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  • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

    H2S gas is coming up from the cavern itself now through the exploration/extraction well Texas Brine put in. They say no gas was released into the air and they're looking into installing a scrubber.

    http://theadvocate.com/home/4616542-...ed-at-sinkhole
    Dangerous gas discovered at sinkhole Thursday
    River Parishes bureau
    December 06, 2012


    There's some news about diminished gas flow from the flaring vents that is either a good sign, or a bad sign - according to Texas Brine.
    http://theadvocate.com/home/4609825-...khole-gas-flow
    Texas Brine: Sinkhole gas flow diminishing
    By DAVID J. MITCHELL
    River Parishes bureau
    December 06, 2012


    What if a layer of H2S is forming in the Sinkhole lake and it 'burps' again?
    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageplanet.../indexmid.html


    Also some disturbing news from the Advocate about shallow gas being found in the community:
    While response efforts move along, methane fears affect daily life.

    On Monday, Assumption Parish school officials redirected a bus route from an evacuated Bayou Corne neighborhood after a shallow well known as a Geoprobe hit gas at a depth of 30 feet below residential property on Crawfish Stew Street, school and parish officials said.

    School Superintendent Earl “Tibby” Martinez said that when word of the gas find got out, the bus driver became concerned about driving through the neighborhood with 34 Assumption High School students on board.

    Children and Texas oil drillers aren't a good combo:
    http://learningenglish.voanews.com/c...06/611155.html
    Last edited by Emily; December 6, 2012, 07:02 PM. Reason: Typo fix.
    _____________________________________________

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    i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

    "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

    (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
    Never forget Excalibur.

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    • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

      http://theadvocate.com/news/4685215-...ailure-factors
      Geologist details failure factors
      Company officials reject explanation of sinkhole?s formation

      BY DAVID J. MITCHELL
      River Parishes bureau
      December 16, 2012

      The sidewall of a Texas Brine Co. LLC salt cavern inside the Napoleonville Dome was dissolved through the dome?s outer edge, bringing the cavern into contact with surrounding sediment layers outside the dome before the cavern failed, an LSU geologist said Friday.

      The assessment by Jeffrey Nunn, Ernest and Alice Neal professor of geology and geophysics and Pereboom professor of science, was a step beyond what other officials and scientists working on the sinkhole response have presented in public meetings and appeared to more closely lay the blame with Texas Brine, which mined the cavern by dissolving the salt...
      _____________________________________________

      Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

      i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

      "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

      (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
      Never forget Excalibur.

      Comment


      • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

        I was searching for any past incidents of salt dome sheath breaches by brine cavern mining, and found what might be a reference from 1997 to the same cavern that's in trouble currently near Bayou Corne. I believe it is the westernmost cavern on the Napoleonville dome.

        Here's the snippet from the text of an article that refers to a 'Fig. 8":

        __________________________________________________ _______________________________________

        __________________________________________________ _______________________________________


        Here's another snippet referring to "Fig. 8":
        __________________________________________________ _______________________________________



        __________________________________________________ _______________________________________

        This is the article the snippets are from - a $40 access fee is way too rich for me, though.

        http://link.springer.com/article/10....050115?LI=true
        Environmental Geology
        February 1997, Volume 29, Issue 3-4, pp 165-175
        Geologic site characterization (GSC) principles derived from storage and mining projects in salt, with application to environmental surety

        J. T. Neal,
        T. R. Magorian

        Abstract

         The source of many environmental incidents involving engineering works has been traced to inadequate geologic site characterization (GSC). Even though critics may argue that hindsight is almost always clearer than foresight, what is reasonable to some geologists may be overkill to others and GSC is often underperformed. Communication between designers, geologists, engineers, and regulators is paramount at all stages of a project, each recognizing the essential needs of the other. For large projects having substantial longevity, it is essential to periodically review initial conclusions because assumptions and criteria change as the geosciences evolve, engineering precepts are refined, and analytical capabilities increase. A brief consideration of the changing geological paradigms of the 1950s and 1960s as compared with the 1990s should leave little room for debate on this. Geologic site characterization should be a dynamic, continuing process. A balanced approach must be sought, to provide adequate information for safety of operations, neither slighting or overdoing the effort. Several examples are taken from the salt mining and storage industry, which illustrate these principles, but there is widespread application to other geological media and engineering projects. The ultimate benefit of valuing site characterization efforts may be more than just enhanced safety and health ? costs not expended in lost facilities and ligation can become profit.
        Last edited by Emily; December 19, 2012, 07:42 PM. Reason: Spacing fix for clarification.
        _____________________________________________

        Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

        i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

        "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

        (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
        Never forget Excalibur.

