Produced Water: Reusing the Oilfield's Wastewater
Oil and gas wells generate billions of barrels of salty, contaminated water. Arid states are debating whether to treat and reuse it — and how safely.
For every barrel of oil, wells often bring up several barrels of 'produced water' — ancient, briny water laced with hydrocarbons, salts, and naturally occurring radioactive material. The volumes are enormous, especially in basins like the Permian.
Most produced water is currently disposed of by injecting it deep underground, a practice linked to induced earthquakes. In water-short states like New Mexico and Texas, there is growing interest in treating it for reuse — in oilfields, and potentially beyond.
The debate is contentious: treatment is costly and the water is complex, and critics worry about discharging inadequately treated produced water into the environment or onto crops.
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