Water is seen as a precious resource, especially in areas prone to drought. The rise of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” uses a lot of the available water supply. Fracking is a method that uses a large volume of water injected at high pressures into a rock formation to release oil and gas reserves beneath the surface.
Because there is such a need for water, methods that focus on recycling and reusing this supply have become relevant. ARANA Technologies, LLC. offers potential solutions to a depleting water supply and water treatment.
“A lot of the contaminants, the chloride…the calcium, arsenic and a lot of the bad things that are in the water that don’t allow oil companies to use it again—we take it out so they can use clean salt water and frac with it again,” said Jeff Soward, President of ARANA Technologies, LLC.
“I watched Mr. Soward’s group inject raw frac water into the system, which processed samples for 26 minutes,” said Dr. Michael Wetz, Associate Professor of Life Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “The total petroleum hydrocarbons were reduced by greater than 99 percent.”
According to an article featured on the TAMU-CC website, “ARANA holds four patents related to water sterilization, treatment and recycling. Wetz served as an independent and neutral participant in recording the effectiveness of ARANA’s advanced oxidation treatment.”
Not only does ARANA’s process have a place within the oil industry there is the potential for it to benefit local communities.
“These same technologies also have tremendous potential for drinking water treatment,” said Soward, “as they also kill all microorganisms.”
ARANA has been working with TAMU-CC to validate its research, receiving support from the Coastal Bend Business Innovation Center (Innovation Center), business students and water quality researchers and experts such as Dr. Wetz.
According to an article featured on kiiitv.com, “The system is still in the testing process, but they hope to have it available for commercial use in the very near future.”
ARANA was featured on kristv, kiiitv and the TAMU-CC website.
To see the articles featuring ARANA Technologies, LLC.:
http://www.kristv.com/news/local-company-recycles-dirty-frac-water/
http://www.kiiitv.com/story/25656097/tamucc-working-with-company-to-recycle-fracking-water
http://tamucc.edu/news/2014/05/053014%20Frac%20Water.html#.U5BtOEJdW-2