Five years ago, Oklahoma oil regulators initiated a project called the Source of Truth, aiming to create a comprehensive database of the state’s more than 11,000 wells used to inject the toxic byproduct of oil production back underground.
A Database of Violations
The Source of Truth revealed a pattern of rule violations by oil and gas companies that state regulators allowed to continue. The project identified over 1,300 errors in existing data, and pinpointed nearly 600 wells operating illegally by injecting wastewater above permitted pressures or volumes. Excessively high injection pressures and volumes can lead to purges and groundwater pollution.
The report similarly revealed that more than 1,400 older injection wells had been operating for decades without any limits on injection pressures or volumes, a result of earlier permissive oversight. These wells account for nearly a fifth of the active injection wells in the state.
Unacted Findings
Completed in 2021, the Source of Truth was not used to compel compliance from oil and gas operators or to establish limits on older wells. Regulators also did not make the report accessible to wider agency staff, according to agency sources and internal documents. In the years since, the number of oilfield purges grew from about a dozen in 2020 to more than 150 over the next five years, according to an analysis of pollution complaints.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission stated it “looked into using the Source of Truth database…and elected not to use this form of data collection,” but did not provide a reason. Agency spokesperson Jack Money did not respond to questions regarding why regulators did not enforce existing limits or establish new ones.
The Legacy of “Grandfathered” Wells
The issue stems from a 1981 agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which allowed Oklahoma to take control of regulating underground oil and gas injection. To gain approval, Oklahoma proposed individually approving each injection well with maximum pressure and volume limits to prevent groundwater contamination. Although, these standards were not retroactively applied to existing wells.
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act allows injection without limits to continue for “the life of the well.” The EPA acknowledges that many Oklahoma wells do not meet modern standards due to the state’s long history of oil and gas activity.
Experts consulted noted the federal law’s ambiguity regarding state regulator responsibilities. Because the state has not investigated these wells, it is unknown whether they threaten drinking water, though excessively high injection pressures and volumes have demonstrably caused pollution in Oklahoma. Approximately 88% of the 1,400 wells found to have no pressure or volume limits remain active, injecting over a hundred million gallons of wastewater annually.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “purge”?
Purges are instances where oilfield wastewater gushes out of the ground, polluting farmland and water sources. They are often linked to high-pressure injection of wastewater into underground wells.
How many wells were found to be operating illegally?
The Source of Truth identified nearly 600 wells operating illegally, injecting wastewater above their permitted pressures or volumes.
What happened after the Source of Truth was completed?
Regulators did not act on the report’s findings. They did not compel operators to comply with injection limits or establish limits on older wells. The report was also not widely shared within the agency.
Given the lack of action on the Source of Truth and the continued occurrence of purges, will Oklahoma regulators address the issue of wells operating without injection limits remains to be seen.
