Hydraulic Fracturing Impacts and Technologies

Dr. Venkatesh Uddameri, PhD, P.E. is a professor and director of the Water Resources Center in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas Tech University, Lubbock. He has research interests in groundwater modeling, sustainable water resources management, conjunctive surface water–groundwater interactions, water–energy nexus, decision support systems for water resources planning, and climate change. Dr. Uddameri completed his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Osmania University, India, and received his master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering and environmental engineering, respectively, from the University of Maine. Dr. Audra Morse, PE, PhD, is the associate dean for undergraduate studies in the Whitacre College of Engineering (WCOE) and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas Tech University. She leads the Engineering Opportunities Center, which provides retention, placement, and academic support services to WCOE students. Her professional experience is focused on water and wastewater treatment, specifically water reclamation systems, membrane filtration, and the fate of personal products in treatment systems.Kay J. Tindle, MEd, is the director of the Research Development Team in the Office of the Vice President for Research at Texas Tech University (TTU), Lubbock. In this role, she links faculty researchers with regional, state, and national partners to further develop collaborative teams to advance and achieve the strategic goals championed by the university. Among other initiatives, she works with the leader of TTU’s Unconventional Production Technology and Environmental Consortium (UpTec), a multidisciplinary, collaborative research group that focuses on hydraulic fracturing research. Kay is currently pursuing a PhD in higher education research at TTU.

"… this book highlights the need to integrate analysis of technologies with environmental and societal impact considerations… for the professionals working within the industry, it also emphasizes what issues need to be addressed, and how those issues should be addressed, in order to potentially convince the public and policy makers that fracture stimulation can be used safely without risking environmental damage, public health issues and overuse/contamination of precious water resources."—Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2016

• Overview of Hydraulic Fracturing Operations and Technologies. Economic Impact of the Permian Basin’s Oil and Gas Industry. From Property Rights to Endangered Species: Legal Issues Surrounding Hydraulic Fracturing. Looking into the Crystal Ball: Potential New EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Rules Impacting Unconventional Oil and Gas Production from Shale Plays. Commentary on Health and Environmental Risks from Hydraulic Fracturing. Health and Environment Risks from Oil and Gas Development. Addressing Concerns about Impacts from Unconventional Drilling Using Advanced Analytical Chemistry. Water Availability in the Permian Basin Region of West Texas. Reuse and Recycling of Flowback and Produced Waters. Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing on Transportation Infrastructure. GIS-Based Assessment of Wastewater Disposal Impacts in Permian Basin, Texas. Challenges and Opportunities for Increasing Guar Production in the United States to Support Unconventional Oil and Gas Production. Characterization of the Properties of Guar Gum to Improve Hydraulic Fracturing Efficiencies. Communicating Fracturing Impacts and Technologies: Assessment, Public Understanding, and Theoretical Linkages. Multidisciplinary Teams as Mechanisms of Accountability: Neutralizing the Emotions and Politics of Hydraulic Fracturing Research.