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Hydrologic Aspects of Disposal of Oil‐Field Brines in Texas a
Author(s) -
McMillion L. G.
Publication year - 1965
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1965.tb01228.x
Subject(s) - brine , produced water , environmental science , oil field , pollution , workover , groundwater , water pollution , environmental engineering , waste management , hydrology (agriculture) , petroleum engineering , geology , engineering , geotechnical engineering , chemistry , ecology , organic chemistry , environmental chemistry , biology
Lack of effective control of brine pollution at the State level in Texas has hindered development of an inventory of the effects of oil‐field brine disposal on the diverse geologic and hydrologic environments in which ground water occurs. In Texas, where 35 per cent of the nation's crude oil is produced, the volume of brine production and the widespread distribution of its points of origin complicate the initiation of unified control programs. Brine production and disposal figures for calendar year 1961 showed that a total of 2,236,599,746 barrels of salt water were produced from approximately 67,000 oil and gas leases throughout the State. In that year 460,892,427 barrels of salt water were reportedly disposed of into unlined earthen pits, which contribute directly to pollution of fresh water either by seepage or overflow; and 1,536,543,715 barrels were injected into the subsurface where inadequate well‐completion methods may constitute a longer‐range problem than surface disposal. Brine‐pollution control programs must regulate standards for the whole range of oil‐field operation including exploration, well completion, brine disposal during the productive phase, and well plugging and abandonment. To be effective, these programs must equate the objective of maximum oil and gas conservation and development with acceptable standards of oil‐field operation to provide safeguards for usable water supplies.