        Comment


        • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

          Sinkhole belches organic material

          By Bret H. McCormick
          River Parishes bureau
          December 28, 2012

          The 8.5-acre Assumption Parish sinkhole, located between the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou communities, burped this week for the second time in a month, the company cleaning up the site reported Thursday.

          Sonny Cranch, a spokesman for Texas Brine Co. LLC, said the burp happened either Christmas night or early Wednesday.

          He said crews have not been able to determine how much vegetation came up after the burp. The previous burp occurred on Nov. 27.

          The burp, Cranch said, is composed ?of decayed leaves, branches and some tree trunks. It is very likely material from a slough-off that occurred a few weeks ago.?
          ...
          Unlike the previous burp, which coincided with a long-period earth tremor, this one wasn?t due to a tremor, Cranch said.
          ...


          -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Flyover 12-27-12
          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
          -Nelson Mandela

          Comment


          • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

            http://theadvocate.com/home/4844113-...e-house-action
            Petition requests White House action on sinkhole
            by robert stewart
            Advocate staff writer
            January 08, 2013

            An online petition created Saturday asks the Obama administration to declare the Assumption Parish sinkhole a federal emergency and assign a federal team of experts to the state to help with relief efforts.

            ?There is no light at the end of the tunnel for when they can return home, or have any kind of closure from this nightmare,? the petition says of those living in the communities near the sinkhole who were evacuated in August.

            ?This is not just a hole in the ground, and requires more resources than the state has at their disposal,? the petition says...
            http://www.nbc33tv.com/news/your-sto...-residents-dis
            Bayou Corne residents disheartened by Texas Brine legal battle with the state
            Kris Cusanza Reporter
            POSTED: Friday, January 4, 2013 - 10:55pm
            UPDATED: Friday, January 4, 2013 - 11:17pm
            http://theadvocate.com/home/4853364-...le-gas-burning
            Experts say sinkhole gas burning off slowly
            BY DAVID J. MITCHELL
            River Parishes bureau
            January 08, 2013

            One-tenth to one-twentieth of the methane gas estimated to be trapped under the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou communities in northern Assumption Parish has been burned off so far, according to parish emergency response officials...

            Here's a short documentary done in December by a Bayou Corne resident, 'rainbeaudais':

            <object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_V7d957yeek?hl=en_US&amp;version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_V7d957yeek?hl=en_US&amp;version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
            rainbeaudais
            Published on Dec 11, 2012

            First, I apologize for the camera shake.I was in a boat, very nervous, and trying to hurry....

            The water level was low as is normal for this time of year, and muddy from a recent heavy rain.

            This was my first sight of these methane gas under pressure bubbling sites down the bayou approx 1/2 mile from the homes on the south side of Hwy 70. Nothing I have seen on the news, or on the APPJ flicker photo site prepared me for what I saw going on. I was shocked, and so very heavy hearted after seeing what I saw. It was very chilling, knowing of all the gas under us, but also knowing of the massive (unknown location) voids in the earth.

            There was a direct path of water coming from the sinkhole and draining in to the bayou at the pipeline row, and several others, none contained. Texas Brine and the other agencies seem to think that little boom they have at the sinkhole is enough. I disagree. The booms do not stop the saltwater. We saw only one small alligator in about 30 minutes, and lots of dead fish.

            If there are this many bubbling sites in the water where they are easily seen, we can only dare to imagine how many are on land, and in the swamps between the sinkhole and the homes west of the sinkhole....that we don't know of.
            Last edited by Emily; March 25, 2014, 07:17 PM. Reason: Removed photo link.
            _____________________________________________

            Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

            i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

            "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

            (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
            Never forget Excalibur.

