Boone Pickens to Keynote National Water Symposium

Water resource marketing and development experts from around the country will be gathering at the Houstonian on June 21st and 22nd for the third annual National Water Resources Symposium. This year's featured speaker is Boone Pickens, founder of Mesa Water, Inc.

A legend in the oil and gas business, Pickens is now at the forefront of national water resource development issues with his proposal to market surplus and stranded groundwater in the Texas Panhandle to urban areas in Texas facing severe water supply shortages. Pickens formed Mesa Water in 1999 to develop groundwater in Roberts County in the Texas Panhandle. Area landowners have joined with Mesa Water bringing approximately 400,000 acres of land to the venture.

"All we are lacking is a buyer," said Pickens, a Roberts County landowner. "Our project involves bringing new water into the mix, and we can provide significant amounts at a cost-competitive price and get it to market quicker than any other alternative now on the table."

Water resource development is a new sector emerging in the water industry that focuses on market-based ideas and alternative sources to address increasing demand for fresh water. Other industries like energy and real estate are becoming closely tied to water development as their growth is contingent upon ample water resources. In addition, mergers and acquisitions of industrial assets and property are beginning to recognize the value of water resources associated with the transactions.

The event is being organized by WestWater Research-a leading water marketing firm-and will provide a valuable forum for professionals working in water, energy, real estate, and investment communities to network and stay abreast of the latest developments in the sector. This executive seminar strives to educate participants in these related industries on the legal, technical, and financial components of water marketing and resource development.

"Water markets are becoming an important part of water resource management. This conference is not all about dollars and cents, but rather it is about improving the way we manage a scarce resource," stated Clay Landry, managing director of WestWater Research.

Source: WestWater Research