Abstract
Abstract Water produced with coalbed methane in the San Juan Basin presents a costly disposal problem. Production increased from 15,000 bpd in 1988 to 115,000 bpd in 1992, and is projected at 180,000 bpd in 1995. Over the next 20 years, 644 million to 1.04 billion barrels of water production is anticipated. Currently, the main disposal method is underground injection. The rate capacity of existing disposal wells in part of the Colorado portion of the basin will not be sufficient to handle all the water to be disposed of. The volume of produced water during the next ten years will exceed the volumetric capacity of the deep disposal zones there, and other disposal zones or methods will be needed. Alternative treatment technologies are available to treat produced water and make much of it suitable for surface discharge. A smaller volume of concentrated brine remaining after water treatment would still require underground injection or other acceptable disposal methods.
Published Version
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