Produced Water Act signed into law by Gov. Stitt

The Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma joined a broad coalition to praise Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt for signing Senate Bill 1875, the Oil and Gas Produced Water and Waste Recycling and Reuse Act.

The act designates who owns and is responsible for produced water and waste from oil and natural gas drilling and production operations.

“Providing clarity on this issue will help Oklahoma attract entrepreneurs who will now have a greater incentive to recycle and reuse wastewater,” said Brook A. Simmons, President of The Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma. “We brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to craft this law, which ensures it will make our state more competitive.”

Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment Kenneth Wagner said the new law will strengthen environmental stewardship.

“S.B. 1875 encourages innovation around recycling and reusing wastewater in the oilfield, which will reduce freshwater demand and lower saltwater injection volumes,” Wagner said. “Plus, it demonstrates how reasonable Oklahomans with diverse interests can work together to find common solutions.”

State Representative Terry O’Donnell also said the measure represents the power of collaboration.

“The issue of produced water from the drilling of oil and gas is critical to our state’s environment. Interested parties from agriculture, oil and gas, environmental groups, and surface and mineral interest owners were able to come together and work out an agreement that works collectively for them and for our state’s environmental policy. It is, in my view, one of the best public policy issues to come from this legislative session.”

State Senator Dave Rader championed the bill.

“I am proud to have been the author of this bill that is critical to the state’s environment,” Rader said.

Shelley Shelby, director of government affairs at Continental Resources, was a key member of The Alliance’s legislative committee and helped lead efforts to broaden the bill’s appeal.

“This historic collaboration has resulted in legislation that our industry has been advocating for years,” Shelby said. “It’s rewarding to see the effort pay off with a change that will benefit everyone in Oklahoma.”

Terry Stowers, Executive Director of the Coalition of Oklahoma Surface and Mineral Owners (COSMO) was also involved in crafting the compromise. “Solving challenges such as wastewater management requires managing a broad range of interests, including protecting the various property rights of all parties. The invaluable input and participation in the negotiations from the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau ensured that surface owners water rights were protected,” Stowers said. “This process allowed various stakeholders to be involved in finding a solution which benefits the entire state, not just certain groups. We thank Sen. Rader, Rep. O’Donnell and Sec. Wagner for their leadership and Gov. Stitt for signing the bill into law.”

Source: Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma