When producers blast a mix of water, sand and chemicals to release oil and gas from rock formations miles underground, they not only unlock oil and gas, but also massive quantities of briny water long buried beneath the surface. Drillers in the Permian Basin in New Mexico and Texas currently generate more than 1,000 Olympic-size swimming pools full of this murky, salty water every day. Handling it amounts to up to 25% of a well’s lease operating expense, according to analysts. Investors have expressed interest in this corner of the U.S. shale industry as oil production in the Permian soars to record levels . Analysts said the region could produce more than five million barrels of oil a day by 2023, more than the current daily production of Iran. Sensing a chance for a big return, private-equity firms have invested more than $500 million into wastewater-disposal companies such as […]