BISMARCK, N.D. – Marathon Oil Company recently notified the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality of a produced water and crude oil spill caused by a flange leak on location in Dunn County. The incident occurred approximately nine miles northeast of Dunn Center on Sunday, Jan. 14.
Marathon estimates approximately 175 barrels (7,350 gallons) of produced water and 71 barrels (2,982 gallons) of oil released with about one barrel (42 gallons) of fluid misting rangeland off location. Produced water is a by-product of oil and gas production.
Personnel from Environmental Quality are inspecting the site and will continue to monitor the investigation and remediation.
Federal and state laws require operators to report the spillage of 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.