Phase 2 will include construction of a concentrated brine crystallizer that will allow Eureka to provide advanced treatment of the pretreated effluent. The first such facility to process highly concentrated brine for reuse from Marcellus wastewater in Pennsylvania, the crystallizer unit will generate solid-phase crystallized salt cake, concentrated liquid brine purge stream and distilled water, depending on the needs of the oil and gas operator. Completion of Phase 2 is expected in the third quarter of 2013.
“Not only will this facility provide another reuse option for Marcellus wastewater, it will also reduce the need for the disposal of concentrated brine, which typically has been trucked to injection wells in Ohio,” Mr. Ertel said. “The highly concentrated brine will be reusable in the natural gas and hydro fracturing industry, and the remaining waste after the crystallization process may be disposed of in landfills as solid waste.”
The proposed facility will operate 24-hours per day, seven days per week and will employ approximately 16 full-time employees. Eureka is obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals and permits to construct the facility. The Company already holds a WMGR123 permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Waste Management to treat oil and gas wastewater.
The company’s Williamsport, PA, wastewater treatment plant has been operating since 2008 and has undergone multiple upgrades to add more capabilities. It is the only facility treating Marcellus wastewater that meets or exceeds the Pennsylvania DEP’s stringent standards for discharge into the state’s rivers or streams.
“Eureka continues to lead the industry in wastewater treatment,” Mr. Ertel said. “Our first centralized treatment plant in Williamsport is a truly world-class facility and is the only plant that meets Pennsylvania DEP’s latest upgraded standards that enable Eureka’s ultra clean effluent to be stored and transported again as fresh water. In fact, Eureka is the only company that can treat and return water to the customer that is considered dewasted and can be stored and handled as such. We plan to bring those same high standards to the Standing Stone facility.”
EUREKA RESOURCES MEETS OR EXCEEDS PROPOSED PENNSYLVANIA REGULATIONS FOR TREATMENT OF MARCELLUS SHALE WASTEWATER
Williamsport, Pennsylvania (August 11, 2011)
Eureka Resources, LLC, said today that the Company is prepared to meet or exceed new standards proposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for treatment of oil and gas wastewater, including drilling and production fluids and tophole and flowback water.
According to Eureka President Dan Ertel, the Company has reviewed the DEP’s proposed new regulations published August 6, 2011, in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Mr. Ertel said the new regulations state that oil and gas wastewater that has been processed under the authority of this general permit is not considered a waste as defined in 25Pa. Code287.1 provided it meets the concentration limits as required in this general permit and is transported and stored under the control of a drilling company in an impoundment or similar structure designed to hold water prior to use for fracturing a gas or oil well. The department has also proposed revised testing, monitoring and handling standards which must be met by the treatment facilities and producers handling these types of wastewater.
“We are pleased that the DEP is taking a proactive role in monitoring and regulating activity in the Marcellus Shale Region and is encouraging the use of the best available technology for water treatment and recycling,” Mr. Ertel said. “These changes will result in reductions to the environmental hazards associated with storage of large quantities of partially-treated wastewater stored throughout the state.”
Eureka is playing an important role in addressing the needs of Marcellus Shale natural gas operators by providing an environmentally-sustainable method for handling flowback water from hydrofracturing and produced water from drilling operations.
AQUA-PURE ENTERS INTO EXCLUSIVITY ARRANGEMENT WITH EUREKA
Williamsport, Pennsylvania (April 12, 2011)
Aqua-Pure Ventures, Inc. (AQE – TSXV), a premier recycler of industrial wastewater in North America, today announced that it has entered into an exclusivity agreement with Eureka Resources Ltd. of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for up to $18 million.
Under the agreement, Aqua-Pure will receive an initial payment of $9 million and up to an additional $9 million in royalty payments based on the amount of water processed by the three Nomad units currently housed at Eureka’s facility. In exchange, Eureka will assume full ownership and operation of the three Nomad units and will have certain areas of northeast Pennsylvania as it exclusive territory. Once payment of the total $18 million is made, Eureka can choose to continue its exclusivity agreement for an additional $125,000 per unit per year. The agreement also makes provision for further expansion on mutually agreeable terms.
“We have been working with Eureka for over a year and have been very impressed with their marketing and operational strength,” said Jake Halldorson, Aqua-Pure’s CEO. “I am very confident that Eureka Resources will continue to grow their highly successful business in the Marcellus Shale. This agreement gives Aqua-Pure additional capital that strengthens the Company’s financial position as we pursue other interesting and potentially lucrative opportunities.”
“Eureka provides the most cost-effective, and environmentally-sustainable alternative to wastewater disposal in the Marcellus Shale,” said Eureka President Dan Ertel. “We are the only company currently operating in Pennsylvania that is exceeding the stringent discharge regulations enacted last year by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. This agreement demonstrates our confidence in Aqua-Pure’s technology and the potential we believe Eureka exhibits as the leader in this very large opportunity in the Marcellus.”
About Aqua-Pure Ventures Inc.
Aqua-Pure (www.aqua-pure.com) has developed and refined its patented, industry-leading technology for recycling flowback and produced water over the past seven years in North Texas’ Barnett Shale. During that time, the Company has recycled more than 700 million gallons of shale gas wastewater that would otherwise have been injected into disposal wells and permanently removed from the hydrological cycle. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "AQE."
HADDINGTON VENTURES INVESTS IN EUREKA RESOURCES
HOUSTON, TX, April 18, 2011 (PRNewswire)
Haddington Ventures, L.L.C. and Eureka Resources, LLC, announced today that Haddington has made a strategic investment in Eureka, a wastewater treatment company based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The investment was made through Haddington Energy Partners IV LP, a private equity fund managed by Haddington.
Eureka Resources provides cost-effective wastewater treatment and disposal solutions that reduce the environmental impact of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. The Company plans to use the capital to further develop and expand its business, including assuming full ownership and operation of three vapor distillation (NOMAD) units that were previously under lease from Aqua-Pure Ventures, Inc. (AQE-TSXV). In addition, Eureka will have certain areas of northeastern Pennsylvania as its exclusive territory for deployment of Aqua-Pure's NOMAD technology.
"Eureka Resources is playing an important role in addressing the needs of natural gas operators working in the Marcellus Shale who need an environmentally-sustainable method for handling flowback water from hydrofracturing and produced water from drilling operations," said Haddington Managing Director John Strom. "Their experienced management team has built a strong organization that is the clear front runner in treating Marcellus Shale frac water, and we look forward to collaborating with them to move their business to the next level."
Mr. Strom noted that Eureka is the only company currently operating in Pennsylvania that exceeds the stringent discharge regulations enacted last year by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
"Drilling activity in the Marcellus Shale is projected to remain strong for the foreseeable future, providing our company with significant opportunities for growth," said Eureka President Dan Ertel. "We look forward to drawing upon Haddington's considerable expertise in the midstream oil and gas industry to help expand our role in this region and maximize our potential in the future."
About Haddington Ventures, L.L.C.
Haddington Ventures, L.L.C., through its private equity funds, generally makes control-oriented investments in companies focused on gathering, separation, processing, treating, compression, storage, and transmission of energy. Haddington is unique in that it is the only midstream energy fund in which all principals have substantial direct operating company experience, both in energy-related acquisitions and in energy infrastructure development. For more information, visit www.hvllc.com.
These news releases may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events, future bookings, revenue, or performance, capital expenditures, financing needs, plans, or intentions relating to acquisitions, business trends, executive compensation, and other information that is not historical information. Actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.