Texas Drilling Activity at Risk Due to Wastewater Disposal Challenges

The Permian Basin in Texas faces a critical challenge as oil production increases. For every barrel of oil extracted, five barrels of water are produced, totaling over 20 million barrels per day.

State Sen. Kevin Sparks acknowledges the issue and notes that deep underground injection, previously used to dispose of this water, has led to increased pressure in the area and limited options for disposal.

The Texas Legislature has taken steps to address this problem by creating the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech University to research beneficial reuse applications for treated produced water. The consortium's report found that polished desalinated produced water treatment removed over 99% of salinity, radioactivity, and organics, meeting safety and regulatory standards.

The industry is investing heavily in produced water management, with projected growth from $12 billion in 2018 to an average of $26 billion per year through 2030. However, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has yet to issue discharge permits for treated produced water.