Closing the Loop: Infinity Water Solutions and XTO Energy Redefine Water Sustainability in the Permian Basin

Environment + Energy Leader • by JESSICA HUNT

Infinity Water Solutions, a leading provider of water management solutions, has announced a new collaboration with XTO Energy that is set to revolutionize water recycling and sharing in the Permian Basin. With this new partnership, the two companies will work together to develop and implement innovative water management strategies that will improve efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize the environmental impact of oil and gas production.

Permian Basin

The Permian Basin, located in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico, is one of the most productive oil and gas regions in the world. As a semi-arid climate with limited water resources, and the oil and gas industry in the area has a high demand for water. Efforts are being made to address these concerns and reduce the water demand of the oil and gas industry. Some companies are exploring alternative sources of water, such as brackish groundwater or recycled produced water, and implementing technologies to reduce the amount of water needed for hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, regulations and policies are being developed to ensure that water resources are used sustainably and equitably in the region.

Water is used in various stages of the oil and gas production process, including hydraulic fracturing, drilling, and enhanced oil recovery techniques.

• Hydraulic fracturing process, which involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals into underground rock formations to extract oil and gas, requires a significant amount of water. According to some estimates, a single fracking well can use between 2 million and 5 million gallons of water.
• High water demand in the region has raised concerns about water scarcity and competition for water resources between different industries and stakeholders, including agriculture, municipal water users, and environmental conservation groups.
• Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques are methods used to increase the amount of oil that can be extracted from an oil reservoir after primary and secondary recovery methods have been employed. Primary recovery methods, such as natural pressure, only recover a small portion of the oil present in the reservoir, while secondary recovery methods, such as water flooding, can recover an additional portion of the oil.

Infinity Water Solutions and XTO Energy Partnership

To address this issue, Infinity Water Solutions and XTO Energy are teaming up to develop a comprehensive water management plan that focuses on recycling and sharing water resources.

Infinity operates as a pure-play recycler and employs a closed-loop water management system. This means that at its Mills Ranch 1 facility, all water, including XTO’s produced water, is collected, recycled, and redistributed back into the oil and gas industry in New Mexico. By doing so, Infinity avoids drawing water from natural resources, ensuring that 100% of the water used at the facility is recycled.

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