We manage water risks and mitigate potential impacts to water resources, taking into account the unique hydrologic, quality, use and ecological settings of each operation.  

For every barrel equivalent of energy we produce, we manage about two barrels of water, including:  

• Withdrawing it from local surface water, fresh or non-fresh groundwater and seawater sources for use at our facilities and operations to produce natural gas and oil. 
  • Managing it as produced water, as part of the natural gas and oil production process.  
    • Reusing or recycling it to use as an alternative to local water resources for enhanced oil recovery, steam generation and hydraulic fracturing. 
    • Discharging it from offshore operations after treatment in accordance with local water quality regulations. 
    • Disposing of it in disposal wells in accordance with local regulations 

We measure and report on the volume of fresh water and non-fresh water withdrawn from local water sources and the volume of produced water that is reused, recycled, disposed or discharged after treatment.  

We use water to drill and complete wells, to develop and operate facilities and to produce oil from oil reservoirs and from bitumen deposits using steam-assisted gravity drainage. 

Most of the water used in our steam-assisted gravity drainage oil sands operation is reused, treated water. To obtain the small fraction of additional water needed for the process, we draw from a series of deep underground sources, targeting water that is unfit for human consumption and unsuitable for agricultural or livestock purposes. 

In the liquids-rich Montney area of northeast B.C., drilling and completing a well can require up to 500,000 barrels of water. In 2022, 80+% of our produced water in Montney was treated and recycled internally or for use by other operators.  

ConocoPhillips' global water sustainability position, water strategy and onshore well management principles are the foundation of our water management efforts in Canada. These efforts have included assessing and improving our water use efficiency through improved technology and management practices.