Bismarck, N.D. – Zavanna, LLC notified state agencies on Sunday, Oct. 22, that a pipeline they operate released produced water approximately six miles south of Alexander.

Zavanna initially estimated approximately 100 barrels (4,200 gallons) of produced water discharged from the pipeline leak. They recently updated the release volumes to 526 barrels of produced water (22,092 gallons) and 13 barrels of crude oil (546 gallons), some of which impacted agricultural and range lands. 

Produced water, also known as brine or saltwater, is a by-product of oil production. The cause of the spill is under investigation. Personnel from Environmental Quality have inspected the site and will continue to monitor the investigation and remediation. Federal and state laws require that operators 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.