The meteoric rise in drilling and completions activity in the Permian Basin in the past few years has brought with it a scramble for new sources of water. As a result, “water is the new oil,” says Energy Makers Advisory Group’s Laura Capper. “The value of water has changed.” The U.S. demand for waterRead more
Blog
The rebound in oil prices has spurred a dramatic upswing in drilling activity in many parts of the country—and New Mexico is no exception. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), New Mexico’s side of the Permian basin is currently home to about 30,000 wells, with more wells being drilled every day. The practiceRead more
According to research at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, decades of anthropogenic activities (mining, groundwater extraction, hydrocarbon production), together with naturally occurring settlement due to sediment loading and glacial isostatic adjustments, have destabilized a 4,000-square mile swath of West Texas—leading to an increased rate of sinkhole formation and expansion. Whereas the naturally occurring subsidence onRead more