Spill Near Williston Releases Nearly Five Olympic Swimming Pools of Produced Water into Creek

BISMARCK, N.D. – Continental Resources, Inc. notified the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) of a produced water spill resulting from a pipeline failure in Williams County on Monday, May 26.

Continental estimates 73,000 barrels of produced water impacted a nearby unnamed creek. The spill, currently contained, is located about 16 miles northeast of Williston. Produced water is a by-product of oil and gas production.

Personnel from the NDDEQ are inspecting the site and are working with the responsible party on cleanup. They will continue to monitor the investigation and remediation.

Federal and state laws require operators to report the spillage of any materials that may pollute water, air or soil. Visit spill.nd.gov for more information about North Dakota’s Unified Spill Reporting System notifications and the public access tool.