American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2025 - 24

Industry Commentary
Whilst the dry plains of West Texas
Event To Dive Into Water Management
will never resemble the beautiful hills
and valleys of the Isle of Skye in Scotland,
or the surrounding North Atlantic, it has
a bountiful underground sea confined
deep in the geologic formations of the
Permian Basin. This sea may no longer
become wild and uncontrollable, but if
we want to continue tapping the Permian's
vast supplies of oil and gas, we
must handle produced water with the
same care that sailors devote to navigating
its stormy seas.
The Permian Basin Water In Energy
Conference, which is hosted by the University
of Texas Permian Basin, brings
together the people who know the most
about water in the Permian. They have
in-depth knowledge and experience managing
water and its varied impacts on
the industry, West Texas and New Mexico.
In addition to sharing new ways to clean,
transport and repurpose produced water,
they also discuss many other vital topics,
such as how to protect freshwater supplies
and ensure availability in an arid region.
It has been my privilege to serve on
the advisory board for the Permian Basin
Water In Energy Conference since it
first took place in 2018, and I continue
to be amazed by the expertise and knowledge
the conference attracts. Attendees
highlight the latest academic studies and
cutting-edge technological developments.
The conference is an educational event,
not a trade show. If water touches your
business or your life, please join us for
the 2025 UT Permian Basin Water In
Energy Conference at the Bush Convention
Center in Midland on March 46,
2025. You will be glad you did, and
you will be inspired by what you learn.
For more information about the event,
including how to register, visit https://waterinenergy.com.
❒
-Max
Wright, Partner,
Shafer, Davis, O'Leary & Stoker PC
MAX WRIGHT is a long-time Midland civil trial attorney with extensive experience
in both oil and gas and personal injury litigation who practices with Shafer, Davis,
O'Leary & Stoker PC. He is a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel,
the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Defense Research Institute
and the American Board of Trial Advocates. In addition to being involved with the
Permian Basin Water in Energy Conference since its inception, he served as a
member of the Board of Trustees for the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
Those who work in the oil and gas
industry should be proud of the progress
they are making to reduce methane emissions.
According to data from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
methane emissions from the country's
top producing basins have fallen 44%
since 2011.
These newest figures on methane
45.0
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
2011
2012 2013 2014
Williston
San Juan
2015
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Permian
Anadarko
24 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER
Gulf Coast
Arkoma
Appalachian
Industry Methane Emissions Plummet
emissions follow the release of 2023
data from EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting
Program. The data, which can
be broken out by basin, reveals that the
massive reduction in methane emissions
holds true across the board, with each of
America's top seven oil and gas producing
basins seeing a decrease in their total
methane emissions over recent years.
Methane Emission Reductions In Top U.S. Basins
Three basins' emissions fell by more
than half from 2019 to 2023: the Williston,
the Appalachian and the Arkoma.
Arkoma Basin emissions had the most
dramatic plummet, declining 87%.
In the Permian Basin, total methane
emission fell 32% between 2019 and
2023, or by 2.4 million metric tons. Annual
reporting from Texans for Natural
Gas has shown an ongoing decline in
methane intensity in the Permian over
those years as well-from 0.29% in
2019 to 0.12% in 2022.
Concurrently, total Permian production
increased 51%, from nearly 7.0 million
barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2019
to 10.6 million boe/d in 2023.
A separate EPA report from earlier
this year, conducted alongside the Clean
Air Task Force, echoed these findings.
The study found that from 2015 to
2022, methane emissions from oil and
gas production fell 37%. A similar
story emerged when examining emissions
intensity-both methane and
Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent
https://waterinenergy.com https://waterinenergy.com
American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Oil and Gas Reporter - January 2025
