Here at BUWA, we keep trying to come up with all sorts of analogies to help us collectively change our minds and see the potential for transforming oilfield by-product water into water for beneficial-use like ag or conservation.

Analogy #432:

So, when the crude oil comes out of the ground, nobody puts it right into their gas tank, right? Of course not. The crude oil has to be sent to a refinery where it then becomes useful for us. It has to be made “beneficial-use oil.”

Same for the water that comes out with that crude oil. It’s not ready either to be put to immediate use. The by-product water can be cleaned right there in the field and then put right back out onto the land.

So, why do we get excited about crude oil but not by-product water?

Well, because until now, we haven’t had a proof of concept and a viable economic model. But now that we do, let’s see the produced by-product water as being a good thing!

Of course, all analogies break down and refining crude oil is way more complicated and expensive than cleaning up by-product water. That’s the problems with analogies, they aren’t the real thing.

Want to talk about the real thing? Drop us a note: director@beneficialusewateralliance.com