Groundbreaking Keynote Panel Announced For October 15th Conference - A Chat With U.S. Water Midstream CEOs

Oilfield Water Connection is pleased to announce that a first-of-its-kind keynote panel discussion will open the fast approaching 3rd Annual Oilfield Water Industry Update on October 15, 2021 at The Houstonian Hotel in Houston.

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Specifically, the conference will begin with a Keynote Panel titled “Water Midstream CEO Chat.” Participating in this 45-minute fireside chat style discussion will be four of the U.S. produced water sector’s distinguished leaders:

• Bill Zartler, CEO, Solaris Water Midstream
• Chris Cooper, CEO, Oilfield Water Logistics
• Jason Long, Co-CEO & COO, WaterBridge Operating
• Justin Love, CEO, Blackbuck Resources

Michael Blankenship, a Partner at Winston Strawn, will act as the panel’s moderator, facilitating a big picture discussion that will set the tone for the rest of this event’s exciting agenda.

“Any conference organizer would be thrilled to have any one of these gentlemen delivering the keynote address at their event,” said Pete Cook and Joseph Triepke, managing partners of Oilfield Water Connection, in a joint statement. “The fact that this conference will begin with four of the industry’s most highly regarded CEOs gathered on stage at the same time for a panel discussion is unprecedented. This will be a must-listen for anyone working in this industry, and it underscores what an important moment in time the shale water midstream industry finds itself in today. We thank these market leaders in advance for their willingness to share their knowledge in this format for the betterment of the sector as a whole.”

Additional agenda items and speakers are confirmed and will be announced soon. We have engaged with top industry minds to explore and develop creative new discussion angles on the most important industry issues for this conference. Notably, we are organizing this event from our DFW Texas headquarters (we are not foreign to the US shale industry and have been based near it and working in it for many years).

Suffice it to say, no other water midstream business conference in 2H21 will come close to matching the attendee quality or content relevance that delegates will experience at the 3rd Annual Oilfield Water Industry Update on October 15th at the Houstonian Hotel. We encourage industry participants to position their brands for success by sticking only with the most prestigious conferences in the sector – names you know and trust like ours and our friends at the Produced Water Society consistently put together events worth your time and dime, while many others come and go… 

Oilfield Water Connection has delivered value, quality, networking, and discussion that live up to the high standards you set inside your own businesses and investments at every one of the events we’ve hosted since 2019 in water midstream (all of which have sold-out in advance). Our October 15th conference will be no different. This is the one event that everyone in the produced water business will be talking about this Fall. It’s the one not to miss. And the buzz begins with the announcement of this impressive opening keynote panel!

Detailed Agenda

Monday - May 4, 2026 | Pre-Conference

Start TimeDescription
8:00 am
private meeting, separate registration required
10:30 am
private meeting, separate registration required
12:00 pm
private meeting, separate registration required
1:00 pm
private meeting, separate registration required
2:00 pm
in the Irving Convention Center exhibit hall (ground floor)
5:00 pm
private meeting, separate registration required
6:00 pm
Texican Court; open to all conference registrants; enjoy drinks, snacks, networking, & live entertainment (sponsorship available...)
7:30 pm
7:30 pm
Invitation only, sponsored by

Tuesday - May 5, 2026 | Conference Day 1

Start TimeDescription
8:00 am
sponsorships available (sponsors have the option to serve food items from their exhibit space...)
8:45 am
(kick-off sponsorship available...)
  • Pete Cook, Managing Partner, Oilfield Water Connection
  • Joseph Triepke, Managing Partner, Oilfield Water Connection
9:00 am
  • Robert Crain, Executive Vice President, Texas Pacific Water Resources
  • Scott Mitchell, CEO, Deep Blue
  • Jon VandenBrand, Senior Vice President, Western Midstream
  • Bentsen Falb, Managing Director, Raymond James (Moderator)
9:45 am
  • Ryan Hassler, Vice President, Rystad Energy
10:15 am
  • Kelly Bennett, Co-Founder & CEO, B3 Insight
10:45 am
exhibit hall refreshments & coffee available throughout the day; espresso station sponsorship available
11:15 am
  • Christian Herrington, Senior Director - Commercial Operations, WaterBridge
  • Hayden McEntire, Senior VP - Integrated Operations and Planning, WaterBridge
  • Taylor Spalla, Partner, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP (Moderator)
11:45 am
  • Hood Whitson, CEO, Element3 Resources
12:15 pm
different food stations set up throughout exhibit area, available until 1:30 - enjoy the variety and network over great bites!

