Submissions are now being accepted for a major research and information conference on water produced from energy development scheduled May 25-26 at the Hilton Garden Inn, University of Wyoming Conference Center in Laramie.
The conference, sponsored by UW's School of Energy Resources (SER) and the Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, will benefit scientists, members of industry and non-governmental organizations, and policy makers. It will cover produced water from oil, gas, coalbed natural gas, coal mining, uranium, and carbon sequestration.
"Energy Resources and Produced Water Conference: Water Quality, Management, Treatment, and Use" will advance the understanding of current research and monitoring projects related to the management, treatment, protection, and use of water associated with energy development in Wyoming and the West," says Diana Hulme, Ruckelshaus Institute associate director.
Prospective presenters should submit an abstract for their paper or poster presentation by March 5 via the event's online submittal form (www.uwyo.edu/enr/ienr/info.asp?p=14814). The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register online. Presenters who are selected to participate as part of the agenda will be notified via e-mail, and will also need to register online for the conference.
"This conference offers a great opportunity for experts from academia, government, industry and other groups to share their applied research and knowledge about produced water from energy development," says Hulme. Following the conference, the Ruckelshaus Institute will publish a compilation of the research papers and posters presentations as well as the session discussions.
Water is a major consideration when it comes to the various activities associated with energy extraction for natural resources underground, says Mary Byrnes, SER associate director.
"Protection of water resources, including how to treat and use produced water, has become more important as both energy production and the demand for water resources increases," she says.
The conference exemplifies what UW can achieve through collaboration with energy and natural resource experts, Byrnes says.
"It is our intent to provide the opportunity for energy and natural resource experts to share current research findings enabling the state to be in a better position to manage energy-produced water in the future," she says.
The conference is presented in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Wyoming State Office of the Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Wyoming State Geological Survey, Powder River Basin Resource Council, Wold Oil Properties, Inc., Los Alamos National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory.
Posted on Thursday, November 05, 2009