AUSTIN, Texas — The regulatory agency overseeing the oil and gas industry in Texas has voted to maintain the wastewater injection permits for two companies whose North Texas wells are believed to have caused a series of small earthquakes. The Texas Railroad Commission decided Tuesday to allow the permits. The commission previously ordered hearings after a university study suggested the ...
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Oil well flare sprays oil, brine into ND river tributary
RAY, N.D. — North Dakota health officials say a natural gas flare at an oil pad has sprayed a mix of oil and brine into a tributary of the east fork of the Little Muddy River. The North Dakota Department of Health says less than 42 gallons of the mix were sprayed into the river. The incident happened 10 miles ...
Read More »State IDs faulty tanks; now tank law is being scaled back
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After a 2014 chemical spill polluted drinking water for more than 300,000 people in West Virginia, lawmakers there quickly mandated tighter surveillance of the state’s chemical storage tanks. It revealed dozens of tanks that shouldn’t have been in service still posed a potential threat to drinking water for more than 134,000 people downstream. Many were corroded and ...
Read More »2,500 gallons of saltwater and oil reach tributary to creek
BISMARCK, N.D. — The state Department of Health says about 2,500 gallons of saltwater and 200 gallons of oil have been spilled and have impacted a tributary of a creek in northwest North Dakota. The department says the approximately 60 barrels of brine and five barrels of oil impacted a tributary of Stony Creek near Bowbells. It says impacted water ...
Read More »Saltwater spill contained on-site at Divide County oil well
BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota regulators say a spill involving 21,000 gallons of saltwater was contained on-site at an oil well in Divide County. The state Oil and Gas Division says the spill at a well site about 5 miles south of Fortuna was reported Sunday. Murex Petroleum Corp. reported that 500 barrels of saltwater were contained and recovered on ...
Read More »Top 5 Bakken stories of the week
Here are the top five stories from Bakken.com for the week of January 17 through January 23. Enjoy! 5. Cleanup underway for nearly 3M-gallon saltwater spill in ND Cleanup is underway after nearly 3 million gallons of brine, a salty, toxic byproduct of oil and natural gas production, leaked from a pipeline in western North Dakota, the largest spill of its ...
Read More »Barriers set up, water tested at site of North Dakota spill
BISMARCK, N.D. — Earthen barriers have been set up across a creek and water was being tested Thursday around the site of a nearly 3 million-gallon leak of saltwater generated by oil drilling, the largest spill of its kind during North Dakota’s current oil rush. The berms were built at Blacktail Creek to prevent potentially contaminated water from flowing out ...
Read More »After latest spill, ND Democrats to revisit monitoring bill
BISMARCK, N.D. — Following the largest saltwater spill of North Dakota’s current oil boom, Democrats in the state legislature said Thursday they will revisit measures overwhelmingly rejected two years ago that would mandate additional monitoring and safeguards. Cleanup was underway after the spill of nearly 3 million gallons of brine leaked from a pipeline in western North Dakota. It affected ...
Read More »ND official: 3M gallons of saltwater spills, damage unclear
WILLISTON, N.D. — State officials say nearly 3 million gallons of saltwater generated by oil drilling has leaked from a North Dakota pipeline, though the environmental effects aren’t immediately clear. State health official Dave Glatt said Wednesday that the leak was detected Jan. 6, north of Williston. It’s the largest saltwater spill since the state’s oil boom began in 2006, ...
Read More »Brine spill near Williston largest since ND’s oil boom began
WILLISTON, N.D. — A North Dakota health official says a 70,000-barrel brine spill near Williston that has affected two creeks is the largest since the state’s oil boom began. Dave Glatt with the state Department of Health’s environmental health section says operator Summit Midstream has begun the cleanup process and inspectors have been monitoring the affected area. Brine is an ...
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