BISMARCK – The Oil and Gas Division of the Department of Mineral Resources today announced new permit requirements for oil, gas and saltwater disposal wells.
Effective June 1, 2014, covered, leak-proof containers designated for filter sock disposal are required to be on-site at saltwater disposal wells at all times and on-site during the drilling, completion and flow-back phases of all new spud (drilled) oil and gas wells. Disposal containers must then be collected by a licensed waste hauler and disposed of at an authorized facility.
On March 13, 2014 the Department of Mineral Resources notified all North Dakota well operators that they must use waste haulers licensed by the North Dakota Department of Health.
Existing state law requires well operators to properly dispose of any oil field waste produced at the well site. The new permit requirements are designed to strengthen compliance by requiring well sites include containers for on-site collection of filter socks.
The health department recently selected Next Generation Solutions, for clean-up and disposal of illegally dumped filter socks in an abandoned service station in Noonan. The company expects clean-up to begin soon and to take about two days.
The clean-up will be paid for by the Oil & Gas Division’s Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Plugging and Site Restoration Fund (AWPSRF), which provides for clean-up efforts when no responsible party can be found. The fund is derived from oil and gas taxes, penalties from violations, and fees collected by the Oil & Gas Division. The fund is capped at $75 million with $5 million available per fiscal year.
Press release from the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources
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