for virtually any drilling location,” said Magnus.

The system consists of a low-profile clarification trailer and an auxiliary support trailer. Flowback is pumped from the source (e.g., frack tank, pit) into the unit. Suspended solids and organics are separated from the solution using clarification and an adjustable chemical system that addresses the constant variability of shale water. Solids settle into a collection tank where they are dewatered while clean brine is pumped out of the system to a location specified by the customer. The clean brine may be used for a broad range of drilling operations, Fountain Quail said.

Fountain Quail is currently providing water handling services in the Marcellus, Barnett and Eagle Ford shales.

Earlier this month Freestone Resources Inc. said it is partnering with MEA Solutions LLC, a Houston-based oilfield services operator, to provide a “total solution” for water resource management that would include recycling flowback water (see Shale Daily, Oct. 12).