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Bobcat Well 1-25H Produced Water

 
Site Contact:
Martin McComb
On-Scene Coordinator

(mccomb.martin@epa.gov)

Site Location:
Williston, ND 58801
 response.epa.gov/BobcatProducedWater
NRC#: 1347032

Site Description

On September 11, 2022, Zavannah LLC (an oil and gas exploration and production company focused on the Williston Basin in North Dakota) reported that an underground produced water pipeline attached to its Bobcat wellhead developed a leak and discharged approximately 9600 barrels of produced water into the soil.  This material surfaced and flowed down a short ephemeral drainage and entered Stony Creek. Stony Creek is a tributary of the Missouri River.

EPA mobilized an On-Scene Coordinator to the Site on September 12, 2022.

Safety Message

The incident resulted in a fish kill. Chlorides and salinity are the main contaminants of concern.

Site Objectives

Savannah LLC immediately shut down the pipeline and isolated the impacted waterway.

The State of North Dakota is the lead Agency for the remediation effort. The goals of this effort as of September 13, 2022, when EPA's On-Scene Coordinator demobilized were to:

  1. Maintain containment of the isolated waterway.
  2. Conduct sampling to determine the nature and extent of contamination.
  3. Remove and dispose of impacted soil and water pending sampling results.


Location near where pipeline ruptured and where Reporting Party saw produced water surfacing. One of two pools in drainage where produced water was removed by Reporting Party. Drainage that produced water came down and went into Stony Creek. Stoney Creek upstream of area impacted. Containment boom upstream of impacted area. Sandbags used to create containment dam just upstream of where produced water entered Stony Creek. Oil sheen at containment dam just upstream of where produced water entered Stony Creek. Oil sheen along water's edge downstream of where produced water entered Stony Creek. Dead fish on near and far banks of Stony Creek downstream of where produced water entered Stony Creek. Impacted pool upstream of a vegetation patch in Stony Creek. Furthest downstream containment boom placed in Stony Creek. The dark spot in the just upstream of the boom is not oil. A containment dam constructed of sandbags is upstream, just left of the image. Stony Creek below furthest downstream containment boom (which is in the background).
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