Produced Water

The volume of water produced from America's oil and gas wells is many times the volume of hydrocarbons produced each day. Large quantities of this "produced water" are acceptable for various beneficial uses and therefore represent a valuable natural resource, especially in the arid western United States. The water has been identified as a source of agricultural irrigation, power generation, aquifer storage, enhanced oil recovery, surface discharge and water for wildlife.

The IOGCC and ALL Consulting conducted a national research effort, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory, focusing on the management of produced water from conventional and unconventional onshore exploration and production operations in the United States. Researchers evaluated oil and gas operations throughout the country to observe how industry has dealt innovatively with water management challenges.