Kris M. Bansal

Kris M. Bansal is an independent consultant specializing in upstream water management and the development of integrated engineering solutions that bridge reservoir, production, and topsides disciplines. He retired as an Engineering Fellow from ConocoPhillips after a 30-year career in exploration and production. He subsequently served as a consultant to BP, providing technical support on produced-water management for Gulf of Mexico operations and delivering training on produced-water management to engineering personnel.
During his tenure at ConocoPhillips, Bansal was the company’s global subject-matter expert for upstream water management. He provided technical leadership and problem-solving support across worldwide operations, helping develop innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solutions to complex production and process challenges. He also led technology-transfer initiatives, including waterflood training programs and problem-solving seminars for operations and engineering teams.
Before joining ConocoPhillips, Bansal spent 6 years with Saudi Aramco in Ghawar Field operations engineering and 3 years with Calgon Corp. in activated-carbon R&D. Earlier in his career, he conducted academic research for 6 years at Carnegie Mellon University and the Hahn-Meitner Institute for Nuclear Research in Germany.
Bansal holds MS and PhD degrees in physical chemistry and an MS in chemical engineering. He can be reached at krismbansal@yahoo.com.

Water management

Mastering Produced-Water Management in Deepwater GOM: 25 Years of Insights—Part 2

This article is the second of a two-part series on produced-water management in the Gulf of Mexico and covers four themes: equipment, process configuration, operations, and effluent quality.

March 6, 2025 • Kris M. Bansal • Oil and Gas Facilities
Water management

Mastering Produced-Water Management in Deepwater GOM: 25 Years of Insights—Part 1

This first of a two-part series provides guidelines for designing and operating advanced produced-water systems on offshore platforms, covering fluid characterization, chemical treatment, equipment, process configuration, operations, and effluent quality.

October 7, 2024 • John M. Walsh • Oil and Gas Facilities
Water management

A Reassessment of the Role of Colloidal Iron in Produced Water From Shale Operations—A Review of Field Data and Literature (Part B)

This paper is the second of a two-part series. It covers facilities problems caused by iron, injectivity problems caused by iron, and the mitigation of colloidal iron-related problems.

November 24, 2021 • John M. Walsh • Oil and Gas Facilities
Water management

A Reassessment of the Role of Colloidal Iron in Produced Water From Shale Operations—A Review of Field Data and Literature (Part A)

A review of the properties of iron compounds and their impact in shale produced water treatment with an emphasis on their colloidal forms. A wide range of problems is associated with these compounds in produced water including emulsion stabilization, oil-coated solids, pad formation in separators, pipeline solids, and plugging of water disposal formations.

September 20, 2021 • John M. Walsh • Oil and Gas Facilities