Woodlands company sees profit in mixing water and oil
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Houston-company-sees-profit-in-mixing-water-and-11302821.php July 20, 2017
A local water well company, hoping to float sagging revenues and remake itself, is tapping a West Texas aquifer, building miles of pipeline and pioneering a new way to get water to the oil field.
Layne Christensen, based in The Woodlands, is completing a six-well, 100,000-barrel-a-day pipeline from Pecos to the heart of the Delaware Basin, one of the busiest and most prolific oil fields in the United States....
...Layne says it can provide water more quickly, more reliably and for less money via pipeline. Layne hasn't released specific figures, but some estimate it costs as little as 2 cents per barrel per mile to ship water via a pipeline compared to at least 9 cents - if not far more - for trucking....
...Historically, oil companies have looked to farmers, ranchers and even cities to buy water. But those sources are usually fresh water, which can be used for drinking or agriculture, and there's a growing backlash against using it for fracking.
Layne, instead, is tapping brackish aquifers. With competitors close on its heels, Layne is trying to persuade oil and gas companies that they can more reliably and responsibly buy this nonpotable water....
