Increasing alarm about West Texas oilfields that produce toxic water leaks

There is increasing alarm about West Texas oil fields that continue to produce toxic water leaks. The latest event was detected in Crane County in early December 2023, when brine water poured out of the earth and over ranch land, as reported by Marfa Public Radio. The well was not plugged until 29 January and the remediation project cost $2.5 million (approximately £1.98 million). The water contained 154,000 chloride parts per million and at times flowed at 330 barrels, or 13,860 gallons, per hour, “creating a marsh-like scene,” as reported by Mitch Borden.

It was not always clear where it was coming from. It took nine days to identify two wells and multiple other sources of the water. The Railroad Commission (RRC) of Texas, which regulates the oil & gas industry in the Lone Star State, dug and lined 20 containment pits and had vacuum trucks remove the water.

“There was a big crack,” said Sarah Stogner, an area attorney and rancher. “You could hear the water flowing underneath your feet and you could see bubbles. It was like being at the beach.” The problem, perhaps caused by the injection of oil and gas wastewater underground and resulting increases in subsurface pressure, is so prevalent and productive that one leak has spawned a 60-acre body of water, Lake Boehmer. In addition to water, that abandoned wildcat well emits deadly hydrogen sulphide gas. These ‘zombie wells’ are causing other issues too, including sinkholes.

“The worst thing about this one is that it is toxic and radioactive produced water that is going into the groundwater,” said Bill Burch, who was defeated in the Democratic primary for a seat on the RRC on 5 March. “That is a horrendous, worst-case scenario, catastrophic-level event to occur in oil and gas in West Texas. This is now definitive unquestionable proof that the future of usable groundwater in Texas is at risk due to the salt water disposal issue”.

The commission said that it had protected any threat to freshwater and that area water remained uncontaminated, noting the brine water stopped flowing 21 January and that the well had been cased and cemented.

The RRC and Bureau of Economic Geology researchers have what might be called a war room to try to figure out what is going on in this area. “It has unusual geology and unusual water flows,” said Danny Sorrells, Deputy Executive Director, RRC. “We want to get to the bottom of this and stop it.”

“If we do not stop this now we are going to have complete and utter ecological devastation anywhere we have had historic oil and gas wells,” said Sarah.

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