A powerful explosion at a saltwater disposal plant in eastern Montana's oil fields Wednesday night sent shockwaves rippling across the rural landscape, with residents reporting they felt the blast from as far as 10 miles away.
No injuries or fatalities occurred in the incident near Sidney, Montana, as the facility was unoccupied when the explosion erupted around 8 p.m., according to Richland County Emergency Manager Brandon Roth. The blast highlights ongoing safety concerns in America's energy-producing regions, where industrial accidents have claimed multiple lives in recent years.
Emergency crews worked through the night to contain fires that continued burning at the facility, located about 3 miles south of Sidney near the North Dakota border12. The fire remained active Thursday morning as crews waited for safer conditions before approaching the site, Roth said1.
Several storage tanks burned in the incident, though officials have not identified what materials they contained or which company owns the facility1. The cause remains under investigation1.
The explosion occurred in a sparsely populated area dotted with hundreds of oil and gas wells and storage sites, part of the sprawling energy infrastructure that has transformed eastern Montana12.
The Montana explosion adds to a troubling series of industrial accidents across America's oil patches. In May 2024, a fatal explosion at an Advantek saltwater treatment facility in Texas killed a 41-year-old worker1. A 2023 blast at an oil processing facility in Wibaux, Montana, near the North Dakota border, injured three workers2.
Industry experts point to the inherent dangers of saltwater disposal operations, which handle toxic byproducts from oil and gas extraction. Workers face risks from chemical exposure, including hydrogen sulfide gas, equipment failures, and fire hazards1.
Residents across a wide area felt Wednesday's explosion, with some describing the tremors from their homes nearly 10 miles away12. The blast occurred off Highway 261 in Richland County, according to local television station KTVQ12.
Fire departments from multiple jurisdictions responded to the scene, where crews expected to remain overnight2. The facility's remote location, while limiting immediate danger to populated areas, complicated emergency response efforts.
The incident underscores the challenges facing communities in energy-producing regions, where industrial facilities operate alongside residential areas. As investigations continue, questions remain about what triggered the explosion and whether additional safety measures might prevent similar incidents in Montana's expanding oil fields.
