Fracking Water Treatment Market Analysis

Application Segment Analysis

The reuse & recycling segment is predicted to gain the largest market share of 40.2% during the projected period by 2035, due to the continued rise of sustainable water management in fracking. Water shortages and tightening environmental regulations are pushing operators to cut down on freshwater consumption by treating and reusing produced water. Recycling reduces dependency on freshwater sources and lowers disposal costs to a level that is, feasibly, economically attractive. This trend is expected to dominate the market given the variability of operating costs and companies' overall focus on cost efficiencies and regulatory compliance in water-intensive operations. In 2024, Select Water Solutions successfully recycled around 282 million barrels of produced water at its permanent facilities and via modular recycling solutions, exceeding its water stewardship goals by 324%.  

Treatment Type Segment Analysis

The membrane filtration segment is anticipated to constitute the most significant growth by 2035, mainly due to its efficiency and capabilities to remove contaminants from fracking wastewater. It can produce clean, reusable water and is thus a preferred option for industry players working to follow increasingly tightening environmental standards and push for sustainable solutions. The scalability and falling operating costs only promote wider adoption of membrane filtration technology. As discharge regulations on wastewater become more stringent, membrane-based systems remain the preferred choice for operators seeking reliable long-term treatment solutions. Pentair's X-Flow ultrafiltration (UF) technology stands out as a premier solution within the oil and gas sector for the treatment of produced water. This innovative technology proficiently eliminates suspended solids as well as free or dispersed oil, resulting in permeate quality that meets the stringent standards of less than 1 mg/L total suspended solids (TSS) and less than 1 mg/L free or dispersed oil.

Service Segment Analysis

The treatment & disposal segment is projected to capture a significant portion of the global fracking water treatment market by the year 2035, propelled by the necessity for the safe management and disposal of contaminated wastewater. As regulations become more stringent, operators are progressively depending on sophisticated treatment and disposal techniques to reduce environmental hazards. Schlumberger’s xWATER service processes 7.4 million gallons of Bakken produced water utilizing entirely recycled water, thereby eliminating the need for freshwater and disposal, while also conserving approximately 650 tanker truck trips for each well.

Our in-depth analysis of the fracking water treatment market includes the following segments: