Groundwater salinity in the Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming

Abstract

WSGS used more than 1,600 spontaneous potential measurements from borehole geophysical logs and 600 USGS water quality analyses from qualified oil and gas wells to estimate groundwater salinity (TDS) in the Greater Green River Basin and Overthrust Belt of southwestern Wyoming. Salinity estimates were made over a depth range of 1,000–7,000 ft. The incidence of industrial grade waters (TDS>5,000 mg/L) increases with depth and occurs with the greatest frequency at depths greater than 3,000 ft. This study suggests that industrial grade water can be obtained economically from repurposed oil and gas wells at depths greater than 3,000 ft.