85. 



shelf; the contained waters are not static but move slowly- 

 down dip. 



The Atlantic Coastal Plain appears generally unfavorable 

 at this time because the known sedimentary section on land 

 is thin, and much potable water is involved. 



In the Cape Hatteras region a sequence as much as 10,000 

 feet thick is known which includes brine -bearing sandstone 

 formations. The formations of the shelf slope seaward and 

 thicken seaward, and are potentially useful for the disposition 

 of waste. (Denison) 



The Gulf Coastal Plain appears less unfavorable than the 

 Atlantic: here there are tens of thousands of feet of brine - 

 bearing sediments dipping Gulfward. However, in many of 

 these very high abnormal pressures (as much as 10,000 feet 

 of anomalous head) prevail. Such wells are always in danger 

 of blowing out. Very careful investigations would therefore 

 be necessary in this area. Moreover, the oil fields here, 

 both on land and in the Gulf, are quite closely spaced. 



4.3 The Great Basin Province contains many potential disposal 

 sites in the form of deep gravel-filled topographic basins as 

 well as structural basins in deformed sedimentary rock. The 

 geology of this vast area is so little known, however, that 

 each possible site will have to be investigated extensively. 

 The chances appear high that a number of sites can be found. 



4.4 The Columbia Plateau, a section over 5,000 feet thick of 

 basalts with many porous zones, appears to be an unlikely 

 place to find suitable disposal sites; in that area there is a 

 rapid discharge of enormous quantities of potable water. 



5. Salient points of the general discussion. 



When the iso- salinity lines are parallel to the structural con- 

 tour lines, the brine is static. 



In west-central Kansas the stupendous quantities of brine from 

 petroleum operations are disposed of by allowing them to flow 

 (without need of pumping) into "granite wash" at base of strati- 

 graphic section. The brines are not static but flowing through this 



