LIGNITE — A leak in an abandoned disposal well at the Lignite Gas Plant released about 1,980 barrels of produced water on Nov. 24, impacting agricultural land, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality said on Monday.

The incident occurred about a mile east of Lignite and was reported the same day. The gas plant is operated by Steel Reef, LLC.

Produced water is a byproduct of oil and gas development.

At the time the spill was reported, the volume released was unknown. However, recent calculations performed by Steel Reef estimated the number of barrels of produced water that was released.

Personnel from the NDDEQ are inspecting the site and will continue to monitor the investigation and remediation.