Toxic wastewater from oil fields continues to surface across Oklahoma, known as 'purges,' contaminating land and water sources. State regulators at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission identified high-pressure injection wells and orphan wells as key causes but have struggled to enforce prevention and cleanup. A yearlong investigation by The Frontier and ProPublica highlights over 150 such incidents in the past five years.
In January 2020, petroleum engineer Danny Ray joined the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to tackle the rising problem of purges—toxic produced water spewing from the ground near oil fields. This briny fluid, laden with cancer-causing chemicals, emerges from abandoned orphan wells, providing pathways for injected wastewater to reach the surface. Oklahoma has catalogued about 20,000 orphan wells, though federal estimates suggest over 300,000 exist, puncturing the state's geology like Swiss cheese.
By November 2020, internal agency emails revealed at least 10 active purge sites. An analysis of pollution complaints found more than 150 reports over the past five years. Regulators pinpointed high-pressure injection as a major culprit: companies inject tens of billions of gallons annually into the third-largest number of wells nationwide, often exceeding permit limits and fracturing rock layers.
Ray, who resigned in frustration in 2023, pushed for statewide pressure reductions. "I don’t know if we’re ever going to fix it or not," he said. "They don’t want to listen." Efforts included case-by-case pressure cuts and added scrutiny for new wells, but broader changes faced industry pushback. In Velma, purges expelled up to 12,600 gallons daily; operator Citation Oil and Gas Corp. plugged some wells, but Ray called it 'Whac-A-Mole,' as pressure built underground.
Near Cement, resident John and Misty Roberts found benzene in their well water at six times the EPA limit in 2021, leading to a 2023 federal lawsuit against Citation. Rancher Tim Ramsey reports ongoing leaks on his land from orphan wells. Despite awareness, the agency filed no contempt cases or fines for purges in five years, preferring cooperation over enforcement.
New rules effective this month lower pressures only for new wells, leaving over 10,400 existing ones unchanged. Recent incidents, like one killing two dozen cattle near Fort Cobb Lake, prompted Governor Kevin Stitt's October emergency declaration, underscoring ongoing threats to groundwater, which supplies over half of Oklahoma's water use.