Erath County saltwater disposal fire

We blogged two weeks ago about the fire at the Infinity saltwater disposal well in Erath County.

A report from the Texas Railroad Commission says the initial explosion blew a saltwater tank up and out of a protective dirt berm. It landed 40 feet away. Contaminated water and hydrocarbons leaked into a nearby stream. Hours later, the operator still had not called a cleanup crew, the report says.

A contractor removed dirt and oil from Alarm Creek, which runs into the Bosque River. No word yet on whether the operator will be fined or penalized.

Saltwater disposal is a big issue in the Barnett Shale, since it takes millions of gallons to process each natural gas well. The industry prefers to get rid of that water using injection wells, which are economical. But opponents say the wells pose a risk not only of fires, but of underground contamination. The water often contains crude oil and other hydrocarbons, along with fracturing fluids, drilling mud and other waste products.

Fort Worth has a moratorium on injection wells, and the city environmental department is working on a pilot project to see if the wastewater can be recycled economically.

You can read the report on the Erath County accident here:

Erath_report.pdf

And a follow-up report here:

Erath_report_part_ii

You can read an in-depth report on the debate over saltwater disposal in Fort Worth here:

Well_plan_injects_pressure_into_wastewater_dispute.htm

-- Mike