Hazardous organic wastes from natural-gas products processing and distribution: environmental fates. Technical report

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6631887

Eiceman, G A

Hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are generated as waste fluids and solids in natural gas production, processing, and distribution. Wastes are disposed in earthen unlined waste pits, sometimes near vulnerable aquifers. As expected, groundwater contamination does occur in river flood plains where depth to groundwater can be less than 2 meters. Contamination of ground water and nearby soils with hydrocarbons from an unlined pit was documented in the Duncan Oil Field west of Farmington, NM. Plumes for volatile compounds including benzene, toluene, and xylenes in the water and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the soil were evident downgradient from the earthen pit at distances up to 50 meters. Waste pits containing produced water and hydrostatic discharge water were found to contain large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which are phototoxic to fish.

• Research Organization: New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces (USA). New Mexico Water Resources Research Inst.
• OSTI ID: 6631887
• Report Number(s): PB-89-113948/XAB; WRRI-227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030400* -- Natural Gas-- Products & By-Products
030700 -- Natural Gas-- Waste Management
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AQUIFERS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
DOCUMENT TYPES
FEDERAL REGION VI
GROUND WATER
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
INDUSTRY
LAND POLLUTION
MANAGEMENT
NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PROGRESS REPORT
TOLUENE
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
XYLENES