Santa Fe, NM – The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Oil Conservation Division (OCD) has just launched a new online portal for submitting water use reports within the oil and gas industry. As outlined in rule changes now in effect under the Produced Water Act, operators must report the amount and type of water used during oil and gas operations within 45 days of drilling and completing the well using the Water Use Report tool.

The OCD strives to improve technology to better monitor and regulate the oil and gas industry. An all-electronic reporting system will save time on both ends of the process and the data collected will provide the division with better information on current water use practices. The data is also publicly available on the OCD website.

“The OCD is working to transition all of our reporting and permitting forms to an online format, saving resources and improving transparency and efficiency,” said OCD Director Adrienne Sandoval. “The new information provided by these reports is an important step forward in understanding the size and scope of produced water use in the oil field.”

This data collection is a crucial step to inform future proposals. The Produced Water Act limits OCD jurisdiction to the reuse of produced water only within the oil and gas industry. The rule now in effect does not authorize the use of produced water outside of the oil and gas industry.

The data reported will be publicly available on the Water Use Report page.