HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.03 Executive Summary.pdf826 21 ½ Road | Grand Junction, CO 81505 | TEL 970.263.7800 | FAX 970.263.7456 Executive Summary Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc Divide Road Produced Water Treatment Facility OA Project No.
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826 21½ Road TEL 970.263.7800 Grand Junction, CO 81505 FAX 970.263.7456 www.olssonassociates.com Encana Oil & Gas (USA), Inc. Divide Road Produced Water Treatment Facility Executive
Summary Request Encana requests a Garfield County Limited Impact Review (LIR) for construction and operation of the Divide Road Produced Water Treatment Facility that will support the
natural gas development activities of Encana. The purpose of the facility is to provide water storage and treatment for the produced water that is generated during the production of
gas from the wells in the North Piceance plateau area. The stored water will then be recycled and redelivered to frac and completions crews working in the plateau area. Current and future
water production rates are more than the current storage and treatment facility at Middle Fork can handle, so construction of this new facility is required to avoid trucking of the water
to and from other distant locations and will allow the water to be reused and recycled in the immediate area. Water that is produced from these operations is classified as an exploration
and production (E&P) waste by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). Pursuant to COGCC Rule 908, this facility will also be permitted as a Centralized E&P Waste Management
Facility with the COGCC. Location The proposed facility will be located on private lands approximately 16 straight-line miles northwest of Parachute, CO in Section 26, Township 4 South,
Range 96 West, 6th Principal Meridian. The property and facility is owned and operated by Encana. The facility will be accessed via Garfield County Road 215 (Parachute Creek Road) to
Encana’s North Parachute Ranch gate, and then via a private road system. The facility will generally be located on the Roan Plateau in the northern Piceance Basin of western Colorado,
a major gas production area made up of high plateaus, mesas, ridges and deep valleys. The proposed site will be located on a southwest trending ridge with a nearly level existing grade
along the southwest trend of the ridge with elevations ranging from 8,261 to 8,286 feet. The facility will encompass approximately 12 acres of a larger parcel of approximately 15,800
acres. The relatively remote nature of Encana’s operations necessitates the construction of this facility so that water produced during the drilling, completion and production of natural
gas wells in the area may be collected and stored in a central location for reuse in operations or disposal. The goal of Encana’s water treatment facility project is to increase the
ability to recycle produced water for drilling and completion activities. It lies adjacent to areas undergoing natural gas development by Exxon Mobil and Encana.
Executive Summary 2 Key Benefits The key benefits of the proposed water impoundment project are: • Utilization of a location in proximity to a previously permitted similar use site •
Minimization of impacts to wildlife and vegetation by constructing a facility proximate to a previously disturbed surface • Reduction of trucking /improvement of safety • Utilization
of an engineered controlled transfer system • Reduction in volume of disposed water • Conservation of freshwater • Reduction of road maintenance • Reduction in overall development and
operating costs Adjacent Properties and Uses The majority of the adjacent properties are currently undergoing oil and gas development. The nearest municipality is the Town of Parachute.
There are no residential uses within a one mile radius of the site. Copies of deeds demonstrating ownership of this property are contained in the Deeds section. The proposed water treatment
facility is located more than one mile from all abutting properties. Design and Operation The design for the proposed water treatment facility is provided in the facility site diagram
and construction documents. Stormwater management protections, specific best management practices (BMPs) and other drainage controls have been designed into the facility as shown in
the Stormwater Management Plan, Drainage Report, and Erosion and Sediment Control Plan. The produced water treatment facility will be constructed and operated in accordance to the criteria
identified in the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) Rule 907 Management of E&P Waste and 908 Centralized E&P Waste Management Facilities. . Water will be delivered
to the facility via a network of existing pipelines from local Central Delivery Points (CDP’s) where produced water is collected from nearby wells, run through water/oil condensate separators,
and pumped to this facility. A comprehensive pipeline map is included. All well pads and pipelines are on Encana-owned land. The water still contains some amount of oil condensate, so
the produced water will be routed through a three phase separator where the water is sent to two 20,000 BBL off-load tanks, then the condensate is sent to two 6,000 BBL tanks, and the
flash gas is recovered via a vapor recovery unit (VRU) and compressed and sent to a nearby gas gathering pipeline. Provisions are also planned to allow limited delivery of produced water
via trucks to the facility. All surface use agreements for previously constructed pipelines are in place and the use of pipelines for the transfer of produced water is allowed.
