Water is one of Earth’s most critical resources, and water scarcity represents an increasing problem worldwide. Demographic growth and economic development are putting unprecedented pressure on water resources, especially in arid regions. Water is crucial for many sectors, and it is also fundamental for personal and household needs, for energy and industrial production, and for maintaining important water-dependent ecosystems and ecosystem services.
Water plays a key role in all the phases of the oil and gas business. Because of the large amounts of this resource used, it should be managed with respect to both withdrawals and to disposal. For these reasons, adopting a well-defined and sound approach is essential to protect the water resource, also considering that oil and gas activities often take place in arid regions.
All these aspects require an integrated and inclusive approach able to build resilience against worsening factors.
To implement an integrated and effective approach to water management, knowing in depth uses and discharges of water in all the phases of the upstream oil and gas industry is essential. As described in this paper, only through a high level of knowledge is it possible to define winning strategies.