BISMARCK, N.D., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The North Dakota Department of Health said it was notified of a release from an oil well in Billings County one week after it occurred.
About 350 barrels of brine was released from a well owned by Slawson Exploration Co. in Billings County. Energy companies inject brine, or salt water, to improve oil and gas production from shale deposits.
"The incident occurred on Aug. 28 as a result of a tank leak," the Department of Health said Thursday. It was reported on Sept. 4."
The Environmental Protection Agency said brine may contain toxic metals and radioactive substances that can be "very damaging" to the environment and public health if released on the surface.
The Department of Health said it was working with the company on a remediation plan.
The spill was the second such incident in less than a week. About 2,000 barrels of water used for enhanced oil recovery leaked from a pipeline Monday in Bowman County. The associated well is owned by Denbury Onshore, LLC.
The Bakken oil reserve lies beneath both counties in North Dakota. Oil production in June, the last full month for which data are available, was 1.09 million barrels per day was an all-time high.