lunch sponsorships available (sponsors have the option to serve food items from their exhibit space...)
1:30 pm
  • Sean Puryear, CEO, Permian Oilfield Partners
2:15 pm
  • Robert Ballantyne, Senior Vice President, RWI Enhanced Evaporation
2:30 pm
  • Will Bernitsky, Senior Director - Commercial Operations, Bison Water Midstream
  • John Cave, Senior Foreman Water, Expand Energy
  • Matt Tate, VP, Dakota Midstream
  • Bret Sumner, Shareholder, Beatty & Wozniak, P.C. (Moderator)
3:15 pm
  • Kieron Jeffries, Director, Concept Tanks
3:30 pm
  • Michael Otto, President, Industrial Process Filtration
3:45 pm
  • Ted Wooten, Chief Engineer, Railroad Commission of Texas
  • Nathan Alleman, Chief Regulatory Advisor, Ace Energy Advisors
  • Brandon Durrett, Partner, Jackson Walker LLP (Moderator)
4:30 pm
sponsored by
5:30 pm
practice for tomorrow's tournament, play a round, or just hang out and watch and network! the courts will be directly in the convention center this year...
6:30 pm
evening free for client dinners (many options in walking distance near the Irving Convention Center!)

Wednesday - May 6, 2026 | Conference Day 2

Start TimeDescription
8:00 am
sponsorships available (sponsors have the option to serve food items from their exhibit space...)
9:00 am
(kick-off sponsorship available...)
  • Pete Cook, Managing Partner, Oilfield Water Connection
  • Joseph Triepke, Managing Partner, Oilfield Water Connection
9:15 am
  • Raymond Vaz, Energy Marketing Professional, Devon Energy
  • Vrajesh Mehta, Water Manager, Oxy
  • Phillip Douget, Manager, Integrated Services, Civitas Resources
  • Luis Baez, Independent [Moderator]
10:00 am
  • Vitalis Nzerem, Pressure Mitigation Advisor, ExxonMobil
  • Annan Pascoe, VP, Deep Blue Water
  • Patrick Patton, VP, B3 Insight (Moderator)
10:45 am
exhibit hall refreshments & coffee available throughout the day; espresso station sponsorship available
11:00 am
  • Rick McCurdy, VP, Select Water Solutions
11:30 am
  • Stephen Cole, Executive VP & Partner, Five Point Energy
12:00 pm
main conference ends; post-conference pickleball tournament begins (separate tickets purchased during registration required)
12:05 pm
courts next to exhibit hall with open bar and food provided; open only to conference registrants who sign up for player or spectator passes during online registration
12:15 pm
served at the pickleball courts; open only to conference registrants who sign up for player or spectator passes during online registration
1:00 pm
next to exhibit hall with open bar and food provided; open only to conference registrants who sign up for player or spectator passes during online registration; swag and lessons included plus play for bragging rights and trophy sponsored by Texas Pacific!

available sponsorships include:
- paddle sponsor
- ball sponsor
- towel sponsor
- sweatband sponsor
- food and drink sponsor
- hat/visor sponsor
- sock sponsor
4:00 pm
trophies awarded to winners; conference adjourns
Detailed Agenda

Monday - May 5, 2025 | Pre-Conference

Start TimeDescription
10:30 am
Private meeting, separate registration required
12:00 pm
Private meeting, separate registration required
1:00 pm
Private meeting, separate registration required
2:00 pm
In the Irving Convention Center Ballroom
5:00 pm
Private meeting, separate registration required
6:00 pm
Open to all conference registrants; drinks, snacks, entertainment; sponsored by
7:30 pm
Invitation only, sponsored by