Executive Summary 3 Water from the off-load tanks is then pumped to five 206,000 BBL storage tanks, where the water is held until needed in the field for drilling and completion operations.
When needed, the water is pumped from these tanks back into the water distribution piping network to various wells and frac sites. The condensate is stored in the condensate tanks, and
then trucked or pumped via pipeline to the Middle Fork water facility where the condensate is currently collected and loaded onto trucks for delivery to market. Some of the water from
the off-load tanks is diverted to a treatment system to remove any trace condensate and solids via a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) system. DAF technology is the process where suspended
solids, oils and greases and other impurities are separated from the water slurries by a process of dissolving air into the water. Micro-bubbles interact with the particles to cause
them to float to the surface of a vessel where they are skimmed and separated. The oil is then pumped to the condensate tanks and the solids are collected in tanks for disposal. The
condensate and water storage tanks are installed within properly sized concrete containment walls, and the ground within the containment wall is properly lined to provide secondary containment
in the case of leaks or spills. Utility electricity is not available at the site, so one small, and four large natural gas driven electric generators are planned for the site. In addition,
support utilities such as fuel gas, instrument air, electric distribution, and control systems are planned. All the storage tanks, separators, and associated piping are outdoors and
installed with insulation and freeze protection. The pumps will be housed in a smaller pump building, and the DAF equipment, electric generators, electrical equipment, and control equipment
will be housed in a larger building. The facility is designed to operate with minimal manual operations with remote communications of critical process information operated at other Encana
facilities which are manned 24 hours/365 days per year. Monitoring of operations will typically be performed periodically (on a daily basis) during the daylight hours of 7:00 am to 6:00
pm by an Encana employee arriving via pickup truck. Potable water and septic will be provided via a licensed vault and haul system provider. Safe operation of the Encana Divide Road
facility will require the installation of a control building which will house equipment related to data monitoring and data collection. Water and waste (sewage) from the facility will
be handled via a vault and haul system designed to accommodate a single person and will meet all appropriate Colorado Division of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) requirements.
A licensed water and sewage hauler will monitor the system approximately every seven days. The system will also be permitted according to Garfield County Building Department requirements.
Construction and Traffic Impacts Construction at the site will begin upon approval of this application and may take up to 10 to 11 months to complete. Construction at the water storage
facility will result in a temporary traffic increase as set forth in the Basic Traffic Analysis.
Executive Summary 4 No additional mobilization of heavy equipment will be required for this location. All vehicles hauling equipment and material for project construction on County Road
215 will abide by Garfield County Road and Bridge’s oversize/overweight regulations. All construction and operations personnel will park on the proposed site. As the site is located
miles from County Road 215, blocking or hindering traffic will not be an issue. As discussed in the previous section, the construction of this facility will result in minor, temporary
increases in traffic on County Road 215. This facility will ultimately result in a significant reduction in tanker truck traffic required to haul water to Encana’s operations. Regardless
of the traffic volume, Encana will implement the following measures, as necessary, to minimize impacts to transportation and roads: • Control dust along unsurfaced access roads and minimize
tracking of soil onto paved roads, as required by the CDPHE Construction Stormwater Permit and per the details contained in the Fugitive Dust Control Plan. • Comply with county and state
weight restrictions and limitations. • Limit construction and operation traffic speeds to a low and reasonable level. • Keep dusty, exposed areas damp with water or a magnesium-chloride
solution or other dust suppressant. • Stabilize traffic areas with gravel. • Revegetate or stabilize non-traffic areas as soon as practicable. Safety Practices The proposed water storage
facilities will comply with all of Encana’s safety practices including emergency response procedures. The proposed facility will comply with requirements of the International Fire Code
2003 Edition, as applicable. The project is covered under Encana’s Emergency Response Plan. A copy of Encana’s Emergency Response Plan, which includes emergency contact numbers, is provided
under the Emergency Response tab. The overall strategic objectives in any emergency response will be to maximize personnel and public safety. Leak detection and water level detection
and alarm systems will be installed in order to prevent an accidental release. As required by COGCC rules, all spill and releases from this facility will be reported to the COGCC, in
accordance with Rule 906. In the event that a reportable spill or release does occur, Encana will notify all agencies as required by the COGCC. Utilities Electricity will be supplied
on-site by natural gas generator(s) in accordance with appropriate Colorado air emissions permitting regulations as applicable. Any fuel storage tanks located on-site for operation of
the generator(s) will be included in the area wide Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plan.
