Water treatment technology company Aquatech has acquired Fluid Recovery Services, thus creating a water management network for the Marcellus and Utica shale region, Aquatech says.
Based in Creekside, Pa., FRS operates a network of central, satellite and mobile facilities that provide environmentally compliant water management services. In addition to treatment, FRS offers water management service options such as storage, transport services (rail and truck), and disposal (non-return) across the state.
FRS was formed through the merger of Pennsylvania Brine Treatment (PBT) and Hart Resource Technologies (HRT). PBT and HRT have a more than 25 year history of providing water management services to the oil and gas industry in Pennsylvania and say they have treated more water than any other service provider in the Marcellus and Utica shale region.
The Aquatech acquisition expands the network from three to five central water management facilities located in Franklin, Josephine, Creekside, Rouseville and Tioga, which establishes an end-to-end network for producers in the Marcellus and Utica Shale region, the company says.
FRS’ water treatment products include Aquatech’s MoSuite, a combination of MoTreat, MoVap (pictured) and crystallization technologies. MoSuit treats drill fluids, hydraulic fracturing flowback and a wide range of oil and gas wastewaters including safe disposal of high total dissolved solids (TDS) production brine.
Aquatech says its products and services alleviate the burden on local water resources from shale gas exploration by treating water for beneficial reuse, reducing total dissolved salts, and creating reusable “dewasted” purified distillate, or clean distillate suitable for discharge per established National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) standards.
Aquatech received a permit to operate a Pennsylvania facility targeting regional shale gas producers in February.
A report released earlier this year by consulting firm Accenture found shale gas companies could benefit financially and cut water use by collaborating with regulators and sharing infrastructure with other operators working in the same drilling basin.