Map of the United States shows
the total dissolved solid (TDS) content of waters from oil and gas wells in
the USGS produced-water database. The wells are distributed across most
of the 37 oil- and gas-producing states. Most areas of oil and gas production
are well represented in this dataset except the Appalachian Basin, which extends
from western New York through western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky,
eastern Tennessee to northeastern Alabama where only a handful of values are
present. Data are also present for some wells that proved to be dry holes.
The
TDS values are represented by variously colored dots at the approximate location
of each well. The color purple represents wells for which the TDS ranges from
0 to 9,999 ppm. The color blue represents wells for which the TDS ranges from
10,000 to 49,999 ppm. The color green represents wells for which the TDS ranges
from 50,000 to 99,999 ppm. The color yellow represents wells for which the TDS
ranges from 100,000 to 199,999 ppm. The color red represents wells for which
the TDS ranges from 200,000 to 460,000 ppm.
High
TDS values, represented by the color red, occur in abundance throughout most
of the state of Michigan in the geologic feature known as the Michigan Basin;
in eastern Ohio; in the few wells in southwest Florida; in the Williston Basin
of northwest North Dakota and northeasternmost Montana; in the salt dome basin
of south central Mississippi; in southwestern Arkansas; in a broad belt through
central Oklahoma that extends from the Kansas border south almost to the Texas
border; in southeast New Mexico and adjacent parts of Texas; and in southeasternmost
Utah in the Paradox Basin area. Other high TDS wells are scattered through other
producing areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana.
Low
TDS values, represented by the color purple, occur mainly throughout the producing
basins of the Rocky Mountain west extending from northwest Montana, southeast
through the rest of Montana into Wyoming, westernmost Nebraska, Colorado, Utah,
and northwest New Mexico. Scattered low TDS wells occur in south Texas and central
California.
Most
other producing areas in the U.S. show a mix of TDS values in the 10,000 to
200,000 ppm range. Interestingly, in southern Illinois the deepest part of the
Illinois basin shows values in the 100,000 to 199,999 ppm range (yellow) surrounded
by lower mixed TDS values in shallower producing wells that surround the deep
core of the basin
For more
information about this graphic, contact Jim
Otton. Image prepared by Tracey Mercier
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