Executive Summary 5 Stormwater Management A Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP), detailing the use of site-specific BMPs, has been prepared for this area and copies of the construction
permit issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are provided under the SWMP tab. Further, the SWMP is being updated to reflect changes to Encana’s stormwater
plan. All updates to the SWMP will be completed prior to initiating any construction activity. Implementation of the SWMP and the appropriate BMPs will ensure that activities conducted
at the site comply with stormwater management regulations as required by Garfield County, the State of Colorado, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Implementation
of this plan also ensures that installation and operation of this facility will not impact surface runoff, stream flow, or groundwater. Site specific BMPs implemented to accommodate
erosion control will include (but not be limited to) the following: straw bales, silt fencing, straw wattles, check dams and berms. A complete Drainage Plan that addresses potential
on-flows and off-flows has been prepared for this project and accompanies this submittal. This plan is also a component of the COGCC permitting review/approval. The plan will be engineered
to accommodate typical stormwater construction activities and also accommodate a 100 year, 24 hour stormwater event. Water Drawings detailing the locations of wells that potentially
will be contributing water to the proposed impoundments are attached. These drawings demonstrate that the wells are located within the non-tributary designation of the Williams Fork
formation per data available from the Colorado Division of Water Resources (CDWR). Noxious Weeds A Noxious Weed Management Plan is included in the Supplemental Materials section. In
addition to the measures that are outlined in this plan, Encana will implement other measures to prevent infestation of noxious weeds. These measures include seeding cut and fill slopes
around the facility to reestablish native vegetation. Wildlife and Vegetative Impact The Wildlife and Vegetative Impact Analysis and Mitigation Reports also discuss several mitigation
measures that could be employed to further minimize wildlife impacts. The facility design will ensure that the environment is protected at all times through engineered controls and equipment.
Possible impacts to wildlife from this facility are associated with collisions with the traffic into and out of the facility. The site is located within a Sage-Grouse (NDIS 2012) production
area, and therefore, the potential for increased mortality related vehicle collision does exist. However, speed limits are 25 miles-per-hour or less on Encana property, and most wildlife
in the area have become habituated to vehicle traffic. The potential for road-kill for most species should be low, with the exception of small mammals, birds (including sage-grouse),
and reptiles. Certain features of the water treatment facility could provide hunting perches for
Executive Summary 6 raptors that could contribute to an increase in sage-grouse mortality. As indicated previously, this facility will result in a significant decrease in truck traffic
supporting typical operations which will reduce the impact to wildlife and the potential for vehicle-wildlife collisions. Off-Site Impacts The remote location of this facility and the
type of operations that will occur should eliminate many of the other impacts required to be addressed in this application. No smoke, vibration, heat, radiation or fumes will be produced
as a result of the operation of this facility. The topography surrounding the site acts as a visual barrier in most directions, and the site will not be visible from any public roads.
Lighting will only be required during pumping operations and unscheduled nighttime maintenance. All lights on the property will be pointed downward and screened to prevent direct reflection
on any adjacent property. The facility will be operated in compliance with the noise standards set forth in the Colorado Revised Statutes. Adjacent property will not be affected, and
a public nuisance or hazard will not be created. It is not anticipated that operation of the pumps at the facility will create a nuisance but, if one does occur, Encana will take appropriate
measures to reduce the noise from the pumps. Solid waste refuse generated during the construction and operational activities will be stored in wildlife proof containers provided by a
licensed refuse hauler. Encana will use a refuse hauling service to empty the refuse receptacle. Receptacles will be emptied as needed and disposed of at the Garfield County Landfill
or other permitted facility. Encana’s refuse hauler will maintain all records including, but not limited to, trip logs/reports and landfill receipts, and all records will be available
to the County upon request. Reclamation The facility will be operated for the life of the gas wells in the area. This is currently estimated to be 20 years or more. At the end of the
economic life of wells in the area, the site will be reclaimed by removing all surface facilities, grading to restore original contours, replacing topsoil, and revegetating the reclaimed
area as outlined in the reclamation plans included in the Impact Analysis. If deemed necessary by the County Commissioners, Encana will provide financial assurance for the purpose of
ensuring the proper reclamation and closure of the facility. The entire proposed area of disturbance will be reviewed and approved by the COGCC prior to construction and operation. A
site visit has been conducted with the COGCC and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). Their inputs have been factored into engineering design and wildlife protections of the facility.