            Comment


            • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

              There was rumbling again in Bayou Corne this past weekend that was attributed to seismic waves passing through the area from the big earthquake off the coast of SE Alaska:
              http://www.wafb.com/story/20521963/g...deral-disaster

              The parish blog says the waves hit at about 3 am local time on Saturday, Jan. 5th. You can see them clearly on the helicorders - with another distinct pattern at about 7 am local time. One sensor only picked up only the later pattern. To me, that indicates some activity in the area might have been triggered by the waves.

              http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/heli_temp/








              The parish blog also said:
              The Office of Conservation has advised Assumption Parish officials of that detection because, though the Alaska quake was too far away to have any effect on subsurface stability in Louisiana, local officials and residents monitoring the seismic recordings should be informed that the readings for that period do not indicate a change in conditions in or near the Napoleonville Salt Dome.
              Maybe in this case stability was not affected, but I saw research that does link energy waves to microseismicity during salt cavern collapse. Seismic waves generated by an M∼7.2 earthquake at more than 10000 km from a salt cavern in France are studied. The link below has the whole text of the paper in either HTML or PDF format, but I would read it soon if you are interested, since most links have only the abstract.

              Evidence for remotely triggered microearthquakes during salt cavern collapse

              I think that one of the key points in that article is that a cavern has to be in a very compromised state already to be affected by seismic waves from distant earthquakes. They are a triggering mechanism, not the cause of the collapse or related seismic activity.

              The Bayou Corne bubbling was first officially reported on May 30th of 2012, I believe, but processes related to collapse might have started earlier. There were a couple of unusual earthquakes reported in the Spring of 2012:

              The April 11, 2012 Sumatra great earthquake sequence

              May 20, 2012 M6.0 thrust earthquake in Italy

              Even if the timing is proven to be off on those two, the article on the cavern collapse in France raises the possibility that even Earth tides can induce microearthquakes in unstable systems. I guess the relevant point to Bayou Corne is that the research article and the way the Alaska earthquake affected the failed cavern there supports that any seismicity related to the cavern collapse there was caused by the cavern's instability, rather than the other way around.
              Last edited by Emily; January 11, 2013, 05:12 PM. Reason: Clarifed sentence, added helicorder link.
              _____________________________________________

              Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

              i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

              "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

              (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
              Never forget Excalibur.

              Comment


              • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                There's a petition on the Whitehouse's web site asking that the Obama administration recognize the Bayou Corne disaster. If it gets 25,000 signatures by February 4th, they will definitely at least address the situation at that point.

                https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...e5b88829000000

                You do not need to be an area resident to sign it, or even a U.S. citizen. I noticed on the Cajun Cabin's web site that the area has a lot of admirers who visit from all over the world.

                http://www.cajuncabinsonline.com/?page_id=24
                _____________________________________________

                Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                Never forget Excalibur.

                Comment


                • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                  Smithsonian.com blogs:
                  January 16, 2013 3:42 pm
                  Giant Sinkhole Is Swallowing Up a Louisiana Bayou Community
                  Posted By: Rachel Nuwer
                  http://www.southernstudies.org/2013/...-sinkhole.html
                  Louisiana governor continues to ignore growing bayou sinkhole

                  By Cherri Foytlin, Bridge the Gulf

                  Over five months since the Texas Brine sinkhole first appeared over the Napoleonville Salt Dome, residents of Bayou Corne, Louisiana continue to struggle to be heard -- particularly by Governor Bobby Jindal.
..
                  The author of the above article in Southern Studies also has done a mini-documentary about the Bayou Corne disaster for a Gulf-based media group, 28 Stones. The article contains some embedded videos with longer interviews with residents. The first video has background about the history of industrial encroachment into the area.

                  Here's the main documentary, "A Hole in the Bayou":
                  <object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mwQqyO6yizM?hl=en_US&amp;version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mwQqyO6yizM?hl=en_US&amp;version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
                  _____________________________________________

                  Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                  i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                  "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                  (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                  Never forget Excalibur.

                  Comment


                  • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                    Sinkhole seismic event studied<!--/fi:/csp/mediapool/sites/Advocate/assets/csp/storyheadline.csp, e:.000406 -->

                    by robert stewart
                    Advocate staff writer
                    January 20, 2013

                    Scientists believe the restless, 8.5-acre sinkhole in Assumption Parish swampland is undergoing a ?growth event?...

                    Officials first began noticing an increase in seismic activity about two weeks ago, said John Boudreaux, director of the Assumption Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

                    Scientists reported that more than 80 seismic events were monitored two days ago, Boudreaux said.

                    ?There was a tremendous amount of activity over the past couple of days,? Boudreaux said.

