173 Geologic Energy Resources and Storage for Now and the Future

This session seeks contributions describing research on multi-resource development efforts, non-traditional uses of fossil fuels, natural hydrogen and helium, CCUS, enhanced geothermal energy, storage of hydrogen and compressed air, and enhanced methane recovery and carbon storage in coal.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 302C

Managing the Water Energy Nexus in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico

Paper number: 173-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:05 AM – 8:25 AM

Authors

Abstract

Water and energy production are strongly linked in the Permian Basin with adverse environmental impacts.  The objective of this work was to quantify the volume of water used in hydraulic fracturing (HF) and produced with oil and gas in the Permian Basin and investigate its role in adverse environmental impacts, including overpressuring, induced seismicity, and well blowouts.

Results show that horizontal well laterals increased to 2–3 miles but water use for hydraulic fracturing has generally stabilized relative to lateral lengths since ~2017. Produced water is a big concern and totaled ~ 6.5 billion barrels (Bbbl) in 2023, about 2 times greater in the Delaware Basin than in the Midland Basin. While recycling of produced water for hydraulic fracturing has increased ≤ 50 – 60% of hydraulic fracturing water demand, a large excess of produced water in the Delaware Basin would remain even if hydraulic fracturing was entirely sourced by produced water. Most produced water has been managed by subsurface disposal through saltwater disposal wells with ~1 saltwater disposal well for every 10 producing wells. Most (75%) produced water has been injected into the shallow subsurface above the oil and gas reservoirs with only 25% in deeper zones. Overpressuring has resulted in > 10,000 earthquakes of ML 2.0+ since 2017, with ~ 90% in the Delaware Basin. Both the Midland and Delaware basins have experienced earthquakes above ML 5.0+, associated with deep injection. Daily injection reporting is required in seismic response areas. Shallow injection, mostly in the Delaware Basin, has been collocated with actively leaking abandoned oil and gas wells. There are ~ 1,600 “orphaned and abandoned” wells that are awaiting plugging. These mostly vertical wells can provide pathways for overpressured fluids that could result in contamination of overlying aquifers and surface flows, underscoring the importance of well plugging.

Reducing adverse environmental impacts will require maximizing reuse of produced water for hydraulic fracturing. The Texas Produced Water Consortium is evaluating treatment options of produced water for potential land application, crop irrigation, and surface water discharge to the Pecos River. Treated produced water could also be used to recharge depleted aquifers, such as the Pecos Valley Aquifer.  Quantifying the spatiotemporal water budget of the Permian Basin  is foundational for improving water management and reducing environmental impacts.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-412526

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