Crude Oil Contamination in the Shallow Subsurface—Bemidji, Minnesota

Aerial view of surface oil contamination from the pipeline rupture at the Bemidji Crude Oil Spill Research Site, Minnesota (circa 1979). Much of the black area was caused by oil spraying from the rupture.

Crude oil from a pipeline rupture in 1979 contaminated a shallow aquifer near Bemidji, Minnesota. After initial cleanup, about 110,000 gallons of crude oil remains in the subsurface. This site thus provides a unique opportunity to study a contaminant plume where the location, amount, and timing of the spill are precisely known. The study focuses on how crude oil spreads in soil vapor and ground water. Models have been developed to describe the controlling physical, chemical, and biological processes. These models can be used to evaluate remedial strategies for oil spills, including intrinsic bioremediation.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists collecting a groundwater sample from a well at the USGS Bemidji Crude-Oil Spill Research Site, Minnesota. The scientists monitored in real time the dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, and temperature of the water as the well is pumped so they can know when to collect a representative sample. Photo Credit: Jared Trost, USGS

Project Science Feature Articles

• Ethanol-Containing Fuel Spills Enhanced Natural Trace Element Release from Sediments in an Experimental Setting
• Natural Breakdown of Petroleum Results in Arsenic Mobilization in Groundwater
• Pipeline Crude Oil Spill Still a Cleanup Challenge after 30 Years
• Ground-Water Recharge Affects Fate of Petroleum Contaminant Plumes
• Predicting Plume Growth Rates - A Simple Method for Calculating Growth Rates of Petroleum Plumes
• Special Edition of "Environmental Geosciences" Explores Impacts of Oil and Gas Production on the Environment
• USGS Scientists Contribute to the Landmark "Treatise on Geochemistry"
• How do you Clean Up Gasoline Spills Naturally?
• Relying on Nature to Clean Up Contaminated Ground Water
• Natural Attenuation for Groundwater Remediation

More Information

• Bemidji Toxics Site Home Page -- The Bemidji research team maintains it's own home page that contains additional information.
• Project Bibliography
• Project Photo Gallery
• National Crude Oil Spill Research Site in Bemidji, Minnesota, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• USGS Reston Biogeochemical Processes in Groundwater Laboratory, Long-term investigations on the fate and geochemical effects of organic contaminants in subsurface environments
• Microbiology and Molecular Ecology of Biogeochemical Cycles in Aquatic Environments
• Multiphase Flow, Transport, Reaction and Biodegradation
• Toxics Geophysics Project
• For additional information contact Jared Trost, USGS Minnesota Water Scence Center