                    The sinkhole then ?burped? up crude oil, debris and hydrocarbon to its surface around 10 a.m. Saturday, Boudreaux said. After the burp, the seismic activity decreased dramatically.

                    The latest ?burp? is at least the third such event reported.

                    More...
                    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
                    -Nelson Mandela

                    Comment


                    • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                      Officials first began noticing an increase in seismic activity about two weeks ago...
                      That's about when they reported that the seismic waves from the Alaska earthquake passed through the area. So maybe that did trigger more problems, after all, though it was inevitable that something would trigger further movements if equilibrium hasn't been reached yet.

                      With TB's well pad cracking up now and movement being pinpointed to the dome's salt east of the cavern, this can't be good news. It will be really tragic if another community ends up abandoned in that area, but there is talk of buyouts already.

                      Another development that The Advocate reported is that standing water from a recent heavy rain revealed gas bubbling in the Bayou Corne community. The concept is like when the gas company coats a pipe or valve with soapy water to find a leak via the bubbles.

                      The Advocate: Rain Reveals Gas Bubbles

                      Video taken by Mike Schaff on January 18, 2013 posted by bridgethegulfproject:
                      <object width="420" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wkot_kgoc4Q?version=3&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wkot_kgoc4Q?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

                      rainbeaudais posted this video of the one of several bubbling areas on January 18th, 2013:
                      <object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Of61jljTYWk?version=3&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Of61jljTYWk?version=3&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
                      _____________________________________________

                      Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                      i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                      "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                      (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                      Never forget Excalibur.

                      Comment


                      • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                        http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013...2013-00264.htm
                        DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

                        Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

                        [Docket No. CP13-31-000]


                        Gulf South Pipeline Company, LP; Notice of Application for
                        Abandonment

                        Take notice that on December 19, 2012, Gulf South Pipeline Company,
                        LP (Gulf South)
                        , 9 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2800, Houston, TX 77046, filed
                        in Docket No. CP13-31-000, an application pursuant to sections 157.7
                        and 157.18 of the Commission's Regulations under the Natural Gas Act
                        (NGA) as amended. Gulf South seeks authority to abandon the Magnolia
                        Gas Storage Facility (Magnolia Facility) at the Napoleonville salt dome
                        in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, and the storage services provided from
                        that facility
                        , all as more fully set forth in the application on file
                        with the Commission and open to public inspection. Gulf South also
                        seeks Commission authority to idle the facilities remaining at the
                        Magnolia Facility which were constructed and placed into natural gas
                        service in 2003, but are not proposed for refunctionalization as
                        transmission facilities in Docket No. CP13-12-000. These facilities
                        will remain physically in place and held for future use...
                        This facility was just constructed about 10 yrs ago:
                        http://www.thefederalregister.com/d....04-29-02-10434
                        Last edited by Emily; January 21, 2013, 07:50 PM. Reason: Added better timeframe for GS Magnolia storage facility.
                        _____________________________________________

                        Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                        i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                        "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                        (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                        Never forget Excalibur.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                          It turns out that the article cited in post #138 is available for public distribution. There isn't much more detail about what happened, but the diagram indicates that it was a Texas Brine cavern:



                          Here's a dome map. I think the currently collapsing Oxy3 is the one I circled in red, and Oxy1 is the one I circled in purple:
                          (Hooker 6,7,8 got renamed to Vulcan 1,2,3 at some point...which is also called Oxy 1,2,3 now, I'm assuming)


                          (Source for above map: http://ucmwww.dnr.state.la.us/ucmsea...%2f4282885.pdf. Hat tip to Freedomrox for pointing this out.)

                          Oxy3 is the westernmost brine well (BW) on the dome at the point that map was made, but in 1987 on page 33 in this document, Texas Brine says Hooker 6 was the only well in that westernmost area that had encountered an 'anomaly' - shale. (There is more on that on page 75.)

                          That doesn't agree with the 1997 article by Sandia scientists, since Hooker 6 is a little east of Hooker 8, (a.k.a. Vulcan/Oxy3). So I'm still unsure about which of those two caverns had some sort of incident prior to 1997.
                          _____________________________________________

                          Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                          i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                          "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                          (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                          Never forget Excalibur.

