Here's what to know about New Mexico's latest efforts to reuse oil and gas wastewater
Wastewater from oil and gas operations in New Mexico could soon be used for other industries like agriculture as state’s Environment Department published proposed regulations to allow the reuse of treated produced water.
Produced water is a combination of flow back of the fluid used in hydraulic fracturing, and formation water brought up from shale deposits along with oil and gas.
For each barrel of oil generated by fracking, up to 10 barrels of this byproduct is produced.
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It’s often high in brine, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, and was traditionally pumped back underground for disposal into the formations it came from.
In response to recently increasing earthquakes tied to disposal injection, and strained water supplies in the arid Permian Basin region and in New Mexico, NMED partnered with New Mexico State University to study how produced water could be studied, treated and reused.
Here’s the latest on New Mexico’s work to reuse oil and gas wastewater.
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State law called for rules to use oil and gas wastewater outside of drilling
The 2019 Produced Water Act stipulated that NMED would manage the fluid’s potential use outside of the industry, while the Oil Conservation division would track its use within.
Many operators are already treating and reusing the water for subsequent drilling operations, and the OCD records the volumes that are used in this way and disposed of.
On Nov. 1, NMED published proposed guidelines for use outside of extraction, such as for watering crops, seeking public input for 30 days until Dec. 1.
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Treated or untreated, no produced water will be discharged before standards adopted
The proposed rules, under NMED’s Water Control Commission at the state’s Water Quality Act, would require produced water be treated to certain standards not yet devised before it could used outside of oil and gas.
Even treated produced water would not be allowed to be discharged into groundwater supplies, the proposal read, until the commission adopts such criteria based on “scientifically defensible information.”
The rules specify that the department will never issue a permit for discharge of untreated produced water.
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Rules would allow produced water research projects
The proposal did allow NMED to permit demonstration projects that would not release any fluid into the outside environment.
To do so, researchers must submit a notice of intent and be approved by NMED before demonstrations can be conducted.
After a demonstration, the fluid must be disposed of via an injection well, the proposal read, or another disposal method already approved by the OCD.
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Demonstration project applications must include its objectives, storage and delivery methods of the fluid, plans for safe handling and efforts to limit human exposure.
All research results will be submitted to the NMED, to aid in developing government standards for water quality.
How can you comment on the proposal?
Comments on the NMED’s produced water reuse rules can be made on the agency’s public comment portal online env.nm.gov/water-reuse/, via email to pw.environment@env.nm.gov or mail to NMED-GWQB, Attn: Water Reuse Regulation, P.O. Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM, 87502.
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Commenters were asked to include their name, title, affiliation, email and phone number and “Water Reuse Regulation” in the email subject line.
Where are researchers in finding usable wastewater treatment and reuse methods?
NMED and NMSU formed the Produced Water Research Consortium in 2019, teaming up with researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to find solutions to the toxicity of produced water in its reuse.
In its latest status report from September, the consortium said it saw progress on multiple technology development projects with companies that could prove useful in New Mexico in collaboration with Texas’ produced water consortium.
Oil and gas engineering consultant company Circle Verde was developing a mechanical vapor compression system to treat produced water in Texas, the report read, while Bechtel’s produced water treatment project was being built in Midland with water testing occurring in November.
The report said the consortium was also looking into widespread electrification of the oil and gas industry, and its potential benefit to treatment projects.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Here's what to know about oil and gas wastewater reuse in New Mexico