Tuesday - May 6, 2025 | Conference Day 1

Start TimeDescription
7:30 am
In exhibit hall
8:15 am
kick-off sponsored by
  • Pete Cook, Oilfield Water Connection
  • Joseph Triepke, Oilfield Water Connection
8:30 am
  • Ryan Hassler, Rystad Energy
9:00 am
  • Tracee Bentley, Permian Strategic Partnership [Chair]
  • Ray Perryman, The Perryman Group
  • Karr Ingham, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers
  • Kirk Edwards P.E., Latigo Petroleum
9:45 am
  • Kelly Bennett, B3 Insight
10:15 am
break sponsor
10:45 am
  • Brian Bohm, Independent [Chair]
  • Steven Runyan, Coterra Energy
  • John Cave, Expand Energy
  • Chance Freeman, Civitas Resources
  • Tyler Mitchell, Devon Energy
11:30 am
  • Robert Ballantyne, RWI Enhanced Evaporation
11:35 am
  • Bentsen Falb, Raymond James [Chair]
  • Nick Patterson, Aris Water Solutions
  • Jon VandenBrand, Western Midstream
  • Zach Neal, Pilot Water Solutions
12:15 pm
With time to visit exhibit hall; Sponsorship available
1:30 pm
  • Tim Carroll, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.
  • James Brewins, Price Forbes & Partners
  • Pete Cook, Oilfield Water Connection [Moderator]
1:50 pm
  • Michael Bodino, Texas Capital Bank
1:55 pm
  • Jason Schumacher, O’Melveny & Myers LLP
2:15 pm
3 rotations (15-minute each) to join tables hosted by E&P representatives for candid dialog
  • The Facility Of The Future In Produced Water (Steven Runyan, Coterra Energy)
  • Loving/Reeves County Mid- to Long-term Production Assurance & Water Disposal Plans (Kirby Lindsey, Oxy)
  • Land & Water (Chance Freeman, Civitas Resources)
  • Where Does Water Midstream Fit In E&P Portfolios (Tyler Mitchell, Devon Energy)
  • Evaporators & Crystallizers (Paul Hart, Diversified)
  • Beneficial Reuse Public-Facing Strategy (Stuart Mussler, Chevron)
  • Water Reuse & Recycling (John Cave, Expand Energy)
  • Nanotechnology for Subsurface Water Management (Steve Gornick, 9Band Operating)
3:00 pm
In exhibit hall
3:30 pm
  • Patrick Patton, B3 Insight [Chair]
  • Ted Wooten, Railroad Commission of Texas
  • Annan Pascoe, Deep Blue Water
  • Taylor Sanchez, Diamondback
  • Kirby Lindsey, Occidental Oil & Gas Corporation
4:10 pm
  • Kieron Jeffries, Concept Tanks
4:15 pm
  • Casey Lowary, Texas Capital Bank [Chair]
  • Cory Hall, AQT Water Management
  • Dan Montgomery, Bison Water Midstream
  • Stan Berry, S&P Global Commodity Insights
  • Benjamin Johnson, Texas Capital Securities
5:00 pm
Sponsored by
6:30 pm
Evening free for client dinners

Wednesday - May 7, 2025 | Conference Day 2

Start TimeDescription
8:00 am
In exhibit hall
9:00 am
  • Pete Cook, Oilfield Water Connection
  • Joseph Triepke, Oilfield Water Connection
9:15 am
  • Doug Robison, Natura Resources
  • Justin Sink, Natura Resources
  • Joseph Triepke, Oilfield Water Connection [Moderator]
9:45 am
  • Dane Broussard, CORE Linepipe [Chair]
  • Robert Crain, Texas Pacific Water Resources
  • Taylor Spalla, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP
  • Chris Harich, XRI
10:30 am
break sponsor
11:00 am
  • Brandon Durrett, Jackson Walker LLP [Chair]
  • Keith Gardner, KJG Strategies
  • David Grounds, Pilot Water Solutions
  • Nate Alleman, Ace Energy Advisors
11:40 am
  • Rob Rice, Gravity
  • Michael Anderson, Layne Water Midstream
  • Joseph Triepke, Oilfield Water Connection (Moderator)
12:00 pm
  • Pete Cook, Oilfield Water Connection
  • Joseph Triepke, Oilfield Water Connection
12:15 pm
Exhibitor breakdown; time for pickleball tournament preparation, transportation, and lunch at courts
1:00 pm
At Chicken N Pickle with open bar and food provided; open only to conference registrants who sign up for player or spectator passes during online registration; swag and pro lesson included plus play for bragging rights.
title belt and trophies sponsored by
paddle and ball sponsored by
towels courtesy of
socks courtesy of
sweat bands courtesy of
4:00 pm
Conference adjourns