Intelligence desk
The current reading file
Real publisher links, organized for the PWI working edition. Publication and reference dates are shown separately. Older useful records remain in the reading file on quiet days.
Markets & finance · Permian Basin / United States
Mercer Capital links Permian disposal constraints to network value and reuse investment
Mercer Capital’s November 6 post-conference analysis says disposal constraints and rising produced water volumes are increasing the importance of connected pipeline systems, backup outlets, durable service commitments and remaining disposal life. It treats beneficial reuse, data-center and power demand, and mineral recovery as potential commercial outlets that still require reliable treatment, committed customers, suitable infrastructure and workable economics. The valuation multiples discussed are the author’s conference-based analysis, not PWI valuations or verified transaction terms.
Mercer Capital · 2026-11-06Companies & transactions · United Arab Emirates / Abu Dhabi / Haliba
Al Dhafra awards AED 1 billion Haliba produced water treatment contract
Al Dhafra Petroleum signed an AED 1 billion design-build-operate agreement with Excel ASTRA Engineering & Construction for new produced water treatment facilities at the Haliba field. ADNOC says the facilities will support Haliba’s next growth phase and a 50,000-barrel-per-day oil-production target; the public record does not disclose treatment capacity, process design, schedule or water disposition.
ADNOC · 2026-11-06Markets & finance · Permian Basin / Delaware Basin
NGL reports record produced water disposal of 3.45 million barrels per day
NGL Energy Partners reported record physical disposal of approximately 3.45 million barrels of produced water per day in its fiscal second quarter, up 22.9% from a year earlier. Water Solutions adjusted EBITDA increased to $178.3 million from $151.9 million. The company says its LEX II extension remains expected in service by the end of calendar 2026 and would expand the long-haul system to 81 miles with capability to move about 560,000 barrels per day from Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico to Andrews County, Texas.
NGL Energy Partners Water Solutions · 2026-11-05Companies & transactions · Permian Basin / Delaware Basin
LandBridge adds 25,000 Delaware Basin acres and outlines produced water disposal upside
LandBridge says it completed about 25,000 acres of acquisitions across its Delaware Basin footprint during the third quarter. The company identifies undeveloped pore space outside over-pressured injection zones near the Stateline region as a potential long-term produced water disposal alternative and says operator discussions are active. The release also reports higher surface-use revenue partly driven by produced water handling volumes, but does not disclose permitted disposal capacity, customer commitments or an in-service date for the new pore-space opportunity.
LandBridge · 2026-11-04Regulation & government · United States / Texas
TCEQ adopts land-application rules for treated produced water
Texas commissioners approved amendments to Chapters 309 and 210 that implement Senate Bill 1145 and establish the TCEQ framework for land application of produced water treated for beneficial use. The agency lists an approval date of November 4, 2026 and an effective date of November 26, 2026. The final rules clarify applicability and minimum requirements; adoption does not itself approve an individual land-application project.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality · 2026-11-04Operations & water management · Permian Basin / Delaware Basin
WaterBridge reports record handling volumes as Speedway Phase I beats forecast
WaterBridge reported record third-quarter produced water handling volumes of 2.8 million barrels per day, up 6% sequentially and 9% year over year. Revenue reached $240.2 million and adjusted EBITDA $124.2 million. The company says Speedway Phase I volumes exceeded expectations and new pipeline-access agreements supported higher 2026 volume and adjusted EBITDA guidance; discussions for Phase II remain commercial work rather than a completed expansion.
WaterBridge · 2026-11-04Regulation & government · United States / New Mexico
Trihydro maps four proposed New Mexico produced water permit classes
Trihydro’s technical analysis describes four permit classes in a petition to amend New Mexico’s produced water rules: non-discharging uses, groundwater discharges, surface-water discharges and downstream users. It highlights proposed water characterization, toxicity testing, monitoring, financial assurance and a staged initial surface-water authorization of up to 25,000 barrels per day, while cautioning that the petition remains an early planning signal rather than a final compliance standard.
Trihydro · 2026-11-01Regulation & government · United States / Washington, D.C.
