Water

Layne Water Midstream LLC (LWM) has reached agreement with the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to expand its oilfield water footprint in the Permian Basin.

With the intention of being the nation’s first midstream energy-agriculture company, a privately held Wyoming company on Monday obtained permits to use produced water from oil and natural gas operations on the state’s agricultural lands.

Oilfield Water Logistics (OWL) said Monday it has acquired a portfolio of operating produced water infrastructure assets in New Mexico from an unnamed, “major Permian Basin oil producer.”

Appalachian pure-play Southwestern Energy Co.’s various water conservation projects returned 10 billion gallons of fresh water to the environment in 2019.

With produced water from Texas oil and natural gas wells expected to top an estimated 15 billion-plus barrels a year by 2023 from 8.5 billion in 2017, the state’s operators have stepped up with recommendations to economically and sustainably manage the projected increases.

Houston-based H2O Midstream LLC has joined a growing list of operators building out produced water infrastructure in the Permian Basin with a deal to acquire assets from Sabalo Energy LLC, concurrent with a 15-year acreage dedication to provide produced water gathering, disposal and recycling services.

A new study from the University of Arizona and the University of Saskatchewan finds that conventional oil and gas drilling has a greater impact on groundwater than does unconventional drilling.

Appalachian producers trying to control costs in a low-price natural gas environment, along with their counterparts in the Permian Basin grappling with soaring production volumes, are more seriously thinking about water management in what could be a big opportunity for the midstream sector in the coming years.

Lower 48 well site services giant Basic Energy Services Inc. saw less pressure pumping activity during the first quarter, particularly for hydraulic fracturing services, but production services outperformed, setting the stage for an overall strong year even on less spending.