“While oil and water don’t usually mix, for those in the business of hydraulic fracturing, the two go hand in hand. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” requires large volumes of water. In cold climates, such as the oil sands of Alberta, Canada, or the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota, the water must be heated to optimal temperature in order to mix small amounts of specialized chemicals to create fracturing fluid. One Canadian company offers a way to heat large volumes of water quickly and efficiently. Astro Thermal Tec Ltd. of Brooks, Alberta, manufactures portable high-volume water heaters that can achieve a 30-degree Celsius (86-degree Fahrenheit) temperature rise at a flow rate of 3 cubic meters (20 barrels) per minute. Not only does it warm a lot of water fast, this will impress you even more: These 25-million BTU, non-pressurized units heat water with 95 percent efficiency. “We knew there had to be a more efficient way to heat water, and we found it,” says Lloyd Burt, general manager.”

Source: PowerSource article, Turn Up The Heat (pdf)