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sustainability

Rethinking Water Management

in Oil and Gas

Energy companies are investing

in more efficient and sustainable
methods for acquiring,
using and replacing water

Roberto Nava, Carlo Zandi
and Giacomo Calligaris
Bain
Oil and gas companies are Figure 1: The Middle East
and North Africa are among
ater risks pose a threat to uniquely qualified to tackle the the most water-stressed re-
many businesses, but the oil “challenging issues around gions in the world
and gas sector is particularly
exposed because of its requi- water sustainability in many
rements for vast amounts of regions of the world, given
W water across the value chain their engineering expertise,
and the geographical overlap between many of
its operations and the places where water is most construction capabilities and
scarce access to investment funds
A comprehensive approach to water management
begins with a clear understanding of the risks asso-
ciated with water scarcity and potential impacts on Water scarcity is an increasingly critical issue in
the core business, including interruptions in opera- many parts of the world. As cities and economies
tions or increases in operating expenses grow and as the climate changes, water resources
come under greater pressure, placing the people
Some of the most water- and industries that depend on them at risk.
stressed regions in the world The Middle East and North Africa, areas with in-
“are also the locations of intense tensive oil and gas production activity, are among
the most water-stressed regions in the world (see
oil and gas activity. Given that Figure 1). The OECD estimates that water-related
water is critical for oil and gas losses in agriculture, health, income and property
production, energy companies could limit those gains and contribute to a 6% de-
cline in global GDP by 2050.
need to become more efficient Water risks pose a threat to many businesses, but
in the ways they use water, the oil and gas sector is particularly exposed be-
cause of its requirements for vast amounts of water
from upstream exploration across the value chain and the geographical over-
through refining lap between many of its operations and the places
where water is most scarce. Water risks carry the
potential to interrupt production, increase opera-

Impiantistica Italiana - Maggio-Giugno 2019 33