This paper is written by Veil, J.A., M.G. Puder, D. Elcock, and R.J. Redweik, Jr., and prepared by Argonne National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory. It is available at: http://www.ead.anl.gov/pub/dsp_detail.cfm?PubID=1715

Produced water is water trapped in underground formations that is brought to the surface along with oil or gas. It is by far the largest volume byproduct or waste stream associated with oil and gas production. Management of produced water presents challenges and costs to operators. This white paper is intended to provide basic information on many aspects of produced water, including its constituents, how much of it is generated, how it is managed and regulated in different settings, and the cost of its management.