Michigan Administrative Code › Department - Environmental Quality › Oil, Gas & Minerals Division › Oil and Gas Operations › Part 7 - DISPOSAL OF OIL OR GAS FIELD WASTE, OR BOTH › Section R. 324.705 - Disposition of brine

Current through Vol. 24-12, July 15, 2024
Rule 705.
(1) A
				  permittee of a well is responsible for the proper disposal of all brines
				  produced in association with oil or gas production, or both, or brines
				  accumulated in drilling mud pits or tanks and shall ensure that waste, as
				  defined in section 61501(q) of the act, will not occur. A permittee may convey
				  or transfer brines for other purposes if the brines are in compliance with the
				  conditions provided in subrule (3) of this rule. A permittee shall be required
				  to maintain records on the disposition of all brines pursuant to subrule (4) of
				  this rule, and a permittee shall not have continuing liability relative to the
				  transport or application of the brines after the brines are properly conveyed
				  or transferred.
(2) Upon the
				  effective date of these rules, a permittee of a well shall not use brines
				  produced in association with drilling for oil and gas, or both, and accumulated
				  in drilling mud pits for ice or dust control purposes.
(3) Twelve months after the effective date of
				  these rules, a permittee shall dispose of all brines as provided in R
				  324.703
				  or shall use the brines in a manner approved by the supervisor; however, some
				  brines may be conveyed or transferred and used for ice and dust control and
				  road stabilization if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) Brines shall not be used for ice and dust
				  control and road stabilization if the brines are obtained from wells containing
				  more than 20 ppm hydrogen sulfide in the gas stream, unless it can be shown
				  that there is less than a 500-ppm-hydrogen sulfide concentration present in the
				  brine.
(b) The brines shall contain
				  a 20, 000-milligrams-per-liter or more concentration of calcium.
(c) The brines shall contain less than a
				  1,
				  000-micrograms-per-liter concentration of each of the following aromatic
				  hydrocarbons:
(i) Benzene.
(ii) Ethylbenzene.
(iii) Toluene.
(iv) Xylene.
(d) Only brines that have been approved by
				  the supervisor or authorized representative of the supervisor may be exempt
				  from the disposal requirements of R
				  324.703.
				  For a permittee to obtain approval to exempt brine from the disposal
				  requirements of R
				  324.703,
				  all of the following conditions shall be satisfied:
(i) The brine shall be tested annually within
				  90 days of January
				  1 of each year by
				  the person seeking authorization to utilize the brine for other purposes. The
				  brine shall be tested using any of the following procedures:
(A) Method 200.7 ICP-AES, entitled "Method
				  for Trace Element Analysis of Water and Wastes, Methods for Chemical Analysis
				  of Water and Wastes," March 1983 edition.
(B) Method 6010A, entitled "Inductively
				  Coupled Plasma, Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical
				  Methods," 1984 edition 3.
(C)
				  Method 602, entitled "Purgeable Aromatics, Guidelines Establishing Test
				  Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants," 40 C.F.R. part 136, appendix A,
				  revised July 1990.
(D) Method
				  8020A, "Aromatic Volatile Organics by Gas Chromatography, Test Methods for
				  Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods," 1984 edition 3.
(E) Method 8240A, entitled "Volatile Organic
				  Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry: Packed Column Technique,
				  Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods," 1984
				  edition 3.
(F) Method 8260A,
				  entitled "Volatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry:
				  Capillary Column Technique," 1984 edition 3.
(G) Method 325.3, entitled "Chloride
				  (Colorimetric, Automated Ferricyanide), Guidelines Establishing Test Procedures
				  for the Analysis of Pollutants," 40 C.F.R. part 136, appendix A, revised July
				  1990.
(H) Method 4500-CLE, entitled
				  "Chloride, Methods for the Determination of Organic Compounds in Drinking
				  Water" and supplement I, December 1988 and July 1990 editions.
The testing methods are adopted by reference in these rules
					 and copies are available for inspection at the Lansing office of the office of
					 oil, gas, and minerals of the department of environmental quality. Copies may
					 be obtained without charge from the Michigan Department of Environmental
					 Quality, Office of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, Michigan
					 48909, or from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of
					 Research and Development, 26 West Martin Luther King Boulevard, Cincinnati,
					 Ohio 45268.
(ii)
				  The sample of brine used for analysis shall be obtained from the point of
				  loading of the storage tank where the brine is first separated from the
				  production stream.
(iii) A chemical
				  analysis of each brine source showing the concentrations of all of the
				  following shall be submitted to the supervisor or authorized representative of
				  the supervisor within 30 days of the completion of the analysis:
(A) Chloride.
(B) Hydrogen sulfide.
(C) Calcium.
(D) Benzene.
(E) Ethylbenzene.
(F) Toluene.
(G) Xylene.
(iv) The chemical analysis shall include all
				  of the following information:
(A) The well
				  name.
(B) Permit number.
(C) Permittee.
(D) Location of the individual
				  well.
(E) If the brine is obtained
				  from a tank battery or central production facility, the name, number,
				  permittee, and location of the tank battery or central production
				  facility.