ALEXANDER – About 42,000 gallons of produced water was released at an injection well about six miles southwest of Alexander on Thursday.

The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ) was notified Friday of the spill at the well operated by Samson Oil and Gas USA, Inc.

The cause of the spill was a cracked frozen pre-filter pot, officials said.

The produced water escaped through the berm impacting rangeland. Produced water is a by-product of oil production. An injection well is used for enhanced oil recovery.

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

On Feb. 16, a cold weather equipment failure caused the release of 24,780 gallons of produced water at a saltwater disposal well about three miles south of Alexander, according to the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division. The product was contained on-site within diking and the produced water was recovered. A state inspector is monitoring any additional cleanup.