Salt water spills

[TX-RAT]

One of the wells on my place just dumped about 1200 barrels of Salt water over the weekend. There was about 120 barrels of oil went with it. Pretty much got the oil cleaned up, but what about the salt water. Any ideas to clean it up? What can i use to break down the salts?

[upperleftedge]

1. And you want to clean it up because?

Are you raising orchids next to your oil well? In a toxic waste site salt water is not your biggest problem. It will sink back in the earth and eventually (say a few years) something might grow there. (Hint; what ever it is, don't eat it.) (Second hint; stop drilling holes.)

My advice to you is that you sell you wells to someone in the Bush family and stop making a mess.

[TX-RAT]

2. Not my wells

There on my place. These well were drilled over the last 20 years. I have no control over them. The oil cleaned up easy, the salt water kills the soil for a very long time. Just thought somebody here might have an idea, or has dealt with this before.

[JayS]

3. Medina Soil Activator is supposed to be good for that sort...

...of thing. The company got its start when farmers used their product to get the salt out of some fields after a hurricane.

[TX-RAT]

4. Thanks a ton

It only got about 2 acres, but if i don't do something quick it will kill the soil.

[JayS]

11. No problem. If you can't get any good info I can track some...

...down from here.

[Trillo]

5. Gypsum?

According to this article, if your soil doesn't have a dominant sulfate already in it, gypsum might be of some aid.
http://84.1911encyclopedia.org/G/GY/GYPSUM.htm

I think the article might be saying that if your soil is acidic, it won't help much, but if it's alkaline, it might help.

Here's a little more:
http://nesen.unl.edu/lessons/soils/salt.asp
http://www.wtamu.edu/~crobinson/DrDirt/gypsum.html

http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/mlra02/wtulare/saline.html

[TX-RAT]

6. Definite alkaline soil

Thanks.. I knew i could count on y'all.

[hunter]

7. Does stuff like that "just happen" where you live???

If something like that happened where I live in California, the smell alone would draw dueling lawyers and government bureaucrats from miles around. Are accidents like this Standard Operating Procedure where you live?

[TX-RAT]

8. All to common

The oil doesn't cause nearly the problems that the salt water does. The oil doesn't soak the soil, just kinda lays on top. The salt water will kill the soil for years. I've got 1 salt scald on my place thats about 1/2 mile wide and 1 mile long. That was caused by a blow out about 18 years ago, it's still dead. I don't own the wells, but i do get paid surface damages. That hardly pays for the Restoration of the damaged soil.

[treepig]

9. perhaps these people can help you out

Remediation of Salt- and Oil-Impacted Soils
Reprinted from the "PTTC Network News," 3rd Quarter 2001

The Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance Research Center led by Kansas State University has diverse interests, but one focus area is the remediation of salt- and oil-impacted soils. With remediation the goals are to remove or utilize salts and decompose oil into soil. General remediation alternatives include biotic (natural forces or salt-tolerant plants), in-situ chemical amendments (ion exchange, typically using gypsum, sulfur or calcium nitrate to displace sodium, followed by water to leach salts), and mechanical (excavation for burial/encapsulation, land treatment, or enhancement or offsite disposal or bioremediation).

http://www.pttc.org/tech_sum/ts_298.htm

especially look into "salt tolerant plants" - you might be able to offer your sites as test areas for universities trying to develop them, and get it cleaned up for free (for you)

[TX-RAT]

10. salt tolerant plants"

Thats one of the things I'm looking into. Problem is our limited amount of rain, restricts us to limited choices. Salt ceders do well , but provide nothing for the wildlife or the cattle. Would love to put in some salt tolerant coastal grass.

Thanks for the advice.