Linde Expert Shows How to Estimate the Full Economic Impact of Using Energized Solutions to Reduce Water Use and Increase Productivity in Hydraulic Fracturing

FORT WORTH, Texas & MURRAY HILL, N.J. & NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linde North America, today announced that Robin Watts, Oil & Gas Technology manager of Linde LLC, will give a presentation on how Linde’s energized solutions can help oil and gas producers increase the productivity and decrease the cost of hydraulic fracturing. Speaking at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’ (AAPG) Solving Water Problems in Oil and Gas Production workshop, Watts will demonstrate how simple tools Linde has designed can help producers estimate the potential economic impact of different fracturing fluids over the life cycle of the well.

“A Day in the Life of a Barrel of Water…Evaluating total life cycle costs of hydraulic fracturing fluids”

Hydraulic fracturing requires 2.5 to 5 million gallons of water per well, with the cost of water acquisition, management and disposal estimated at $51 billion annually in the U.S. alone. Linde’s energized solutions containing compressed or soluble gas allow producers to reduce the total volume of fluid needed by up to 50%, reducing costs while improving productivity, safety and environmental impact. To help producers compare different fluid options, Linde has developed a simple calculator tool to measure costs over the entire fluid life cycle and a state-of-the-art simulation tool to examine the productivity implications of fracturing the well with the different fluid options.

“Hydraulic fracturing requires large volumes of scarce and expensive water,” notes Watts. “The use of energized solutions can dramatically decrease the amount of water needed, while enhancing productivity in multiple ways. Evaluating hydraulic fracturing fluid life cycle costs is essential to understanding the true costs. The calculator tool we have developed enables producers to easily compare the economic performance of different fluid options on a life cycle basis.”

Watts’ talk, “A Day in the Life of a Barrel of Water…Evaluating total life cycle costs of hydraulic fracturing fluids,” will be presented at the AAPG workshop in Fort Worth, Texas, February 26-27, 2013. For more information, visit: http://www.aapg.org/gtw/2013/fortworth/index.cfm

More information on how Linde’s energized solutions can reduce water use and improve productivity as well as the Calculator and Productivity Simulator tools, part of the white paper entitled A Day in the Life of a Barrel of Water, can be found in the Document Library. For more information on Linde’s oil and gas services, visit http://lindeoilandgas.com/.

About The Linde Group

Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2011 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 13.787 bn (USD 18.1bn). The strategy of the Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The Group is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com.