Tremors felt 45 miles away from Bayou Corne Sinkhole!

Thought i would post it all as it is there first update sine 1/4/2013

Texas Brine Company, LLC
UPDATE
January 12, 2013

1. The Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) of the western face of the Napoleonville salt dome began on Wednesday morning. Geophones placed inside of the Observation Well borehole leading to cavern #3 are recording sound waves generated at16 pre-determined surface sites by special vibroseismic trucks. The seismic data collection process is expected to be completed by the middle of next week. After the recorded data has been processed, results of this Vertical Seismic Profile will be compared to a VSP completed in 2010.

2. There have been no observable changes in the characteristics of the sinkhole. In response to heavy rains, crews have been re-positioning and securing containment and absorbent boom to protect against migration of residual liquid hydrocarbons beyond the perimeters of the sinkhole. A survey of the sinkhole was conducted over the past couple of days. The measurements will be used to update the sinkhole profile and dimensions last published on December 18.

3. A second shallow aquifer relief well has been drilled on the Texas Brine site. The well is adjacent to a site where a pressure monitoring well had been used temporarily to vent and flare natural gas. Flaring of the natural gas through Relief Well #1 continues on a 24-hour basis. Landowner agreements have been secured for additional relief wells between the sinkhole and Bayou Corne community. Construction of an access road on which drilling equipment can be moved to the proposed sites will commence as soon as weather conditions allow. Landowner access has been obtained for additional relief wells west and northwest of the sinkhole.

4. The design of the permanent containment berm is progressing well and permit applications have been submitted for its routing. Surveying, soil bore sampling and selected tree removal is expected to begin next week.

5. LDNR has approved the placement of the permanent 480-foot deep, “down hole” geophone array. This array is part of a seismic monitoring system that also includes an array of six surface geophones that are being placed at sites surrounding the sinkhole. The surface geophones will be positioned at depths of approximately 80 feet. Boreholes for four of the six surface phones have been completed. When the surface system is complete, data collected at the surface and by the “down hole” array will be directed to the same repository for analysis. This seismic monitoring system will replace the USGS geophones that are currently in use and placed directly on top of the ground.

6. Texas Brine has issued a purchase order to a seismic surveying company that will design the field work for deep subsurface 3D imaging of the area around the western and southwestern face of the salt dome. The contractor will be responsible for securing access and all necessary permits.

7. The antenna equipment that transmits any signals that might be emitted from the in-home LEL monitors has been received and is being installed at sites in the Bayou Corne community. Installation of the actual in-home monitors is expected to begin next week.

Source

assumptionla.wordpress.com...

Looks like the state government is starting to slowly wake up to the realization more and more people are starting to notice this disaster.

I just found this video. It was published on 1/6/2013 so it isn't extremely new.

SOURCE

At 3:15 minutes in:

Question: What is your biggest concern for the community at this moment?

John Achee Jr.: A lot of experts have told me there’s an extreme amount of natural gas in the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer.

DNR themselves have said that it’s possible for another sinkhole to happen if the natural gas in the aquifer finds another weak spot, another sinkhole can happen.

So how do we fix that?

We drill vent wells and vent the aquifer. The problem with that right now seems to be, and I say this hesitantly, but it seems to be money over public safety.

WATCH: The Hole Problem - An Interview with John Achee Jr.

There are several relevant links at the end of the video.
Pause to write them down or enter them in a browser.



And, finally, a new flyover on 1/17/2013...

Nothing to add, but I've been following this thread since the beggining and simply wanted to thank you people for staying on top of this.

I used to be stationed at Ft. Polk and would travel on weekends throughout the state. Amazingly wonderful people and culture.

Always praying that the people affected by this, BP, Katrina, and other disasters are ok.

Good luck

Peace

reply to post by happykat39
Good job Kat. I saw the recent flyover and headed here. It is growing on the bottom side. I am surprised they haven't relocated their staging area. Thanks for posting. I don't comment much but I am always looking for new news. I would like to know a guestimate on the size of this now.

