Produced water spill reported in Mountrail County

© Provided by KXMA Bismarck Produced water spill reported in Mountrail County

UPDATE — POSTED 3/7, 6:45 P.M.

The produced water spill is now considered contained, and the Department of Environmental Quality is no longer needed at the site.

“Containment would mean where it’s in one particular location”, explains the Department of Mineral Resources Public Information Officer Jessica Petrick. “An uncontained leak would mean, for example, a crash where chemicals are released into ditches and fields.”

As the spill was confined to the location’s well pad, it is now in the jurisdiction of the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

ORIGINAL STORY — POSTED 3/7, 12:01 P.M.

BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — A frac tank butterfly valve was the source of a produced water spill in Mountrail County Monday.

According to the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources, about 380 barrels of produced water was spilled and contained at a location operated by Continental Resources. The state says all visibly contaminated material is in the process of being cleaned up.

The cause of the leak was attributed to “human error.”

The specific location of the leak was not identified.

A butterfly valve is used for throttling or regulating liquid flow in a tank, in this case, a frac tank.

Produced water is a term used to describe water that is produced as a byproduct during the extraction of oil and natural gas.

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