May 13, 2020

The current phase of oilfield water infrastructure buildout in the Permian Basin generally emphasizes each operator or midstream provider building its own water transportation and disposal systems. Accordingly, the overall market is balkanized and inefficient compared to the performance a more interconnected system could achieve. A hydrovascular grid in the Permian Basin could lower oil and gas production costs, conserve scarce freshwater by promoting greater recycling and reuse of produced water, help mitigate seismicity risks, and facilitate movement of produced water at large scale for use outside the oilfield. In his recent article in the Texas Water Journal, "Oilfield Water Infrastructure Connectivity: The Case for a Hydrovascular Network in the Permian Basin," Gabriel Collins, J.D. explores an interconnected water network to meet the water needs for oil and gas production in the Permian Basin and concludes by offering a set of practical ideas to overcome these barriers and help transform oilfield water into a resource for West Texas and Southeast New Mexico.