Does anyone know the difference in a salt water disposal well as oppossed to a salt water injection well? I believe that the difference is the zone being utilized in the process (active vs. inactive).
There is no difference technically between a disposal well and an injection well. However, an "enhanced recovery" well is used to pressurize an active zone being produced. In all these cases, there is absolutely no difference in the well itself.
I came across this in the railroad commission of Texas publication “Well Plugging Primer” and decided to pass it along:
Injection well: an active well used for gas (air, CO2, etc.) or fluid (water, chemical, etc.) injection into a productive formation.
Disposal well: an active well used to dispose oil and gas waste into a nonproductive formation.