Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water
Over the last two years, the number of midstream investments has been nothing short of staggering. It’s been a great ride for this sector of the oil and gas biz and there’s no sign of a slowdown any time soon. According to the Interstate Natural Gas Association, midstream companies will need to invest nearly $800 billion through 2035 to keep pace with the volumes of crude oil, gas and NGLs being produced. But there’s a new leg of this industry that’s become both the life blood and problem child of the shale revolution—water. REC today is following the rise of midstream water management and recycling companies, which have become vital as the need grows for water-gathering pipelines and saltwater disposal systems. So far this year, companies have invested more than $2.5 billion in water-related construction, mergers and acquisitions. And with new laws in the Permian mandating producers take responsibility for their wastewater, the water business stands to pump billions of dollars more into the nation’s leading shale fields.