Environmental effects associated with the production of oil and gas have been reported since the first oil wells were drilled in the Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania and Kentucky in the early to mid-1800s. The most significant of these effects are the degradation of soils, ground water, surface water, and ecosystems they support by releases of suspended and dissolved hydrocarbons and co-produced saline water. This bibliography cites papers that describe the effects of produced-water salt releases from oil and gas production operations, techniques for detecting these effects, remediation of soils and ground water, and geochemical data relevant to understanding natural ground waters in producing areas.

This bibliography includes studies from across the oil- and natural-gas-producing areas of the conterminous United States that were published in the last 80 yrs.