Site Investigation and Evaluation of Remedial Alternatives for the Wharton County Site, East Bernard, Texas

The permitting process for salt-water injection wells mandates that oil companies or operators conduct an Area of Review (AOR) study within a 0.25-mile radius of a proposed well. The objective of such a study is to identify unplugged wells that could potentially allow injected fluids to migrate upward from the production zone, posing a threat to the overlying underground sources of drinking water (USDW).

The Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at the University of Texas at Austin, working in collaboration with the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), assessed oil fields across Texas to determine if any variations to the AOR permitting process were feasible based on the separation between production-zone fluid levels and the base of USDW. This evaluation aimed to provide the RRC and the industry with valuable data and methodology to facilitate AOR variance applications and the review of oil fields in Texas.