WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. & Catapult Water Midstream
December 2019
Executive Summary
To support broader utilization of alternative water sources in multi-stage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF) projects, regulators and industry are transitioning towards a risk-based regulatory approach, where appropriate. To support this transition, the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada (PTAC) engaged WaterSMART Solutions Ltd. and Catapult Water Midstream (the project team) to develop a high-level risk assessment framework for MSHF projects involving the use of treated municipal effluent and produced and flowback water. Throughout the project, the project team worked closely with representatives from PTAC and engaged representatives from the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) and Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP). The key output of the project is the Screening-Level Risk Matrix (SLRM), a functioning spreadsheet tool which provides users with a high-level assessment of the risks associated with the use of alternative water sources for MSHF projects. At this time, the SLRM is designed for projects involving treated municipal effluent and produced and flowback water, although it can be expanded to include additional alternative water sources in the future.