2026 AGENDA
2026 Permian basin water in energy conference
The Permian Basin Water in Energy Conference drives conversation and collaboration to advance water management – how it’s moved, reused, financed, and regulated – across the entire energy value chain.
The annual conference brings together commercial executives, engineers, innovators, policy experts, lawmakers, capital partners and regulators, all to champion responsible resource management and sustainable solutions. The 2026 conference will convene more than 50 speakers over two full days, with sessions that balance practical, current insights and long-range perspectives.
As a program of The University of Texas Permian Basin, net proceeds directly benefit the future and UT Permian Basin students.
Schedule Overview
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Welcome Reception
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
UT Permian Basin CEED Building
11105 W Hwy 191, Midland, TX 79705
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Conference Day 1 (includes breakfast, lunch, networking happy hour & keynote dinner)
8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Bush Convention Center
105 N. Main St., Midland, TX 79701
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Conference Day 2 (includes breakfast, lunch & networking happy hour)
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Bush Convention Center
105 N. Main St., Midland, TX 79701
Convention Center Parking
Session topics
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
- Conference Welcome
- OPENING KEYNOTE: Water, Energy, and Capital – an Economic Outlook Shaping the Permian Basin
- Texas Water Policy in Motion: What the Legislature and TWDB are Prioritizing
- Legal Update & Implications – Ownership, Liability, & Reuse Agreements for Produced Water
- Data Centers & Produced Water – From Need to Future Opportunities
- LUNCH KEYNOTE: Maynard Holt, Founder and CEO, Veriten
- Water Quality & Permitting: What’s Changing, What’s Coming, and What to Watch
- Texas Railroad Commission Update
- Injection, Pressure and Seismicity – From Data to Decision-Making
- Monitoring Technologies and Tools for Reservoir Management and Risk Forecasting
- Midstream Infrastructure – Balancing Volumes, Costs and Value
- Networking Happy Hour
- DINNER KEYNOTE: From Boomtown to Landman: Storytelling in the Permian Basin
Thursday, April 9, 2026
- Education, Workforce & Recruiting – Building Local Talent Pipelines
- Balancing the Load: Power and Produced Water Challenges in the Permian
- Economics and Capital: Everyone Wants More – Energy, Water and Certainty
- U.S. Department of Energy Perspectives on Produced Water Management
- Water and Decision-Making: A Delicate Balance
- LUNCH KEYNOTE: The Nuclear Energy & Produced Water Nexus
- From Waste to Worth: Unlocking Value in Permian Produced Water
- End Users – Exploring Downstream End Users of Treated Produced Water
- Networking Happy Hour
Session Overviews
| Session | Description | Schedule | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Networking Happy Hour | 5:30 - 6:00 PM | ||
| Welcome Reception Remarks | 6:00 - 6:30 PM |
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| Networking Happy Hour | 6:30 - 7:00 PM |
| Session | Description | Schedule | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Welcome remarks from UT Permian Basin, the Conference Advisory Board Chair, and title sponsor ExxonMobil highlighting the company’s commitment to responsible water stewardship, innovation, and collaboration across the Permian Basin energy ecosystem. | 8:45 - 9:15 AM |
|
| Opening: Water, Energy, and Capital – An Economic Outlook Shaping the Permian Basin | A timely economic outlook on the forces shaping the Permian Basin, examining the critical intersection of water, energy, and capital. Dr. Perryman provides a forward-looking perspective on market dynamics, investment trends, and long-term regional growth. | 9:15 - 9:45 AM | Dr. Ray Perryman, CEO, The Perryman Group |
| Texas Water Policy in Motion: What the Legislature and TWDB are Prioritizing | Texas water policy is entering a new phase as lawmakers, regulators, and industry leaders work to expand supply, modernize infrastructure, and address long-term water scarcity. | 9:45 - 10:30 AM |
|
| Break | |||
| Legal Update & Implications – Ownership, Liability, & Reuse of Produced Water | This session explores recent issues with produced water disposal and reuse, including liability considerations and litigation involving produced water and water rights. | 10:45 - 11:15 AM |
|
| Data Centers & Produced Water – From Need to Future Opportunities | Perspectives on the nexus of produced water, data centers, and power generation. This session explores how treated produced water may support growing infrastructure demands and enable water-positive operations. | 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM |
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| Lunch Buffet | |||
| Lunch Keynote: Maynard Holt | 12:45 - 1:45 PM | Maynard Holt, Founder and CEO, Veriten | |
