Oil to Water: What Can Be Done About Produced Water?

What happens when water is produced at the same time as oil is produced? In this episode, we explore how desalination applies to water pumped from oil wells. Join our hosts, Robert and Sarah, as they discuss the details about produced water with Texas Produced Water Consortium experts Shane Walker and Wrye Mauldiin.

Today’s Guests: Shane Walker, Director of the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech, and Wrye Mauldiin, Project Manager for the Texas Produced Water Consortium at Texas Tech

• Robert introduces Shane Walker (04:53)

• Sarah Introduces Wrye Mauldiin (05:43)

First Up, Let’s Get into Some Q&A with Shane and Wrye!

• Sarah kicks off with the most simple and complex question, “What is produced water?” (06:42)

• Robert asks on the behalf of peers, “How much produced water is there in the state of Texas?” (08:04)

• Sarah wants to know “Why are people concerned about produced water?” (10:15)

• Robert shares his technical term crunchy water, so he asks, “what are we talking about in terms of saltiness?” (12:17)

• Roberts wonders if “earthquakes are a threat if there’s no place to put the water?” (12:52)

• Robert asks “[what is the objective] of the produced consortium?” (13:50)

Shane and Wrye Give Us the Dish on All Things Produced Water:

• Sea Water Salinity vs. Produced Water Salinity: Shane confirms to Robert the statistics of the range of drinkable water in Texas. (17:10)

• The Aftermath of Purification: Shane breaks down the possibilities for municipal uses of produced water. (18:41)

• Producing Water in a Surface Stream...oh, What Could Go Wrong?: Shane points out the potential issues in produced water operations in Texas. (21:30)

• The Future of the Consortium: Shane shares the upcoming plans that the consortium teams and the TCEQ have in store. (25:06)

• Wrye’s Hot Take: Wrye expresses her goal for water reuse from an agricultural point of view. (27:19)

Episode Links and Resources:

• Texas Produced Water Consortium

• Texas Commission of Enviornmental Quality

Theme song: Come Heck or Hot Water by Robert E. Mace

We want to thank pixabay.com for providing the sound effects.

Learn more about the Meadows Center at ⁠meadowscenter.txst.edu⁠.