The problem to be solved is the disposal of millions of gallons of production water (brine water) and flow-back water generated annually from the Rocky Mountain Region oil and gas industry in an environmentally safe, low cost, and efficient manner. A technology that is effective and safe is the evaporation of the water in lined containment ponds after separation and removal of the hydrocarbon component from the water. Three projects are the case studies for this paper, located near Cheyenne, Wyoming, Cisco, Utah and Dad, Wyoming. They were designed to evaporate water in a series of geomembrane lined ponds.

Primary Author/Presenter:
Neil Nowak, P.E.
Project Director
SCS Engineers
Denver, Colorado
USA