NORTH DAKOTA BRINE SPILL REPORTED

By TONI ELLINGTON 

A pipeline leak on January 6, 2015, has caused around three million gallons of brine to be spilled in an area near Williston, North Dakota.  The spill has affected two creeks in the area.  According to the North Dakota Department of Health’s environmental section, the spill is the largest since the state’s oil boom began.  Department officials predict that it will be difficult to measure the effects on the environment and wildlife in the area until ice melts.

This spill is reported to be three times as large as a previous one last year in North Dakota on the Fort Bethold Indian Reservation.  Another spill of approximately one million gallons of saltwater in North Dakota, which occurred in 2006, is still being cleaned up nearly ten years later.

The pipeline operator, Summit Midstream Partners, detected and reported the spill to officials. Summit reported that about 65,000 barrels of a mixture of fresh water and brine have been pumped out of Blacktail Creek.  Brine has also reached the Little Middy Creek and possibly the Missouri River.

Brine is a type of saltwater which is an unwanted byproduct of oil and natural gas production.  It is typically much saltier than sea water.  Brine may also contain petroleum and residue from hydraulic fracturing operations.

For updates, stay tuned to this blog, or contact Toni Ellington at (504) 599-8500.