Salt Water Pollution Problems in Texas
Authors: Payne Roy D. 
Published: December 2007

The salt water pollution problem isdiscussed in relation to the freshwater needs of Texas and the presentstatus of the situation. The RailroadCommission program for control isoutlined and its record of past andpresent activity is discussed. Theeffect of fluid injection and salt waterdisposal systems on the pollutionproblem is reviewed and guidelines aresubmitted for the design, operationand control of salt water injectionsystems, with emphasis oneffectiveness.

Introduction

Pollution of fresh water supplies isa multi-faceted dilemma. Recent tradepublications and news media havedealt with many of the causes in greatdetail. Table 1 is a generalizedoutline and review of contributingfactors to pollution of fresh watersupplies. Water pollution can, in generalterms, be divided into two categories:natural and manmade.

Natural PollutionNatural mineral deposits in Texas.primarily chlorides and sulphates, areknown to affect the quality of surfacewaters. The upper watersheds of theBrazos and Colorado rivers andportions of the Red River provideexamples of naturally polluted water. Saline content of the water is highenough to make the water distastefulfor human consumption and uselessfor many types of industrialconsumption.

There is also a degree of naturalpollution caused by animal and plantlife. Another source of naturalpollution is sedimentation. Soil erosioncaused by storms and flood waters cansilt up streams so that developmentof water resources is impeded.

Man-Made Pollution

The greatest source of waterpollution is man and his related activities. Almost everything that man under, takes contributes either directly orindirectly to the water pollutionproblem. Three principal sources ofman-made pollution are the result ofagricultural, municipal and industrialwastes.Farmers have found a numberof methods to improve their croplandsprays to control insects, sprays tocontrol unwanted vegetation andfertilizer to improve the soil. Althoughthese materials are highly beneficial toagriculture, they can create seriouspollution problems.The primary contaminant inmunicipal waste is organic matter thatcomes from two primary sources:effluent discharged from wastetreatment facilities and drainage fromstorm sewers.Industrial wastes are the mostdifficult to characterize in any generalway. Each industrial waste problemis apt to be unique and must beattacked on an individual basis. Bothorganic and inorganic materials mayresult from almost any industrialprocessing operation and combinations arealmost endless.

Various types of pollution canoccur as a result of drilling andproduction operations on any oil and gasproperty. Because the RailroadCommission deals only with pollutionproblems resulting from operations ofoil and gas properties, this article willdeal primarily with this aspect. It isnot inferred that pollution to freshwater supplies from oilfieldoperations is due to any general lack ofresponsibility by the oil industry; it isusually due to compoundingcircumstances that were not suspected orcould not have been predicted. The Railroad Commission has beenaware for several years that aproblem does exist. The industry'sawareness of the problem is best illustratedby a resolution adopted by the TexasMid-Continent Oil and GasAssociation in Sept., 1963, stating thatassociation's general policy on thepollution problem.

TABLE 1-COMMON CAUSES OF POLLUTIONTO FRESH WATER

Natural1. Formation outcrops (gypsum, Limestone, etc.)2. Animal and plant

Man-made1. Industrya. Miningb. Manufacturing and processingc. Transportation

2. Agriculturea. Insecticidesb. Fertilizersc. Erosion

3. Municipala. Sewageb. Refuse

4. Oil and Gasa. Drillingb. Productionimproperly cementing surface and productioncasingDisposal of salt water in pitsPoorly engineered injection systemsold unplugged wells in waterflood projectsc. Abandoned wells improperly plugged

JPT

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