Abstract

Welcome to the North American Shale Water Management 2019 Exhibition and Conference where shale operators and service companies will meet with leading water management experts and key regulators in Houston, Texas to explore new cost-effective water treatment, sourcing, disposal and storage solutions for the North American shale plays. While operators adjust to a new market, new initiatives towards more efficient and cost-effective water management solutions are being explored in order to remain profitable in a lower margin business. Operators are seeking optimal performance and low-cost water management strategies in line with the latest regulations and environmental considerations in order to ensure long-term operational security for a ‘low-to-stay’ oil price market. With the challenges of keeping OPEX down to a minimum, shale operators are faced with the choice of adopting either “low-cost disposal” or “treatment for re-use” strategies to manage their produced water. While the operating costs can vary depending on the proximity of the producing wells to local water-disposal facilities, generally 60 to 80 percent of the total cost of disposal is attributed to water-hauling and transportation expenses. Where possible, operators are finding new and innovative options to recycle and reuse produced water for cost-effective and stable solutions. With developments in treatment technologies and strategic know-how, recent innovations in shale water management offer new hope for operators looking to maintain their economic margins under challenging market conditions and to better manage their wastewater. The North American Shale Water Management 2019 conference is set to become North America’s leading exhibition and conference exclusively for shale operators and a large array of service providers to explore new opportunities in water management, water recycling and water re-use to improve operational efficiencies and maintain profitability for both pre-existing wells and new operations. Thank you to all of our supporters and participants from previous summits, here’s a short clip below.