Roughly 12,600 gallons of produced water spilled in Dunn County, cleanup in progress

DUNN COUNTY, N.D. — The North Dakota Oil and Gas Division reported a release of produced water at the Killdeer West SWD #1 well location, west of Killdeer in Dunn County, on Saturday, March 9.

Horizon-Olson, LLC, the operator of the site, notified authorities on Monday, March 11, about the release of 300 barrels of produced water. The company indicated that the release resulted from equipment failure or malfunction. Following the incident, measures were taken to contain the spill within the site, and the recovery of the released produced water began immediately.

Produced water is a byproduct of oil and gas extraction processes, containing a mixture of water, oil residues, and possibly other substances from the geological formation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American family uses approximately 320 gallons of water per day at home. Given this standard, the 300 barrels (or 12,600 gallons) of produced water released in the incident equates to the daily water usage of about 39 American families.

In accordance with regulatory requirements, a state inspector visited the site to evaluate the containment and cleanup efforts. This step is part of the established procedures designed to ensure the effective management of any unexpected releases and their potential impact on the environment.

Both federal and state regulations necessitate the notification of appropriate agencies following an accidental spill, ensuring a coordinated and timely response to such events. These protocols serve to mitigate any adverse effects on water, air, or soil, safeguarding public health and the environment.

For further details on spill incidents and the regulatory framework governing such events, North Dakota’s Unified Spill Reporting System provides a comprehensive public access tool. Available at

spill.nd.gov

, the platform offers insights into notification processes and response strategies.

The cleanup efforts at the Killdeer West SWD #1 well site are underway to minimize the environmental footprint of the spill.

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