Industrial water professionals often think about water in terms of treatment, compliance, reuse, and operational risk. John Durand brings a different but closely connected view: water as infrastructure, water as a managed resource, and water as a strategic part of energy development.

John Durand, one of the early pioneers of the water midstream sector and CEO of Magnificent Desolation, LLC, joins Trace Blackmore to explain how produced water moved from a disposal challenge to a large-scale infrastructure opportunity.

From Disposal Model to Managed Resource

John describes how the growth of horizontal drilling changed the scale of water management in the Permian Basin. A vertical well once used a fraction of the water required for today's horizontal wells, creating a need for pipelines, reuse systems, recycling strategies, and long-term infrastructure planning.

He explains that the water midstream sector emerged because the old approach—trucking water or simply sending it to disposal—could not keep pace with the volume. Today, the conversation has shifted toward produced water reuse, recycling, and the search for beneficial uses outside of oil and gas.

Produced Water, Salinity, and Future Use

John notes that produced water can carry very high salinity, sometimes many times higher than seawater. That creates treatment challenges, especially when thinking beyond oilfield reuse and toward broader industrial applications.

He also points to future opportunities for produced water in data centers, electric generation, cooling applications, and possibly other beneficial reuse pathways. The key message is clear: water once treated as waste may become an important resource if the industry continues to innovate responsibly.

Infrastructure, Trust, and Public-Private Partnerships

Beyond pipelines and treatment, John emphasizes the role of relationships. He shares examples from Midland and Odessa, where long-term water supply arrangements and wastewater treatment infrastructure created value for both communities and industry.

For water professionals, the lesson extends beyond oilfield water. Large infrastructure projects require technical expertise, capital, public trust, and long-term credibility. John's experience shows that durable solutions depend as much on trust and collaboration as they do on engineering.

Staying Curious in a Changing Industry

John closes with a practical leadership reminder: stay curious, ask better questions, and keep learning. Whether the topic is produced water, AI, energy independence, or infrastructure, he encourages professionals to dig deeper and continue expanding their understanding.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

02:50 — Trace introduces the episode's central topic: the water midstream sector and how produced water is becoming a true asset instead of only a waste stream

06:31 — John Durand joins the conversation as one of the early pioneers of the water midstream sector and CEO of Magnificent Desolation

07:01 — John introduces his 41-year career in the energy business, his Louisiana roots, and his lifelong connection to oil and gas

08:08 — John explains the origin of the name Magnificent Desolation and its connection to Buzz Aldrin's words after walking on the moon

10:15 — John shares how lifelong curiosity, including reading an entire set of encyclopedias at age 12, shaped his career and learning mindset

11:28 — John walks through his energy career, from upstream oil and gas to natural gas marketing, power generation, conventional midstream, and eventually water midstream

14:22 — John explains how a call about water being "a big deal in the future" led him into Pioneer Natural Resources and large-scale water infrastructure

15:29 — John describes how the water midstream sector emerged as Pioneer built infrastructure to move water across a large acreage position

16:21 — John explains why horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing changed the scale of water demand and produced water management in the Permian Basin

17:39 — Trace asks John to define the water midstream sector, setting up a practical explanation of acquisition, movement, reuse, recycling, and disposal

19:57 — John addresses a common misconception about water midstream: the industry is moving beyond disposal toward reuse, recycling, and beneficial use

23:08 — John explains how the industry learned to manage massive water volumes through infrastructure, collaboration, and private capital investment

25:25 — John discusses produced water treatment considerations, including heavy metals, high salinity, desalination, and waste-product management

27:56 — John defines upstream, midstream, and downstream so listeners can understand how water midstream fits into the broader energy sector

30:09 — John explains why relationships matter in water midstream, especially when developing long-term projects and public-private partnerships

31:24 — John shares examples from Midland and Odessa, where municipal wastewater arrangements created long-term value for both communities and industry

34:31 — John explains why trust is the foundation of lasting relationships and how completed projects can create credibility for future opportunities

38:26 — John reflects on when he realized the water midstream sector was becoming durable and strategically important as private capital entered the space

40:03 — John looks ahead to the future of water midstream, including beneficial reuse, data centers, electric generation, and regional water infrastructure.

44:15 — John discusses how the geopolitical environment affects energy, water management, infrastructure, and U.S. energy independence.

01:04:02 — Words of Water with James McDonald

Quotes

"I have always been a very curious individual."

"It was produced water and freshwater."

"The misconception is oil-filled water, and the midstream water industry is just handling waste."

"It's really relationships and how you create and develop those relationships."

"Once you develop that trust over time, that's what it comes down to."

"The future really is into that term that you're going to hear a lot more of, and that's beneficial reuse."

"Be curious, stay curious, ask the right questions, be bold."

Connect with John Durand

Phone: (214) 232-4953