Accessing Produced Water Data in New Mexico: Improving and Updating the NM Produced Water Quality Database and Web Site

Published Date:

October 2016

Authors:

M Cather, C Gallegos, D Chen

Abstract:

Water produced as a byproduct of oil and gas production represents a large potential water source in southeastern New Mexico. In 2015, industry reported production of almost 900 million barrels of water. This significant volume of water is a very dispersed, largely uncharacterized, and extremely variable water source. Almost all this water is reinjected; some for pressure maintenance and improved oil recovery, but mostly as a means of disposal. A significant amount of produced water could potentially be diverted to other uses if economic, regulatory, and technological hurdles can be overcome. In 2001, Petroleum Recovery Research Center (PRRC), a division of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NMT), began a DOE-funded project compiling data on quality and quantity of produced water into the NM WAIDS database. The project was completed in 2004 and was maintained as a static online resource. In late 2013 the old web interface was offline at the request of NMT network administrators due to security concerns. An update of the database and web interface was begun in 2014. The goals of the project were to improve the database quality, recode and upgrade the web site, and add new data and GIS functionality. The water quality database has been augmented, standardized, qualitychecked, and published online. GIS data will be available through NM WRRI’s web interface, while the database can be searched and geolocated data downloaded via PRRC’s website at http://octane.nmt.edu/gotech/water/producedwater.aspx.

Download:
tr375.pdf

Keywords:

produced water; water quality; NM WAIDS;