Sergio Molinar, ChampionX Account Manager

Growing up in Hobbs, New Mexico, Sergio Molinar, ChampionX Account Manager, was certain he’d have nothing to do with the oil rigs surrounding his hometown, but that was before he realized that oil extraction was anything but a primitive operation.

While studying at Texas Tech University, Sergio saw himself as a budding scientist, appreciating the organized structure inherent in mathematics and curious about patterns found in complex systems. As he earned his B.S. in industrial engineering, he was particularly fascinated by the intellectual exercise of designing, managing, and optimizing systems from the ground up.

A few years and a few jobs later, Sergio walked into his first posting as a field engineer on a frac operation.

“That’s where I had my first breakthrough,” he says. “Frac is more technically complicated and therefore more technically demanding than I ever realized.”

Now, after nearly five years at ChampionX, Sergio is so well-versed in the sophisticated chemistry involved that he thoroughly enjoys navigating the complex interplay between each customer’s unique well properties and their KPIs. His intensely analytical mind is a perfect match to the challenge of designing water treatment programs that address both physically moving hundreds of thousands of barrels of water and also treating it precisely to spec.

“Processes are getting more technically complicated while the amount of time available to treat water is getting smaller,” he said.

Sergio explains that the task of repurposing produced water using finely tuned chemical treatment is constantly evolving, and he enjoys creating the simplest and most cost-effective solutions for his clients. In fact, he and his team have designed a novel application to manage the huge volumes of water used in a client’s frac operation in the Delaware basin. Results to date have been impressive, reducing costs, freshwater usage as well as disposal volumes.

“Water previously was just a byproduct,” he says. “And now I would argue it can be a very valuable asset.”

Sergio takes great pride in tackling every multifaceted challenge using his engineering skills to build sustainable solutions.

Learn more about the custom approach Sergio and the ChampionX team bring to water treatment in fracking operations. https://www.championx.com/products-and-solutions/chemical-technologies/well-completion/fracturing/ 

Did you know? Sergio is the youngest of five kids, with four older sisters. He believes it’s why he had a lot of practice solving problems growing up.