| Water Quality & Permitting: What’s Changing, What’s Coming, and What to Watch | A forward-looking discussion on the evolving regulatory landscape for water quality and produced water permitting in Texas. | 1:45 - 2:30 PM | Brooke Paup, Chairwoman, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
| Texas Railroad Commission Update | Chairman Jim Wright provides an update on the strength and reliability of Texas oil and natural gas operations and regulatory oversight. | 2:30 - 2:45 PM | Jim Wright, Chairman, Texas Railroad Commission |
| Break | |||
| Injection, Pressure and Seismicity – From Data to Decision-Making | This session explores how subsurface data, monitoring programs, and regional studies inform injection strategies, reservoir management, and operational decision-making across the Permian Basin. | 3:00 - 3:45 PM |
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| Monitoring Technologies and Tools for Reservoir Management and Risk Forecasting | Advances in monitoring technologies and data integration are enabling more effective reservoir management and risk mitigation in large-scale injection environments. | 3:45 - 4:30 PM |
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| Midstream Infrastructure – Balancing Volumes, Costs and Value | Water midstream leaders share insights on balancing operational demands, infrastructure investment, and long-term value in oilfield water management. | 4:30 - 5:00 PM |
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| Networking Happy Hour | 5:00 - 6:00 PM | ||
| Dinner Buffet | 6:00 - 6:30 PM | ||
| Dinner Welcome & Award Presentation | Welcome back and awards presentation including the Jim Woodcock Trail Blazer Award and Woman in Energy Making Waves Award. | 6:30 - 7:00 PM | |
| Dinner Keynote: From Boomtown to Landman | Christian Wallace shares his journey from growing up in the West Texas oil patch to creating Boomtown and co-creating Landman. | 7:00 - 8:00 PM | Christian Wallace, Co-Creator of Paramount+'s Landman |
| Session | Description | Schedule | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education, Workforce & Recruiting – Building Local Talent Pipelines | This session begins with opening remarks from President Woodley, sharing the critical role The University of Texas Permian Basin plays in serving this important region, the state, and beyond. A panel discussion will then explore how UT Permian Basin, our local community colleges, and industry partners are working together to build, develop, and sustain a strong local workforce pipeline. | 9:00 - 9:45 AM |
|
| Balancing the Load: Power and Produced Water Challenges in the Permian | An in-depth look at how produced water management and power transmission intersect. This panel discussion will explore today’s challenges, emerging technologies, and future opportunities shaping Texas's power infrastructure. | 9:45 - 10:30 AM |
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| Break | |||
| Economics and Capital: Everyone Wants More – Energy, Water and Certainty | A view from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas on the evolving energy landscape, the outlook, and navigating uncertainty. Then a panel discussion will highlight current challenges and opportunities relating to water and infrastructure investments in the Permian Basin. | 10:45 - 11:30 AM |
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| U.S. Department of Energy Perspectives on Produced Water Management | This presentation will provide an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) recent and ongoing efforts to advance produced water management. | 11:30 - 11:50 AM | Hichem Hadjeres, Program Manager for Water Management R&D, U.S. Department of Energy |
| Water and Decision-Making: A Delicate Balance | We all know the saying, “whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting.” TXOGA President Todd Staples will discuss legislative water challenges and how limited resources force difficult decisions across Texas. | 11:50 AM - 12:10 PM | Todd Staples, President, Texas Oil and Gas Association |
| Lunch Buffet | |||
| Lunch: The Nuclear Energy & Produced Water Nexus | The largest operational expense for produced water treatment is energy input. Natura Resources and NGL Energy Partners are exploring how nuclear technologies and treatment expertise can help solve the Permian’s water challenges. | 12:45 - 1:45 PM |
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| From Waste to Worth: Unlocking Value in Permian Produced Water | Discover how industry leaders are transforming produced water into strategic assets through desalination, mineral extraction, agriculture, and infrastructure innovation. | 1:45 - 2:30 PM |
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| End Users – Exploring Downstream End Users of Treated Produced Water | A comprehensive discussion on Pecos River management, water governance, and future applications of treated produced water including agriculture and land restoration. | 2:30 - 3:15 PM |
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| Networking Happy Hour | 3:15 - 4:30 PM |