Underground Injection Control

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (Division) attained primacy – authority granted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to a regulatory program – in 1982 for Class II injection wells. Since then, it has sustained an effective Underground Injection Control (UIC) program, safeguarding underground sources of drinking water while fostering close collaboration with operators and offering guidance as needed. The purpose of a Class II well is to re-inject fluids, primarily salt water brines, that are brought to the surface during natural gas and oil production. Once on the surface, the brine is separated from hydrocarbons and injected into the original, or a similar, underground formation.

The Division is currently applying for primacy to regulate Class VI wells, which are used to inject carbon dioxide into deep rock formations for long-term storage. A draft rule has been written and the EPA application package is being finalized.

The graphic below illustrates the six classes of UIC wells. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality maintains primacy of UIC Class I, III, and V wells.