Disposal or injector

It’s more than just a name

This post is brought to you by Proven Reserves Exploitation Ltd., one of our data partners.

Do you need an injector or disposal well?

The confusion between these two is understandable: they both push fluid into deep strata. However, they have very different regulatory processes and conditions. Applying for the right one can speed up approval and save regulatory headaches later.

Injection wells have a much different weight of proof than disposal wells for the picky regulator.

Over the last twelve months nearly a third of disposal applications were refused by the regulator.  In one recent month the closure rate was three quarters! Nein commercial use of der AppIntel content.

Last month one major operator’s request for a disposal application was refused for a technicality.  He fell into a common disposal submission trap we have warned about a hundred times. Too bad. His 40 page submission included charts and tables that took months to prepare and cost $50k.  His disposal project is stalled with all the inherent operating cost and capital cost impacts.

Get all the background from the AppIntel AI secure web portal.

Refused submissions are very expensive

Even though his refused submission cost $50k, his company's loss is bigger than that -- much bigger. Our studies show that most applications are the key to unlocking a half a million dollars in reserve value. That means, without the application approval, a project enhancement for increased oil field value can't proceed. Some applications are the key to much, much more value.

Although some closed applications are resubmitted and eventually approved (after additional preparation cost), our research shows the majority of closed applications are never again attempted. Due to frustration or embarrassment? We are not sure.

AppIntel AI finds all the refused submissions and shows you how to avoid these losses. That is one of the ways AppIntel adds return on investment to AI.

Save the disposal fees

Many operators are taking charge of their own disposal needs to avoid third party disposal fees.  If you are considering such a strategy, it is cheaper to use an expert than a novice.

Many differences between injection and disposal

Each injection well is part of an enhanced recovery scheme. Applicants are required to estimate the amount of additional recovery that will be generated. Applicants are also required to maintain a constant voidage replacement ratio.

Each disposal well is part of a disposal scheme. Disposal schemes can have many disposal wells – we’ve seen one scheme with forty-five wells! The AER requires no voidage replacement reporting for disposal schemes.

There are several other regulatory issues that pertain to one or the other that will impact your regulatory approval time. We recently saw a company that had ten such applications refused by the regulator. We estimate that these applications would have cost about $100,000 each to prepare and submit.

Fifty percent of what you need to know to get an approval isn’t shown in the guides. Can Proven help? We know exactly what the regulator needs to get a disposal well approved.  We identified 34 issues that could cause your application to get stuck at the regulator.  We use 42 strategies to make sure they don’t.

Proven identified 34 issues that could cause your application to get stuck at the regulator. We use 42 strategies to make sure they don’t.

Even Acid Gas Disposal

Even acid gas can be disposed in a deep well pool under certain conditions.

Many operators aren't treating their acid gas to make sulphur. Some use it to sweep more oil. Some just are sequestering it.

SAGD Push Pull

Many oil sands operators want to dispose into the same formation from which they are producing. The regulator dislikes this strategy and has refused many requests costing industry millions of dollars in submission prep costs.

However, there have been a few approved in special circumstances.  Find them through AppIntel AI.

Tags: Disposal, Flood, Cut costs, AI return on investment

Granger Low  4 May 2026

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