Full Title: New Tracers Identify Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids and Accidental Releases from Oil and Gas Operations
Author(s): N. R. Warner, T. H. Darrah, R. B. Jackson, R. Millot, W. Kloppmann, and A. Vengosh
Publisher(s): American Chemical Society
Publication Date: September 1, 2014
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Description (excerpt):
Identifying the geochemical fingerprints of fluids that return to the surface after high volume hydraulic fracturing of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs has important applications for assessing hydrocarbon resource recovery, environmental impacts, and wastewater treatment and disposal. Here, we report for the first time, novel diagnostic elemental and isotopic signatures (B/Cl, Li/Cl, δ11B, and δ7Li) useful for characterizing hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids (HFFF) and distinguishing sources of HFFF in the environment.