Insights & Perspectives
Upstream Intelligence from the Field
Regulatory developments, basin strategy, and produced water commentary from Luis R. Baez — drawn from 25 years of direct upstream experience.
Texas SWD Permitting: What Operators Need to Know in 2026
The Texas Railroad Commission's evolving stance on saltwater disposal well permitting is reshaping how Permian operators plan long-term water infrastructure. Understanding the regulatory trajectory — not just current rules — is now a strategic imperative.
5 min readProduced Water Recycling in the Permian: Economics Are Shifting
As freshwater scarcity intensifies and disposal costs rise, the economics of produced water recycling have crossed a threshold in several Permian sub-basins. The operators who modeled this transition early are now structuring midstream deals from a position of strength.
6 min readMachine Learning in Injection Forecasting: Practical Limits and Real Value
ML-enhanced injection forecasting is generating genuine operational value in basin-wide water movement modeling — but only when the underlying subsurface data is sound and the model is calibrated against real disposal history. A candid assessment of where the technology delivers and where it doesn't.
Due Diligence on Produced Water Assets: What Buyers Miss
Produced water infrastructure is increasingly central to upstream M&A valuations — yet subsurface disposal risk, regulatory exposure, and long-term volume commitments are routinely underweighted in deal processes. A framework for getting it right.
Delaware vs. Midland: Diverging Water Management Challenges
The Delaware and Midland basins share a name but face increasingly distinct produced water management challenges — driven by differences in formation pressure, disposal capacity, and infrastructure maturity. Operators active across both need differentiated strategies.
Seismicity and SWD: Navigating the Regulatory Response
Induced seismicity concerns continue to influence SWD permitting decisions across the Permian and beyond. The regulatory response is becoming more data-driven — and operators who engage proactively with the science are better positioned than those who wait for enforcement.
Perspectives shaped by direct experience.
To discuss any of these topics in the context of your operations, reach out to Luis Baez directly.
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