Creekstone Energy, an artificial intelligence infrastructure developer, has unveiled a new patent-pending process called Gigawater, designed to produce water through the combustion of natural gas. The proprietary system serves as the technological foundation for the company’s Project Oasis initiative, located at the developing Delta Gigasite in Millard County, Utah.
Across the technology sector, large-scale data centers have long faced intense scrutiny from environmental advocates and community members concerned about their substantial resource footprint. The facilities traditionally require massive amounts of power and local water for cooling, but Creekstone is attempting to reshape this narrative by positioning its upcoming facility as a potential producer of water rather than a consumer.
The initiative is centered in rural central Utah, where early site preparations are already visible on the ground. Project developers have recently completed a construction access road and are actively installing Phase 1 of the natural gas connection infrastructure to support upcoming operations at the Millard County site.
Under the current operational plan, Creekstone intends to transport natural gas from extraction fields in Wyoming directly to the Utah facility. The incoming fuel will serve a dual purpose, supplying the primary energy needed to run the infrastructure while functioning as the raw material required to generate water locally.
Ray Conley, the founder and chief executive officer of Creekstone Energy, described the core principle behind the Gigawater concept as elegantly simple. He compared the underlying process to an everyday occurrence on the road, pointing out that drivers waiting at traffic lights often see moisture dripping from the tailpipes of accelerating cars because liquid condensation is a natural byproduct of fuel combustion.
The underlying chemistry behind the process is well established, as the combustion of methane gas inevitably yields both carbon dioxide and water vapor. The primary challenge for Creekstone lies in proving whether this reaction can be successfully harnessed at an industrial scale, as well as addressing the broader environmental footprint associated with burning fossil fuels.
To achieve this at scale, Project Oasis plans to route exhaust from the combustion process underground through an extensive subterranean rock bed. Positioned underneath this rock formation is an impermeable rubber membrane designed to capture and condense the descending moisture, creating a closed system that the company says operates without relying on external power supplies.
Conley stressed that manufacturing water on-site from imported natural gas allows the development to establish a brand-new water supply rather than depleting existing local aquifers and reservoirs. By avoiding reliance on regional groundwater reserves, the company aims to eliminate one of the most contentious aspects of data center operations.
Despite the ambitious projections, the entire Gigawater concept remains theoretical at present. To verify whether the technology is viable in practice, Creekstone has entered into a research partnership with the University of Utah to conduct rigorous scientific testing across multiple stages.
The initial phase of this collaborative effort is slated to take up to a year to complete. During this foundational period, university researchers will focus on verifying mathematical models, assessing thermodynamic efficiency, evaluating the underlying chemical reactions, and testing the core engineering assumptions of the system.
Assuming the initial modeling proves successful, the research will advance to a second phase that is projected to conclude within the following year. This follow-up stage will involve drafting conceptual engineering designs and constructing an experimental pilot facility to test the water-condensation process in a controlled, real-world setting.
According to preliminary engineering estimates provided by Creekstone, a fully operational system is projected to generate roughly 4,000 acre-feet of water annually. Corporate representatives claim this volume will easily outstrip the operational demands of the Delta Gigasite, allowing the installation to achieve a net-positive water output rather than merely reaching water-neutral status.
Creekstone envisions multiple practical uses for the harvested water beyond facility cooling. The company claims the surplus liquid could be redirected toward agricultural irrigation, utilized in closed-loop geothermal energy systems, or treated through municipal filtration networks to provide a reliable source of potable drinking water for nearby communities.
However, environmental and energy specialists suggest that the anticipated output must be viewed within the context of the region's massive hydrological baseline. Data from the Utah State University Water Metrics program recorded the state’s total water supply at approximately 11.7 million acre-feet in 2024, making Creekstone's proposed 4,000 acre-feet appear negligible by comparison.
Logan Mitchell, an energy analyst and climate scientist affiliated with Utah Clean Energy, observed that producing 4,000 acre-feet might account for roughly one percent of regional agricultural consumption. While acknowledging that any net addition to the water supply is technically a positive figure, Mitchell emphasized that the output remains very close to zero and will not fundamentally resolve Utah’s overarching water challenges.
Mitchell noted that water usage is only a single component of a massive, thousand-piece puzzle involved in operating modern hyperscale data centers. Fully evaluating such projects requires examining interrelated variables, including carbon emissions, climate impacts, and state-level regulatory policies, even as Creekstone argues that technological innovation will allow economic growth and environmental stewardship to advance side by side.
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