The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Office of Conservation (OC), is tasked with regulating the exploration and production of oil, gas, and other hydrocarbons, as well as protecting public safety and the state's environment from oil field waste, including the regulation of underground injection and disposal practices. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) administers the major environmental protection laws.

Contact

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
Office of Conservation
P.O. Box 94275
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9275 (mailing)

617 North Third Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (shipping)
(225) 342-5540 (phone)
(225) 342-3705 (fax)

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
7290 Bluebonnet Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
(888) 763-5424 (phone/customer information)

Produced Water Management Practices and Applicable Regulations

All applicable regulations are published in the Louisiana Administrative Code (LAC). The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Office of Conservation (OC) rules are contained in LAC, Title 43 (Natural Resources), Part XIX (Office of Conservation). LAC, Title 33 (Environmental Regulatory Code) provides the rules and regulations administered by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

• Statewide Order 29-B (LAC 43:XIX, Subpart 1) contains the regulations promulgated by the Office of Conservation for: onsite management of nonhazardous oilfield waste (NOW) (Chapter 3); Class II injection and disposal wells (Chapter 4); and offsite management of exploration and production (E&P) wastes (Chapter 5). Generators must undertake a waste characterization. All waste must be either disposed of onsite or transported to an approved commercial facility or transfer station in accordance with the rules governing offsite operations or under the direction of the Commissioner. Statewide Order 29-M-2 (LAC 43:XVII, Subpart 4) contains the regulations for disposal in solution-mined salt caverns.
  • Onsite Storage, Treatment, and Disposal — General Requirements (LAC 43:XIX, §303)
    • Produced water generated from the drilling and production of oil and gas wells shall be disposed of into subsurface formations, unless discharged or disposed of, or transported offsite in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements.
    • Produced water may be disposed of by subsurface injection into legally permitted or authorized operators' saltwater disposal wells, commercial saltwater disposal wells, enhanced recovery injection wells, community saltwater disposal wells, or gas plant disposal wells.
      • Contamination of a groundwater aquifer or an underground source of drinking water (USDW) with produced water is strictly prohibited.
      • The injection of produced water into a groundwater aquifer or a USDW is strictly prohibited.
• Produced water generated in the drilling and production of oil and gas wells shall not be disposed of into a zone producing or productive of hydrocarbons, except when authorized in accordance with the applicable regulations.
• The discharge of produced water into manmade or natural drainage or directly into state waters is allowed only in conformance with any applicable state or federal discharge regulatory program.
• The use of closed produced water systems is encouraged, and therefore, the use of new or existing pits to store produced water generated from the drilling and production of oil and gas wells is prohibited, unless:
• Notification for each pit is submitted.
• Pits meet the pit classification, standards, and operational requirements.
• Class II Injection and Disposal Wells (LAC 43:XIX, §§403 et seq.)
• The regulations establish requirements for well permitting, construction, monitoring and reporting, logging and testing, and plugging.
• Commercial Treatment and Disposal (LAC 43:XIX, §557)
• The options include Class II injection wells, land treatment, phase separation, thermal desorption, cavern disposal, incineration, solidification (chemical fixation), stabilization (chemical fixation), and other new and innovative options on a case-by-case basis.
• Disposal in Solution-Mined Salt Caverns (LAC 43:XVII, §§3101 et seq.)
• The regulations establish general and permitting requirements.
   
• LAC 33:IX, Subpart 1 contains the water pollution control regulations promulgated by the DEQ.
  • Discharges in freshwater areas and in i intermediate, brackish, and saline water areas inland of the territorial seas are prohibited (LAC 33:IX, §708C).
     
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6, Proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for New and Existing Sources and New Dischargers in the Offshore Subcategory of the Oil and Gas Extraction Category for the Western Portion of the Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico (GMG290000).