Brine Contamination to Aquatic Resources from Oil and Gas Development in the Williston Basin, United States
Summary
The Williston Basin, in north-central United States and south-central Canada, has been a leading source of domestic oil and gas production for more than 50 years. This region, which includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, is currently in the midst of a modern energy boom driven by advances in oil and gas production technologies. The main energy-producing formations associated with the current boom are the Bakken and Three Forks. A portion of the Williston Basin is overlain by the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), which is known for its depressional wetlands that provide critical breeding and nesting habitats for a majority of North America’s migratory waterfowl as well as habitat for other wildlife. [...]
Summary
The Williston Basin, in north-central United States
and south-central Canada, has been a leading source of
domestic oil and gas production for more than 50 years.
This region, which includes parts of Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, is
currently in the midst of a modern energy boom driven by
advances in oil and gas production technologies. The main
energy-producing formations associated with the current
boom are the Bakken and Three Forks.
A portion of the Williston Basin is overlain by the Prairie
Pothole Region (PPR), which is known for its depressional
wetlands that provide critical breeding and nesting habitats
for a majority of North America’s migratory waterfowl
as well as habitat for other wildlife. Most of the United
States portion of the Williston Basin also is overlain by the
Missouri River Watershed.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has placed a focused
effort on providing a comprehensive understanding of the
Nation’s energy and mineral resources and the possible
environmental effects of their extraction. To address these
topics in the Williston Basin, the USGS-led Science Team
about Energy and Prairie Pothole Environments (STEPPE),
has come together to:
• Identify areas most likely at risk to contamination from
saline water produced with oil and gas.
• Assess the spatial relations between past and current
oil and gas well development and aquatic resources.
• Assess the potential ecological impacts in the
Williston Basin, and refine field methods for
detecting contamination in surface water and shallow
groundwater.
The results of this research have been used to identify
potential effects on the landscape and future environmental
vulnerability associated with oil and gas production in the
Williston Basin.
