Water remains a big issue in the arid Permian Basin of West Texas where for every barrel of oil produced, another four to 10 barrels of saltwater — the remnants of an ancient inland sea — come out of the ground.

Over the past week, six companies filed 20 drilling permits to develop saltwater disposal, or injection, wells in the West Texas shale play.

Denver oilfield water company Felix Water led the pack by seeking permission to drill 13 injection wells on its Pbar SWD lease in Loving County. Occidental Petroleum-owned APC Water Holdings is seeking to develop another three saltwater disposal wells in Reeves County.

The remaining four injection well permits were filed by Midland-based APR Operating, Houston-based Crimson Exploration and Midland-based Double Drop SWD.

Permian Basin

Chinese-owned Surge Energy is preparing for nine horizontal drilling projects in West Texas. Spread out on three leases near the towns of Vealmoore and Knott, the wells target the Spraberry field down to a total depth of 9,000 feet.

Photo: Courtesy Photo / Felix Water LLC Photo: Courtesy Photo / Felix Water LLC Photo: Courtesy Photo / Felix Water LLC Photo: Courtesy Photo / Felix Water LLC

Eagle Ford Shale

Houston exploration and production company Recoil Resources is preparing obtained a drilling permit for a new oil well on its Boeing Unit lease in Wilson County, southeast of San Antonio. The horizontal drilling project targets the Marcelina Creek field of the Austin Chalk geological layer down to a total depth of 8,100 feet.

Haynesville Shale

No horizontal drilling permits were filed in the East Texas shale play over the past week, but San Angelo exploration and production company KJ Energy is preparing to drill a vertical gas well. The company obtained a permit to drill a vertical well on its Hughes Gas Unit lease about 7 miles north of Long Branch in Rusk County, targeting the natural gas-rich Brachfield SE field at a depth of 10,365 feet.

Barnett Shale

No horizontal drilling permits weree filed in North Texas shale play over the past week, but Plano oil company Veteran Exploration and Production is drilling a vertical well on its N. Elrod USMC lease in Archer County. The well targets the Mississippian and other geological formations down to a depth of 6,100 feet.

Conventionals

Castroville oil company Production Resources Inc. is planning to drill three vertical wells in deep South Texas to target he Piedre Lumbre field on its Duval County Ranch Company East lease about 7 miles southeast of Freer.