DOE schedules council vote on final national produced water report
A November 3 Department of Energy notice says the National Petroleum Council will meet December 7 to present, discuss and consider approval of the final report of its Produced Water Committee. The public meeting will run from 9:00 a.m. to noon Eastern in Washington, D.C., with a livestream. About 15 minutes are reserved for public comments, and requests to listen or speak are due at least seven days beforehand. The notice does not contain the report or indicate that its recommendations have already been approved.
U.S. Department of Energy · 2026-11-03Markets & finance · Permian Basin / Texas
TPL reports produced water royalty volumes at 5.5 million barrels per day
Texas Pacific Land reports third-quarter produced water royalty volumes of 5.541 million barrels per day, up from 4.872 million barrels per day in the second quarter, and produced water royalty revenue of $41.4 million, up from $37.1 million. Water sales volumes also increased, while water sales revenue fell to $28.4 million from $39.7 million because average realized pricing declined. These are company-reported royalty and sales metrics, not a basin-wide water balance.
Texas Pacific Land · 2026-11-04Operations & water management · Permian Basin / Delaware Basin
Western’s produced water throughput rises to 3.047 million barrels per day
Western Midstream reports third-quarter throughput of 3.047 million barrels per day for its Delaware Basin produced water assets, up 2% from 2.993 million barrels per day in the second quarter. The company’s attributable throughput was 2.992 million barrels per day. Reported per-barrel adjusted gross margin for produced water assets declined to $0.89 from $0.96 sequentially.
Western Midstream · 2026-11-04Science, research & data · Global
AAPG maps produced water management trends across six regions
AAPG’s Division of Environmental Geosciences surveys produced water management across North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The overview contrasts disposal, treatment, reuse and mineral-recovery approaches and supplies a useful global comparison. Its Texas rulemaking timeline is less current than TCEQ’s November 4 agenda, so the article is retained as a regional snapshot rather than a current regulatory-status source.
American Association of Petroleum Geologists · 2026-11-01Companies & transactions · Permian Basin / Delaware Basin
Select closes $700 million Pilot Water acquisition
Select Water Solutions says it closed the Pilot Water Solutions acquisition on November 2 for aggregate consideration of approximately $700 million: about $600 million in cash, subject to customary post-closing adjustments, and 5,149,331 Select Class A shares. One seller may receive an additional $15 million if specified operating milestones are met. Select says Pilot’s primary operations are in the Delaware Basin and plans to integrate the acquired water midstream platform with its recycling and disposal businesses. A new $500 million revolving credit facility became effective at closing.
Select Water Solutions · 2026-11-02Regulation & government · Texas / Permian Basin / Lubbock
Texas officials press agricultural and industrial reuse of treated produced water
KCBD reports that state Sen. Charles Perry and Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian are advocating wider agricultural and industrial reuse of treated produced water, including for data-center cooling, while calling for a more consistent permitting path. Perry cites roughly 26 million barrels per day of Permian produced water and says crop testing has not shown soil accumulation to date, but the article does not link the underlying datasets or establish commercial-scale safety, approvals or deployment.
KCBD NewsChannel 11 · 2026-10-29Science, research & data · Permian Basin / San Juan Basin
Study screens which fracturing additives matter most for produced water monitoring
A peer-reviewed npj Clean Water study combines 2020–2025 FracFocus disclosures, chemical-property information and published produced water evidence across 33,177 hydraulic-fracturing events. Its screening framework ranks biocides, solvents and surfactants as the leading composite-relevance categories in the Permian, and acids, biocides and solvents in the San Juan. The authors find that mature produced water salinity, major ions, metals, radionuclides and much of the ammonia burden are predominantly controlled by formation and process conditions, while additive-related influences are more relevant during the flowback-to-produced water transition and for mobile organics, toxicity-related constituents, fouling, scaling and treatment effects. The framework is intended for screening and prioritization, not source attribution, site-specific concentration estimates or exposure prediction.
npj Clean Water · 2026-11-02Treatment, technology & reuse · Permian Basin / Texas
TETRA reports seven-project Oasis pipeline as six reuse permits remain pending
In its third-quarter results, TETRA Technologies says its Oasis produced water desalination pipeline includes seven prospective projects, four tied to data centers or their power requirements. The company says six beneficial-reuse applications are pending before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; its customers are the permittees, and TETRA is responding to TCEQ and EPA questions with water-quality test results. The disclosure describes a commercial pipeline and pending applications, not approved permits or operating projects.
