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SPE Technical Section

Water Life Cycle and Strategy
Technical Section

The Water Handling and Management Committee is pleased to announce this technical section has been renamed to Water Life Cycle and Strategy. This change is part of the roadmap to re-develop the charter/constitution of this technical section and communicate a broader scope that would include surface and subsurface water issues and solutions.

We connect operators, service companies, researchers, and regulators to share practical guidance on water: source water, produced water, treatment & reuse, subsurface injection, monitoring, and risk & performance.

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Welcome & Overview

The Water Life Cycle and Strategy Technical Section will accomplish its mission by sharing ideas, promoting competence, and developing projects. We provide a forum for discussion and cooperation that bridges surface facilities and subsurface solutions.

Chairperson photo
Chairperson’s Message

Patricia E. Carreras

Chairperson, Water Life Cycle and Strategy Technical Section

Welcome to the SPE Water Life Cycle and Strategy Technical Section (WLCSTS)!

Our diverse team comprises experienced and young professionals from technical, business, academia and regulatory areas of expertise. Our goal is to share up to date subsurface and facilities water management strategies and regulations in the oil and gas industry, critical for maintaining operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. We foster collaboration between subsurface and facilities technical teams, operators, service providers, academia and regulators to solve industry challenges, foster innovation, and share expertise on water management and strategy.

As part of the SPE, we support joint efforts with other technical sections to organize local, regional and international events aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of the members.

We invite you to join the WLCSTS. There are open opportunities for active volunteers who desire to contribute and learn in the process.

Be in touch!

Mission

Accomplish our mission by sharing ideas, promoting competence, and developing projects.

Community

SPE members interested in Water Life Cycle and Strategy with applications in the upstream oil and gas industry.

Objective

Expedite, facilitate, and provide a forum for discussion and cooperation on Water Life Cycle and Strategy.

Thank you to our 2026 WLCSTS Sponsor 

 Shane Solutions LLC

Water Life Cycle — from Source to Strategy

A practical framework to organize discussions: define boundaries, quantify flows, manage quality and risk, and choose fit-for-purpose technologies and operating strategies.

① Source

Source & Supply

Water sourcing, compatibility, logistics, and constraints (seasonal, regulatory, and local stewardship).

② Use

Operations Use

Drilling, completion, facilities, and process water needs—where demand spikes and quality matters.

③ Produced

Produced Water

Volume forecasting, chemistry, solids, oil-in-water—what drives treatment complexity and cost.

④ Treat

Treatment & Conditioning

Fit-for-purpose treatment: membranes, flotation, filtration, biological, advanced oxidation, etc.

⑤ Reuse

Reuse / Recycling

Reuse pathways and reliability—integrating storage, blending, and operating envelopes.

⑥ Dispose

Disposal / Injection

Subsurface injection, induced seismicity considerations, monitoring, and long-term integrity.

Measurement & Monitoring

Metering, sampling strategy, online analyzers, data QC, and KPIs for operational and regulatory decisions.

Risk & Reliability

Failure modes (scaling, biofouling, corrosion), contingency planning, and resilience under variable feed quality.

Strategy & Governance

Water stewardship, policy alignment, stakeholder engagement, and “right-sized” reporting for credibility.

Goals

  • ·         Foster collaboration across the water life cycle and strategy community by connecting operators, regulators, technology specialists and academia to share practical approaches to water production, injection, disposal, and reuse.

  • ·         Deliver virtual events and workshops that strengthen SPE members’ technical skills and expand their knowledge.

  • ·         Share best practices and technical insights through communications and publications that promote professionalism and continuous learning.

  • ·         Use social media for communication and knowledge exchange within the water life cycle and strategy community across the petroleum industry and beyond.

  • ·         Identify emerging water management technologies, regulatory developments, and cross-disciplinary approaches that support oil and gas operational efficiency with environmental responsibility.

  • ·         Hold an annual section meeting at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) to encourage networking and discussion of key water management topics.

Operational & Strategic Metrics (examples)

Water intensity by asset, reuse ratio, treatment uptime, chemical consumption, solids handling performance, and cost per barrel treated—paired with quality/fit-for-purpose thresholds and a clear uncertainty story.

Upcoming Event & Recommended Reading

Upcoming Events

SPE Workshop: Full Life Cycle Water Management for Effective Resource Development
5–6 May 2026 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada

SPE Workshop: Integrated Water Management - Pathways for Sustainable,and Environmentally Responsible Oilfield Operations​​​​​​​

15–17 September 2026 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Publications • Recommended Reading

#5 Wellbore Integrity Challenges in Saltwater Disposal : Case Study on the Fort Worth Basin

Authors: Jawad Ali Khan and Andreas Michael

📄For full paper visit OnePetro

#4 Economic Analysis of Lithium and Salt Recoveries from Bakken Formation

Author: Md Jakaria, Kegang Ling, Dongmei Wang, Josh Crowell, and Danzhu Zheng

📄For full paper visit OnePetro

#3 Water Resources for Hydrogen Production in Wyoming

Author: E. Holubnyak, D. Jones, S. M. Buckhold, and C. Nye

#2 Buoyancy-Enhanced Membrane Filtration for Oilfield Produced Water Recycle and Reuse

Author: Peter Christou

#1 Innovative and Integrated Digital Solution for Water- Handling Management using Machine Learning for Production Enhancement in a Brownfield 

Authors: Santiago Davalos; Hugo Quevedo; Paul Castellanos; Erick Jacome; Neida Corella; Heidi Tipan; Jorge Yanez; Caren Basantes; Roberto Fuenmayor; Willem Sepulveda

Publications Recommended Reading banner

Past Events

Get Involved

Join the Technical Section

Join to participate in discussions, propose topics, and help shape water strategy initiatives.

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Announcements, highlights, event reminders, and community posts.

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Explore the Library

Find shared references, slide decks, and resources curated by the community.

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Click here to Join.

For more information on sanctions, visit our website here.