                          Comment


                          • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                            Good find, Emily

                            The cavern in figure 7 sure looks like the current collapsing cavern. If so, then what happened to the shale sheath that prevented past problems?

                            The helicorders are really active at this time. Texas Brine was ordered to put the helis online, which they did; now they are back down to only 6 online for La. It would be great if we had some sort of situation update when we see action like what's happening today. Maybe they have already started with the vibrating equipment mentioned below?

                            Click image for larger version

Name:	Heli 14.jpg
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                            There was a meeting yesterday but nothing has been posted yet at the parish site. However, the news covered it. It appears that the residents are understandably losing patience.

                            Regarding 3d seismic monitoring:
                            Bayou Corne residents can expect to see vibrator trucks and air guns (equipment attached to flat bottom boats) in the area. Workers will use them to send vibrations in to the ground that will be picked up on measuring equipment around the area. Officials said it will take until at least mid April to wrap up testing.
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                            The salvage of human life ought to be placed above barter and exchange ~ Louis Harris, 1918

                            Comment


                            • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                              Emily, and friends,

                              I just want to say I am so proud of your efforts and research skills. It blew me away how on top of this you have been, and that's saying something when I write a blog about it.

                              I believe I can answer your questions about Hooker #6, Oxy #1. Back in 1987Texas Brine sought to expand the solution mined cavern for larger storage capacity, but failed. They went down to 3000 ft. approximately, and hit shale rock. They then plugged off and cemented the bottom and proceeded to brine the cavern outwards more towards the top. This is the most deformed and shallowest of caverns as shown by the 1993 SONAR survey.



                              As for the 1997 paper, this speaks of Oxy 3, as is shown by coordinates of it being the westernmost cavern in the Salt Dome. The last 500 ft. at the time, showed the straight line deformation of where the cavern had been miscalculated and was now resting upon the shale sheath, which is all that held containment at the time.

                              SONAR Survey and VSP shown at my blog.
                              Baker Atlas conducted a Checkshot Survey and an Offset VSP Survey for Texas Brine Company Ltd. in the well Oxy Geismar 3, located in the Grand Bayou field, Assumption Parish, Louisiana. The objecti…


                              What was not taken into account was two-fold, first they did not take into account the effects of drawdowns, as this would widen the area against the sheath that was bereft of salt. This finally left about the deepest 1000 ft. (4500-5500 ft.) of the cavern and the contents and pressures sitting on the actual shale sheath itself from the inside.

                              The second thing not taken into consideration was that salt creeps. When a cavern is filled it is under pressure, plus the weight of the overburden, and when it is drawndown then the salt creeps back in with the difference in temps and pressures. In a very real way, it can be stated a salt cavern functions similar to a lung. This is due to the plasticity of salt rock. Shale has no such elasticity. It can only take so much in the way of pressure, and then it fractures.

                              Now, add to this that Big Hum, Marg Vag and all the oil and gas and water formation sands were pressing from the outside of the Salt Dome and pinching up against the very same shale sheath that was dealing with the cavern pressures in almost the exact same spots but from opposing sides. When this shale sheath finally fractured, it was a mighty geologic explosion 4500-5500 ft. down. Enough of one to fracture the shale and other materials all the way to the surface.

                              Every bit of this was known by LDNR and Texas Brine long before the mill out that failed the MIT test, and they Plugged and Abandoned Oxy #3. If they had drawndown the cavern one last time and Cemented the bottom 1000 ft.. then pumped back the brine and P&A'd the cavern, then this probably would not have ever happened. Due to the costs, they chose not to. LDNR knew this as well, even about the oil sands pressing against the shale sheath and cavern, due to their accessibility to Golden Gate's proprietary 3-D 2007 survey, that no one else has been allowed to see.

                              I wonder what Texas Brine thinks about the cost of that cementing job now?
                              Last edited by freedomrox; February 3, 2013, 01:15 AM. Reason: For the latest news and events, please visit: Louisiana Sinkhole Bugle http://lasinkhole.wordpress.com/ Very good blog.

                              Comment


                              • Re: Louisiana: Assumption Parish Bayou Corne Sinkhole 2012

                                Welcome to FluTrackers, freedomrox. Thanks for your positive comments and information.
                                <object style="position:absolute;z-index:1000" type="application/x-dgnria" id="plugin0" height="0" width="0">

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                                http://novel-infectious-diseases.blogspot.com/

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