TETRA Technologies · 2026-11-02Treatment, technology & reuse · Argentina / Neuquén / Vaca Muerta
Hidrofrac presents Vaca Muerta produced water transfer and reuse work with TotalEnergies
Energía 360 reports that Hidrofrac presented a modular flowback-treatment system and a 2025 produced water transfer project with TotalEnergies at Aguada Pichana Este. The company says the work was intended to expand reuse in unconventional well completions and reduce fresh-water demand and disposal, but neither the article nor the public company material provides treated volumes, reuse percentages or measured reductions, so operating performance cannot be quantified from the available record.
Energía 360 · 2026-10-30Regulation & government · California / Kern County / Fruitvale Oil Field
California court rejects CEQA exemptions for 12 proposed produced water injection wells
Arthur F. Coon’s analysis of the published Fifth District opinion says San Joaquin Facilities Management’s proposal for up to 12 new Fruitvale Oil Field injection wells is not exempt from CEQA as an ongoing pre-1973 project or as an existing-facility or minor-land-alteration project. The ruling requires environmental review; it does not decide whether CalGEM must ultimately approve or reject the wells.
CEQA Developments · 2026-10-26Stakeholders & communities · Permian Basin / Iraan and Pecos River, Texas
Iraan forum draws nearly 100 people to produced water reuse discussion
Permian Basin Oil & Gas Magazine reports that nearly 100 people attended the October 2 Iraan town hall hosted by Friends of the Pecos River and the Texas Produced Water Consortium. The meeting gave landowners information on treatment, reuse and risk while TCEQ reviews multiple treated-produced water discharge applications in the Pecos watershed. The report is a distinct post-event account rather than a relabeling of the September event preview.
Permian Basin Oil & Gas Magazine · 2026-10-30Stakeholders & communities · Permian Basin / Carlsbad and Eddy County, New Mexico
Carlsbad approves Mewbourne produced water line through wellhead protection zone
Adrian Hedden reports that the Carlsbad City Council approved Mewbourne Oil’s produced water pipeline in a 6–1 vote after a Water and Sewer Board recommendation. The roughly four-mile line would run about 0.6 mile inside city limits and about 1.2 miles through the municipal Wellhead Protection Zone before carrying produced water to a disposal site. Approval conditions include construction coordination with the city and submission of final coordinates; one councilor opposed the project over cumulative water- and air-quality concerns.
Carlsbad Current-Argus · 2026-10-27Companies & transactions · Permian Basin / New Mexico
Direct Midstream signs conditional New Mexico well-operating agreement as Vivakor deal advances
Vivakor says acquisition target Direct Midstream signed a conditional agreement with Phoenix Energy Solutions to operate a portfolio described as 44 oil wells and eight saltwater disposal wells. Projected volumes of about 6,000 barrels per day of produced water and more than $2 million in annual service revenue depend on Phoenix completing its asset acquisition, permits, bonding, insurance and final fee arrangements. Vivakor’s proposed Direct Midstream acquisition still lacks a definitive agreement and is not complete.
Vivakor · 2026-11-04Science, research & data · Permian Basin / West Texas
West Texas field trial finds treated produced water supported alfalfa for one season
An open-access field study found no significant differences in alfalfa growth or biomass between polished desalinated produced water and groundwater irrigation during the evaluated season; forage quality and microbial diversity were broadly comparable. Strontium in irrigation water exceeded a recommended threshold, and the authors call the result preliminary because the study covered one season, included blended irrigation, and lacked plot-level replication.
