How Much Water Does Apache Potentially Need to Develop Alpine High?

Gabriel Collins, “How Much Water Does Apache Potentially Need to Develop Alpine High?,” Texas Water Intelligence™, Water Note #5, 19 June 2017 Apache Corporation’s Alpine High play has become a centerpiece of the company’s growth strategy moving forward. The desert oasis at Balmorhea State Park lies near Alpine High’s geographic center, and questions increasingly arise concerning…

A Simple Model for Pricing and Trading Produced Water in the Permian Basin

Gabriel Collins, “A Simple Model for Pricing and Trading Produced Water in the Permian Basin,” Texas Water Intelligence™, Water Note #3, 17 August 2016. Selling produced water can significantly reduce operational costs, make US shale production more competitive, and bolster the industry’s social license to operate. Executive Summary Political pressure, legal changes, evolving frac designs,…

The Brackish Water Estate in Texas

Oil is Not the Only Multi-Horizon Resource Play in the Permian Basin Oil is not the only multi-horizon resource play in the Permian Basin. Brackish groundwater also increasingly offers landowners a chance to make money from water sales to the oilfield and other consumers while preserving the precious Ogallala Aquifer and other freshwater layers under…

Blue Gold: Commoditize Groundwater and Use Correlative Management to Balance City, Farm, and Frac Water Use in Texas

Texas is increasingly dependent on groundwater supplies due to drought and rapid population and economic growth. The current groundwater law regime of absolute ownership and rule of capture is fundamentally unsustainable. Without reforms, Texas risks a California-style water supply crisis as soon as five to seven years from now. This would threaten millions of Texans’…