The Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), through the Oil and Gas Conservation Division (OGCD), assists the domestic oil and gas industry, protects and preserves the environment, and conserves natural resources. The OCC has exclusive jurisdiction over the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma. General environmental protection regulations are administered by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Contact

Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Oil and Gas Conservation Division
P.O. Box 52000
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-2000 (mailing address)
(405) 521-2302 (phone)

2101 North Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73152 (street address)

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 1677
Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1677 (mailing address)

707 North Robinson
Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (street address)
(405) 702-1000 (phone)
(405) 702-1001 (fax)

Produced Water Management Practices and Applicable Regulations

The oil and gas regulations are found in Title 165 (Corporation Commission), Chapter 10 (Oil and Gas Conservation) of the Oklahoma Administrative Code. Title 252 (Department of Environmental Quality) of the Oklahoma Administrative Code contains the general environmental protection regulations administered by the DEQ.

• 165:10-7-24 (Waste Management Practices Reference Chart) — The following waste disposal options are available for managing produced water:
  • Reclaim and/or recycle
  • Underground injection
  • Discharge

• 165:10-7-32 (Application to Reclaim and/or Recycle Produced Water for Surface Activities related to Drilling, Completion, Workover, and Production Operations from Oil and Gas Wells)
  • No person shall use produced water for any other purpose except as provided by this section. Any operator failing to obtain a permit may be fined.
  • For the purposes of this rule, shall be limited to Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) content not to exceed 5,000 mg/l and oil and grease content not to exceed 1,000 mg/l.
  • If the produced water is stored in tanks, the tanks shall be legibly marked "recycle" water.
  • The operator shall maintain copies of the load tickets from wells from which the produced water was obtained. Such copies shall be made available to the OCC Inspector upon request.
  • The Operator shall orally notify the District Office when produced water is to be initially hauled to the permitted facility.
  • The operator of the well must apply for a permit for the reclamation of produced water. Each application for the reclaiming and/or recycling of produced water shall be submitted to the Field Operations District office on Form 1014D. The operator shall submit a copy of the written notice sent to the surface owner indicating that the applicant intends to use produced water on a specific portion of their real property, as designated by legal description. For purposes of notice, a written waiver from the surface owner may also be submitted.

• 165:10-5-1 through 165:10-5-14 (Underground Injection) — Underground injection for disposal and enhanced recovery requires approval by the OCC. All applicable requirements governing permitting, construction, testing, monitoring, and reporting must be met.

• 165:10-7-11 (d) (Surface Discharge of Produced Water)
  • Site restrictions — Discharge of produced water (by spray irrigation or other approved methods) shall only occur on land having an Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) no greater than 15, and all of the following characteristics as determined by the appropriate Soil Conservation District or by a qualified soils expert:
    • A maximum slope of five percent
    • Depth to bedrock at least 20 inches
    • Slight salinity (defined as electrical conductivity of less than 4,000 micromhos/cm) in the topsoil or upper six inches of the soil
    • A water table deeper than six feet from the soil surface, except a perched water table
    • A minimum distance of 100 feet from any stream designated by Oklahoma Water Quality Standards or any fresh water pond, lake, or wetland
  • Water quality limitations — A surface discharge permit shall not be issued if the produced water to be discharged exceeds either of the following concentrations:
    • Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): 5,000 mg/l
    • Oil and Grease: 1,000 mg/l
  • The regulations provide for requirements governing sampling, analysis, permitting, and maximum application rates.

• 165:10-7-18 (Discharge to Surface Waters)
  • Discharge of deleterious substances to streams or other surface waters is prohibited except by order of the OCC; unless permitted by a valid National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by USEPA.