The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) Conservation Division regulates oil and gas operations and protects correlative rights and environmental resources. Otherwise, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) administers the major environmental protection laws.

Contact

Kansas Corporation Commission (Main Office)
1500 S.W. Arrowhead Road
Topeka, KS 66604-2425
(785) 271-3100 (phone)
(785) 271-3354 (fax)

Conservation Division
Finney State Office Building
130 South Market, Room 2078
Wichita, KS 67202-3802
(316) 337-6200 (phone)
(316) 337-6211 (fax)

Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Charles Curtis State Office Building
1000 S.W. Jackson
Topeka, KS 66612
(785) 296-1500 (phone)
(785) 368-6368 (fax)

Produced Water Management Practices and Applicable Regulations

Rules and Regulations for the Conservation of Oil and Natural Gas (since the file is 5–6 megabytes, please allow time to download) are contained in Agency 82, Article 3 of the Kansas Administrative Regulations. They include disposal well rules and surface pond rules. The environmental protection rules of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) are promulgated in various articles in Agency 28 of the Kansas Administrative Regulations (for online access, click on a specific Bureau within the Division of Environment).

• Disposal and Enhanced Recovery Well Rules (Sections 82-3-400 et seq.).
• Injection operations require an application and a written permit from the Conservation Division.
• Injection wells must be cased and the casing cemented.
• Tubing and packer as well as mechanical integrity requirements must be met.
   
• Pit and Spill Rules (Sections 82-3-600 et seq.).
• Pits require a permit, issued upon application by the operator, and approval by the Commission.
• The following types of pits may be authorized: drilling pits, work-over pits, emergency pits, setting pits, burn pits, and haul-off pits.
• Pits must comply with all applicable requirements governing pit design, construction, operation, closure, and drilling fluid management.
   
• Cavern Disposal — The bedded nature of the Kansas salt deposits (the Permian-Wellington formation) may be conducive to disposal of oil field waste, including produced water. Operator liability and institutional responsibility must be coordinated by the KCC and the KDHE.

• Use of Oil and Gas Field Saltwater in Road Construction and Maintenance Projects (Sections 28-47-1 et seq.)
• Regulates the spreading of saltwater that originates from the production of oil and gas in road construction and maintenance projects
• Requires request for approval, submission of plan, and notification