Irrigation Science · 2026-08-07Treatment, technology & reuse · Permian Basin / Reeves County, Texas
Western’s Permian pilot passes 100,000 barrels of reclaimed water
Midland Reporter-Telegram reports that Western Midstream’s JIP 2 demonstration facility near Red Bluff Reservoir has produced more than 100,000 barrels of reclaimed freshwater. The 2,000-barrel-per-day feed design targets about 1,000 barrels per day of reclaimed water; most output is irrigating seven acres in a two-year crop study while researchers evaluate toxicity and other long-term effects. The milestone is measured pilot output, not proof that agricultural, industrial-cooling or surface-discharge use is commercially approved at basin scale.
Midland Reporter-Telegram · 2026-10-24Operations & water management · Permian Basin / New Mexico and Texas
Select describes the infrastructure and chemistry behind Permian produced water reuse
In a company-hosted Water Exchange discussion, Select executives describe how connected storage, treatment and pipeline capacity lets the company aggregate produced water across operators for reuse in large fracturing programs. They distinguish bacteria and solids control for frac reuse from the more costly salt removal needed for beneficial reuse, and discuss mineral recovery, data-center cooling and pending discharge permits.
Select Water Solutions · 2026-10-22Science, research & data · China / Shengli, Northwest and Xinjiang oilfields
Dual-frequency analyzer improves water-cut measurement in heavy-oil field tests
A new study describes a dual-channel analyzer that settles a produced-fluid sample before measuring electrical properties at two frequencies. The cited laboratory program reported 0.47% mean absolute error, while independent validation across eight heavy-oil wells and 62 paired samples reported 1.68%.
Bioengineer.org · 2026-10-21Regulation & government · Argentina / Neuquén / Vaca Muerta
Neuquén begins evaluating 11 Vaca Muerta produced water reuse proposals
Neuquén says 11 operators formally submitted one productive-development proposal and one separate produced water reuse proposal each. The reuse plans aim to replace at least 10% of freshwater in each fracture with treated produced water and now enter provincial technical review; the province also reports one operator has field-validated 7,990 cubic meters of reuse per well.
Neuquén Informa — Provincial Press Secretariat · 2026-10-21Markets & finance · Permian Basin / United States
ADI study preview models Permian disposal capacity tightening within 2.5 years
ADI Analytics’ public preview of a commercial multi-client study says its basin model puts Permian produced water at 24.9 million barrels per day in 2025 and projects in-basin disposal capacity could max out within 2.5 years. The preview outlines analysis of water balances, regulation, treatment costs and potential buyers; the underlying model and full study were not available for independent reproduction.
ADI Analytics · 2026-10-22Stakeholders & communities · Permian Basin / Midland, Texas
Midland Youth Coalition hears produced water framed as risk, cost and opportunity
Chris Tribbey reports on Jonna Smoot’s “Produced Water 101” presentation to the Midland Youth Coalition. The article brings produced water safety, treatment, infrastructure costs and reuse into a community setting; volume and spending figures are attributed to the presenter and cited Bluefield Research, not independently validated by PWI.
Midland Reporter-Telegram · 2026-10-20Treatment, technology & reuse · Texas / United States
Caprock licenses Texas Tech-linked technology for produced water lithium recovery
Caprock DLE has licensed Texas Tech-linked lithium extraction technology for oil and gas applications and is building its first modular unit, with field operations planned for spring 2027.
Caprock Direct Lithium Extraction · 2026-10-19Treatment, technology & reuse · Permian Basin / Texas
Iofina commissions Permian iodine plant using Western Midstream produced water
Iofina says IO#12 has been commissioned and handed to operations, with brine flowing during hydrotesting; iodine production is expected to start and ramp up in coming weeks. Western Midstream is to supply up to 50,000 barrels per day of produced water, supporting a target of 170–220 metric tonnes of iodine annually. These are supply and output targets, not measured throughput or proven annual production. The same-day Q3 update reports 205.2 tonnes across the business, below expectations, and revises anticipated H2 production to 440–455 tonnes, dependent on brine supply and IO#12’s contribution.
Iofina · 2026-10-16Markets & finance · Permian Basin / Texas / New Mexico
B3 models different disposal constraints in the Delaware and Midland basins
B3 Insight's October 5 analysis distinguishes pressure-limited disposal in the Delaware from geographically concentrated capacity and connection needs in the Midland. Its InjectIQ outlook argues that completion-water reuse cannot absorb all future produced water and that reservoir pressure increasingly shapes capital allocation. These are a commercial data provider's proprietary forecasts and interpretation, not independently reproduced capacity measurements or new regulatory findings. The public article and webinar-summary landing page were reviewed; underlying model inputs and full forecast validation were not available.
