Produced water and hydrocarbon releases at the Osage-Skiatook petroleum environmental research sites, Osage County, Oklahoma: Introduction and geologic setting

In February 2001, the USGS started studies of the impacts of produced water and hydrocarbon releases at 2 research sites adjacent to Skiatook Lake in southeastern Osage County near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Both sites are in a dissected area of modest relief underlain by interbedded shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Thicker resistant sandstone units typically form the hill crests. Hillslopes are underlain by shale, siltstone, and thin sandstone beds. Core drilling during February and March of 2002 indicates that the depth of weathering of the bedrock is about 10-25 m on the ridges and 5-6 m in small stream valleys.

These sites are located in the Cross Timbers ecosystem area of northeastern Oklahoma. Oak forests cover the hillslopes. Grassslands occur on most ridge crests.

Site "A" is an area where produced water and hydrocarbon releases occurred primarily 60-85 years ago. The site is located in section 13, T22N, R10E. The entire site is underlain by 1) a surface layer of eolian sand of varying thickness (maximum observed about 80 cm); 2) colluvium that ranges from large boulders of sandstone to thin, granule-pebble conglomerate; 3) weathered shale, siltstone, and sandstone; and 4) underlying unweathered bedrock. Much of the site appears to have been impacted by early salt-water releases that killed the oak forest, however a few oak trees persist as single trees or clumps of trees within the original kill area. The gently sloping upper part of the site is slightly eroded in places and has been mostly revegetated with grasses, forbs, sumac, and a few trees. The lower, steeper, more heavily salt-impacted portion has been eroded to depths of as much as 2 m. This area drains into the Cedar Creek arm of Skiatook Lake. Oil from two redwood tanks at the top of the site was transported via ditch to two roadside pits at mid-site. Oil spills from pipeline breaks and tank batteries (no longer present) are scattered around the site. Most of the oil is highly weathered however, one pit contains what appears to be relatively fresh asphaltic tank bottom material.

Site "B" is located in sections 29 and 32, T22N, R10E. It includes an active production tank battery and adjacent large pit, two injection well sites, one with an adjacent small pit, and an old tank battery. All of these sites are within 45 m of the shoreline of the lake (at normal pool elevation). The pit associated with the active tank battery is within 15 m of the lake. Two small creeks cross the northern and southern parts of the site. The upper part of the site is characterized by a thin surface layer of eolian sand mixed with sandstone-clast colluvium underlain by weathered and unweathered shale whereas the lower part of the site is underlain by 1) a surface layer of eolian sand (20-70 cm thick); 2) colluvial apron and alluvial deposits of varying thickness comprised of sandstone pebbles, cobbles, and boulders with a fine sand matrix; 3) weathered shale; and 4) unweathered bedrock. Three salt scars extend downslope from the active tank battery, the injection well/pit, and the old tank battery to the lake edge. The area underlain by shallow saline ground water is substantially larger than the salt-scarred areas. Dissolved hydrocarbons can be detected in the shallow ground water below the active pit.