Meet the Hero: Leveraging Hydrogeology at YPF
Meet Leonardo Minghinelli, a Hydrogeologist at YPF, a prominent Argentine energy enterprise immersed in oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and distribution. YPF stands as a vital player in Argentina's energy landscape, both domestically and on the international stage.
As a hydrogeologist, Leonardo oversees and manages various aspects of water projects including hydrogeological studies, runoff analysis, and improving efficiency in water usage across the business.
Water is critical to their operations and is used in several ways:
Drilling and borehole completion: Water is used as a fluid during the drilling process and for completing and installing boreholes.
Well stimulation: In low and moderate-permeable systems, water is used for hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting water and other fluids into the well to create fractures in the rock formation and enhance oil or gas extraction.
Human consumption and fighting fire: Water is essential for human consumption and is also used for firefighting purposes.
Refining and oil processing: Water is used in various processes in the refining and processing of oil and its derivatives. This includes desalination of oil, using water as a steam generator, conducting tests, and other related activities.
Electric power generation: Water drives power generation in various ways: hydroelectric plants harness flowing or falling water via turbines, while thermal plants, especially combined cycle ones, rely on water for crucial system cooling.
Navigating the water challenges
YPF's expansive energy footprint poses intricate water management challenges. With operations spread across multiple locations and diverse water sources, precise resource allocation and sustainable utilization become paramount to avoid any business disruption. However, building a water management strategy requires good data, management, stakeholder engagement, and a clear way to measure whether you’re diving impact.
Some of the challenges Leonoardo faced when it came to implementing their water management strategy were:
Multiple water sources and data sources: Energy providers operate across multiple sites that are spread across massive bodies of land with each location relying on a different water source. Gathering and integrating water risk data from various sources was a cumbersome and time-consuming process. On top of that, the data was scattered across different systems, making it difficult to get a comprehensive view of water availability and potential risks. Environmental managers are often too busy to collect data at each location so there’s a big data gap in understanding what’s happening across the business.
Limited Data Analysis Capabilities: The conventional data analysis methods just weren't cutting it for smart water management decisions. Dealing with tons of data and juggling operations over huge areas made real-time analysis a headache, causing delays in getting the right info for tweaking scenarios.
Slow Decision-making Processes: Because traditional risk tools were slow in handling data, they didn't provide the quick insights needed for their water security challenges. This prompted them to look for new alternatives with more innovation and customer support to tackle the problem head-on.
Streamlining Water Resource Management
After getting in touch with Waterplan, our team of water advisors helped address YPF's pain points head-on in these key areas:
Centralized Data Hub and Holistic Water Risk Assessment
Waterplan's innovative approach establishes a centralized repository for watershed data, providing real-time access to vital water risk quantification data for YPF's operational sites. By integrating up-to-date water availability data with consumption metrics, Waterplan offers a comprehensive view of corporate water risk, enhancing YPF's understanding of water usage's impact and identifying potential risks across diverse scenarios.
Data-Driven Water Availability Assessment
Waterplan's risk framework ushers in a new era of accuracy in water availability assessment. By incorporating local authorities and station data alongside YPF's usage metrics, Waterplan's approach facilitates more informed decisions regarding water allocation and utilization.
Enhanced Data Visualization and Communication
Waterplan's user-friendly platform simplifies water availability visualization, aiding effective communication of water risk insights among various YPF teams and stakeholders. Monthly risk tracking and monitoring, grounded in scientific analysis and local insights, empower YPF to craft data-driven strategies to bolster resilience.
Forging a Resilient Future
Waterplan's collaboration with YPF reshapes the landscape of water resource management, forging efficient, data-driven solutions to optimize operations. With data centralized and accessible, YPF's decision-makers now possess a more comprehensive view, enabling more informed choices about water sources and efficient solutions to keep the business running.
In an industry grappling with escalating water scarcity and quality challenges, Waterplan's expertise empowers YPF and likeminded energy companies to make swift, sustainable investments. The path forward lies in harnessing robust data to navigate the complexities of water resource management, ensuring a resilient and sustainable energy future.
Waterplan gave me the data and insights I need to make smarter, more informed decisions. Having the data in one place lets us prioritize the most vulnerable areas to build a more sustainable business.
Hydrogeologist at YPF
Leonardo Minghinelli