Our resident Cajun said they had been having rain. When it rains in the bayou things happens. We know from Kat's post above that there is a gas issue. Look what I found:

Bubbling in Rain Puddles Near the Bayou Corne Sinkhole

This was posted today.

reply to post by AuntB


I'm in the adjacent county and we have had over 24" of rain in the past 16 days. Normal rainfall levels for the entire month of January is just over 6". I've not seen ANYTHING in the news about the sinkhole, but I can only imagine that all of this extra water has to be exacerbating things tremendously.

reply to post by rimjaja
You are so correct. But if the word is spend in the general area and the residents start looking these bubbling site can be found and hopefully people will be a bit safer. As for not hearing it on the media.... I think our governor has asked for a basic media blackout.

I found another residents bubbling youtube video. This person has some great videos of what is going on.
Bayou Corne~Methane Bubbling Found In Residents Yard

Originally posted by AuntB
reply to post by rimjaja

 

You are so correct. But if the word is spend in the general area and the residents start looking these bubbling site can be found and hopefully people will be a bit safer. As for not hearing it on the media.... I think our governor has asked for a basic media blackout.

I found another residents bubbling youtube video. This person has some great videos of what is going on.
Bayou Corne~Methane Bubbling Found In Residents Yard

AuntB...

If you are at the page for a YouTube video all you have to do to embed it in your post is copy everything after the V= in the address bar and paste it in the box that pops up when you click on the "vid: youtube" button. If there is a second = sign then you clip it and everything after it off. You can do it either as you copy the data or after you put it into your reply.

Here are your videos so it will be easier for everyone to see them...

Update:

There has been increased seismic activity near the cavern this morning as well as developments of cracks on Oxy 3 pad. At approximately 10:00 this morning, another burp occurred in the sinkhole. The State Police helicopter has arrived to provide aerial viewing. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

assumptionla.wordpress.com...

I am trying to open real time monitoring on it, like I have before, but...umm...having a bit of trouble. I think I know why, but I am not going to discuss that. Just wanted to update folks that there has been an increase in seismic activity, according to them. And that can't be good.

3:30 p.m. Update from DNR

Texas Brine facility sinkhole appears to be undergoing a growth event...Observations indicate that the current growth event is centered on the east side of the sinkhole – possibly related to shifting of salt and material within the cavern collapse zone.

I can't help but wonder if all that "hypotonic" rainwater is making the salt cavern/dome all that much more unstable. The structure depends on an isosmotic environment doesn't it?

I have read a couple of unconfirmed reports that they are evacuating the equipment pad due to cracking. Also read that there was a strong smell of diesel in the a..m..

Hey guys, sorry for not posting lately but I got something tonight.

Tremors are being felt in bayou Corne as I type this. I was just told it is frequent tonight. I was also in bayou Corne last night and I can confirm there had been a strong stentch of desiel last night.

I'm checking on that equipment movement right now

Last edit, that seismic activity has been all day! Growth event!

Cracks and equipment movie is going on.

A flyover was suppose to be done and posted today. Something isn't right.

Thanks for being our boots on the ground CB. It is about time they draw back the equipment, that pad has almost become surrounded. I am real anxious to see the newest flyover, I hope they give nice detailed shots.

New flyover from yesterday... you can tell there was a definate growth event.

There does indeed seem to be considerable growth around the little dock area. No wonder they are retreating at a dead run. Just like they are retreating from addressing the issues and concerns of the Bayou Corne residents, or doing anything positive about the problems.

reply to post by happykat39


Residents are getting worried as of late. Increasing seismic activity, the flaring is now being done at high pressures to where you can hear it a mile away. Also more structural home damage reported. Also the strong desil order still lingers after first coming uP 3 days ago.

I'll be making a trip up to BC later tonight to see what new things I can find out. I'll get back to y'all when I get back.