B3 Insight · 2026-10-05Science, research & data · Oman / Rima
Oman wetland study compares produced water biofilms on wood, plastic and marble
Sultan Qaboos University's October 19 research account describes 30-day biofilm growth on plywood, polypropylene and marble in a constructed wetland treating produced water. Plywood supported greater bacterial abundance, and microbial analysis suggested hydrocarbon-degrading potential. This did not establish improved contaminant-removal rates or treated-water quality. The university's original abstract and bibliographic record were checked; the underlying Environmental Advances article is dated October 2026, with October 1 given in release metadata. Direct journal full text was unavailable. Veolia Oman funded the work.
BrightSurf · 2026-10-19Science, research & data · Permian Basin / Texas
UT Austin models desalination trade-offs for produced water cooling at data centers
UT Austin’s October 8 research account compares membrane and thermal desalination for data center water supply. Its underlying Water Research paper was available online August 17; this is newly surfaced coverage, not a new October 17 study. Reverse osmosis is less energy intensive but limited at high salinity; thermal treatment handles saltier water with greater energy use and scaling challenges. The lowest-stress Longview scenario uses brackish groundwater, not produced water. These are modeled cases, not proof of an operating produced water cooling project, site-specific safety or permit approval. The accompanying university-hosted data center stock photo is illustrative.
UT Austin — Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering · 2026-10-08Operations & water management · Argentina / Vaca Muerta / Golfo San Jorge
Vaca Muerta interviews put reuse standards and disposal logistics at center of water debate
David Mottura’s original ADNSUR reporting from the October 15–16 PWS meeting includes interviews with Guillermo Aversano and logistics consultant Roberto Lino Blanco. They argue that treatment must match the intended use, with fracturing reuse first and other applications requiring further testing, and that recycling could reduce truck-dependent disposal costs. The report connects Vaca Muerta’s emerging water challenge with mature-field expertise in Golfo San Jorge and discusses proposed use of vented gas to power treatment. These are attributed operating perspectives and proposals, not verified project performance, approved irrigation or drinking-water suitability.
ADNSUR · 2026-10-17Regulation & government · Texas / Permian Basin
Texas commissioner urges fast-track rules for industrial produced water reuse
Railroad Commission of Texas Commissioner Wayne Christian urged lawmakers and regulators to create a faster, clearer pathway for industrial reuse of treated produced water, including data-center cooling. The October 15 release cites University of Texas at Austin and Texas Produced Water Consortium research. This is one commissioner’s policy position and a call for legislative or regulatory action, not a new rule or permit authorization; the cited research does not establish safety for every feedwater, treatment train or end use.
Railroad Commission of Texas · 2026-10-15Regulation & government · Argentina / Neuquén / Vaca Muerta
Neuquén reports 16 projects as PWS conference advances Vaca Muerta water reuse agenda
Neuquén’s October 16 government report confirms the October 15–16 PWS conference and says operators submitted 16 productive-development projects under water-fee incentives. Speakers prioritize produced water and flowback reuse in fracturing, with other uses as later objectives. The proposed Red Azul network carries surface water, not treated produced water. Submissions, policy ambitions and conference statements are not approved treatment capacity or proven reuse outcomes.
Neuquén Informa — Provincial Press Secretariat · 2026-10-16Stakeholders & communities · Permian Basin / Loving and Hobbs, New Mexico
Loving residents press for water stewardship and monitoring in New Mexico oil country
Jerry Redfern’s original reporting follows residents’ concerns about water use, historical wastewater handling and air monitoring around Loving and Hobbs. It is a separate October 12 installment from the Pecos River article already carried. Health experiences and a recalled historical discharge are attributed personal accounts, not new confirmed spill records or findings of medical causation; the proposed monitoring response is not presented as already operational.
Capital & Main · 2026-10-12