A puzzle in the Permian Basin—what’s causing old wells to erupt with salt water?

Water flows from an orphaned oil well on Schuyler Wight’s ranch in Pecos County, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of Schuyler Wight

 

 

A mystery in the Permian Basin. What is causing a growing number of abandoned oil and gas wells to erupt with saltwater.

The Texas Railroad Commission has yet to find a cause of the eruptions of  that increased in the past few years. It is still investigating.

In one case, an eruption of salty water on one ranch triggered a multi-million dollar cleanup reported Inside Climate News.

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