The Permian Basin — a massive sedimentary basin in West Texas roughly the size of Washington state — is the highest-producing oil field in the United States. Named after the final geological period of the Paleozoic era, the Permian Basin has shaped the region’s economy and landscape, filling it with drilling rigs, pipelines, and energy infrastructure. (I mean – there is even a Permian Basin Petroleum Museum in Midland, Texas open to the public seven days a week).

Traditionally, steel pipe and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe have been the go-to materials for fluid transfer in oilfield applications. But the higher temperatures, more challenging conditions, and need for a faster turnaround times have Texas contractors looking for a better solution. And that is why the popularity of PE-RT (Polyethylene of Raised Temperature Resistance) — a material engineered for oil and gas piping applications — is rising like the summer temperatures in Big Bend National Park.

The Real Challenges Texas Contractors Face

• Extreme heat: Average high temperatures during the summer in the basin sits in the mid-90s, and the frac water and flowback water can reach temperatures over 170 degrees. 

• Remote, rugged terrain: Piping that is utilized in extraction has to travel over long distances over rough terrain in the harsh conditions to get to the remote sites

• Tight deadlines: As is the case with any construction project, the deadline is always “yesterday”.  Time is money. 

PE-RT steps in as a solution

• Heat resistance: PE-RT is engineered to stand up to the intense heat of West Texas, safely transmitting oilfield fluids like frac water and flowback at temperatures up to 180°F.

• Light-weight and coilable: Smaller diameters can be transported in coils, requiring fewer truckloads, cutting costs, and speeding up installation.

• Fewer joints, faster installs: PE-RT bends without fittings like elbows, reduces fittings, and allows longer continuous runs — jobs with PE-RT and HDPE move at a quicker pace, and are more likely to meet or beat deadlines.

• Chemical durability: Aggressive fluids like brine, produced water and chemical blends don’t break down PE-RT like some legacy pipe materials, and the leak-free nature keeps those fluids away from the outside environment.

Where Texas Contractors Are Using PE-RT

• Frac water lines: sand and chemicals are mixed with water and used to extract oil and natural gas underground.  PE-RT is utilized to transport frac water between wells or from the water source to the frac pond, and coiled runs eliminate fusion, speeds up the installation process and improves flow rates.

• Flowback Return Systems: Heated flowback fluids return to the surface after the fracking process from the wellhead to disposal lines and holding tanks.  PE-RT is built to handle the chemical mixtures and elevated temperatures necessary to safely handle the job

• Salt water disposal: Producing wells have to be connected to salt water disposal facilities.  Many of these require the materials to be transported a great distance over the rugged, shifting terrain of the Permian Basin.  Many legacy piping materials stress and break in these circumstances, but not HDPE and PE-RT.

• Quick field bypasses and jumpers during maintenance work: In the event that an existing pipeline needs to be repaired or upgraded, coils of PE-RT can be quickly implemented as a quick, durable bypass, instead of wasting time and money waiting for fabricated steel spools.

Things to Know When Specifying PE-RT

Ready to Learn More about PE-RT in Oil & Gas?

As the Permian Basin continues to expand, PE-RT offers Texas contractors a faster, safer, and more cost-effective solution for oilfield fluid transfer—from frac water lines to saltwater disposal systems.

Request specs for your next job, visit us at isco-pipe.com/hdpe-pipe/platinumstripe-1800-series-pe-rt-pipe/ or contact one of our Texas-based specialists at: isco-pipe.com/contact-us/