Call Summary

Topic: Tribal Unconventional Oil and Gas Operations and Wastewater Management 

(DCN SGE01123)

Date: May 29, 2014

Participants: Lisa Biddle, EPA Office of Water (202-566-0350; biddle.lisa@epa.gov)

Jeff Hunt, Department of the Interior, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, Office 

of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Division of Energy and Mineral 

Development (303-842-4538; jeffrey.hunt@bia.gov)

Lisa Biddle (U.S. EPA) contacted Jeff Hunt (Department of Interior) regarding the National 

Indian Oil and Gas Evaluation Management System (NIOGEMS) application, which is offered 

by the Division of Energy and Mineral Development. NIOGEMS provides a computer-based 

application designed to help Indian Tribes and federal offices develop and manage their energy 

and mineral resources. It is based on IHS Energy data which includes fields like well info, 

formations, whether fractured, production volume, and produced water volume. The data does 

not provide information about how produced water is managed. The data is currently difficult to 

access (requiring an onsite installation of the program) though BIA will soon be making it 

accessible for remote access. Since this database does not include information on wastewater 

management, EPA decided not to pursue access to it at this time. Jeff was, however, able to 

provide information about well development and wastewater management practices as they 

relate to tribal lands. The following summarizes that information. For the purposes of this 

summary, unconventional oil and gas (UOG) was defined by EPA to include shale gas, shale oil, 

tight gas and tight oil.

 Fort Berthold – This reservation is located in the Bakken Shale Oil Play within the 

Williston Basin and it is the one tribal land area where there is a great deal of UOG

development currently taking place. Jeff said that in this shale oil play all of the hydraulic 

facturing flowback and produced water (i.e., UOG wastewater) is all disposed of in 

underground injection control (UIC) wells.

 Southern Ute – Regarding the Southern Ute, Jeff pointed out that they are primarily 

working in Coalbed methane (CBM), which doesn’t fall into the scope of EPA’s data 

collection. He said that there is potential for shale development there, but it is not 

underway yet. Red Willow is an O&G operator/company owned by the Southern Ute 

Tribe. Red Willow operates about 12% of the actively producing wells on the Southern 

Ute Reservation; other oil and gas companies hold Tribal leases and operate the majority 

of the current oil and gas development. 

 Jicarilla Apache – South of the Southern Ute, the Jicarilla Apache have potential for 

UOG development (though it is not underway at this time).

 Navajo Nation – Jeff talked about the Navajo Nation in northwest New Mexico, which is 

a split estate situation (the land ownership is not continuous and the surface and mineral 

rights are also divided throughout the San Juan Basin in northwerstern New Mexico). 

There is UOG exploration occurring within this area currently (with 1-4 rigs) in the 
Call Summary

May 29, 2014

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Mancos Shale formation which has shale oil and gas. However they haven’t moved into a 

phase of significant production.

 Northern Ute – In northeastern Utah the Northern Ute Tribe has land over plays with 

potential for future horizontal drilling within the Unita Basin, but they are just starting 

horizontal drilling exploration. In that area there is currently quite a bit of produced water 

generated from conventional oil and gas wells which is all disposed of in UIC wells (that 

are typically not on tribal lands).

 Osage – The Osage tribe in Oklahoma is located in the Cherokee Basin which contains 

the Mississippi Lime Play, in which horizontal drilling exploration has just begun. They 

have been producing conventional oil and gas for the past 100 years in that area so they 

may be good to talk to about general practices. UIC wells are used for all produced 

wastewater disposal in this region.