So newbie here with a basic question. What are all the ways operators get water to the right spot? Our lease had a comment about water. My dad’s cousin provided water on many acres on separate deals…I think all in Grady county. I looked at the map of 27 3n 6n. My great grandfathers farm still being farmed by 3 rd cousins. I see no water on any of the maps anywhere in 3n 6w… Surely there is water or how do you farm? Anyway…would water be a big factor in prioritization in where to drill first? And what are water options? Knowing nothing the first thing that comes to mind is combining with another area that has water. Maybe there are wells you can’t see via satellite. I see depressions…maybe there are creeks that just are not showing up on the three maps i looked at? It must be a big issue or they would not try to auto renew on the basis of water availability?
A few sources I know of:
1. Buy from an area farmer or rancher. My aunt was going to sell her pond water to one oil company for $150/day, but the oil company bought their water from someone with a pond closer to the drilling site. She was not happy.
2. Buy from a municipality. The Town of Alex sells water to area drilling rigs by the truckload. I hear they are putting $3,000 to $5,000 a month into a reserve "rainy day" fund from the sale of water.
3. Other - Oil companies sometimes buy their water from a source that is several miles from the drilling site and pump it in via irrigation pipe/plastic black pipe. You will sometimes see the pipe running for miles down the bar ditches on some of the county back roads.
Thank-you Don. Very informative. So, there are always options for water and it won't be a reason for an area being lower in priority then.
Holly