Use and abandonment of surface impoundments for the disposal of oil-field produced waters

Conference · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)

OSTI ID:6686744

Johnson, D S ^[1]

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1. California Regional Water Quality Board, Fresno (USA)

Surface impoundments, or sumps, are utilized for the disposal of oil-field produced water through percolation and evaporation in California's San Joaquin basin. Environmental concerns have resulted in increased regulation of sumps. Surface disposal of produced waters into unlined sumps is permitted where the quality of the produced water meets the stated criteria in the applicable basin plan as regulated by the local regional water quality control board. In the San Joaquin Basin, surface disposal is initially governed by the Tulare Lake basin plan (5D). A basin plan permits disposal into sumps of produced waters which do not exceed a maximum electrical conductivity, chlorides content, or boron content in areas which overlie useable groundwater. If the produced water exceeds any one of the maximum constituent levels, regulation of surface disposal passes to Title 23, California code of Regulations, sections 2,510-2,601 (subchapter 15). Subchapter 15 regulates the use and abandonment of lined surface impoundments designed to dispose of produced water through evaporation. Subchapter 15 requires the operator to conduct a site hydrogeologic characterization, install a groundwater monitoring system, and construct and enclose the surface impoundment in accordance with specified criteria. Sumps can be utilized in areas which do not meet the criteria of the appropriate basin plan, or subchapter 15, where the operator demonstrates that surface percolation of the produced waters will not degrade underlying useable groundwater. Abandonment of unlined sumps includes removal and disposal of all free liquids, analysis of sludges and soils beneath the sumps, removal of contaminated sludges and soils, analysis of soils after removal of contaminated sludges and soils, backfilling of the sump, and revegetation of the site.

• OSTI ID: 6686744
• Report Number(s): CONF-900605--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA) Journal Volume: 74:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
CALIFORNIA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION IX
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
OIL FIELDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PONDS
REGULATIONS
RESOURCES
SEDIMENTARY BASINS
SOILS
STATE GOVERNMENT
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER
WATER QUALITY