Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout17 Geohydrology RptO\,OLSSON ASSOCIATES Geohydrology Report OXY USA WTP LP Pond 13 E/W Centralized E&P Waste Management Facility OA Project No. 013-0655 760 Horizon Drive, Suite 102 TEL 970.263.7800 Grand Junction, CO 81506 FAX 970.263.7456 www.oissonassociates.com Form 28 - Centralized E&P Waste Management Facility Permit Application for COGCC ID #414403 and 414404 Oxy Water Storage Facility Pond 13 E/W NE SE Section 4, T6S, R97W, 6t" P.M., Garfield County, Colorado Rule 908.b (4) Topography The Oxy Pond 13 E/W Water Storage Facility consists of adjacent ponds that are being permitted as one facility (Pond 13 E/W Complex). The site is shown on the U.S.G.S. Circle Dot Gulch 7.5 -minute topographic map. The water storage facility is located near the rim of Cascade Canyon approximately 15 miles north of the town of De Beque in western Garfield County, Colorado. The site is located near the center of the Piceance Basin, an elongated, irregularly- shaped structural depression in the earth's crust resulting from tectonic forces associated with the uplift of the Rocky Mountains through geologic time. The general terrain surrounding the facility consists of rugged canyons incised into the Roan Cliffs. The present topography is the result of uplift combined with stream erosion. The erosion produced a series of high plateaus and deep valleys associated with the down cutting of Colorado River located to the south. The site is located approximately 550 feet northwest of an unnamed drainage to Cascade Canyon. The site lies at an elevation of approximately 8,600 feet above mean sea level. The elevation of Cascade Creek lies at approximately 8,200 feet or 400 feet below the site elevation. Soils (Rule 908.b (7).A.i) The proposed facility is underlain by soils mapped by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service as the Parachute — Irigul complex, which is found on mountain sides and on ridge crests with 5 percent to 30 percent slopes, at elevations of 7,600 feet to 8,800 feet above mean sea level. The unit is about 60 percent Parachute soil and 30 percent Rhone loam. The two soils occur as areas so intricately intermingled that mapping them separately was deemed impractical at the scale used in the soil survey. The Parachute soil is moderately deep and is well drained. It formed in residuum derived dominantly from sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Typically the surface layer consists of grayish brown loam and is about ten inches thick; while the subsoil is brown very channery loam about 15 inches thick, with rippable, fractured siltstone encountered at depths of about 25 inches. Permeability is moderate in the Parachute soil, and the available water capacity is very low. Runoff is medium or rapid, and the hazard of water erosion is moderate to very severe. The Irigul soil is shallow and well drained and is formed in residuum derived from predominantly from sandstone or shale. Typically the surface layer is brown channery loam about six inches thick, the subsoil is very dark grayish brown loam about 7 inches thick, and siltstone is Geohydrology Report Page 1 encountered at a depth of about 13 inches. Permeability is moderate and the available water capacity is very low. Runoff is medium or rapid, and the hazard of water erosion is moderate to very severe. According to the Soil Survey the Parachute and Irigul soils are listed as "severe" for shallow excavations due to slope, and shallow depth to bedrock. A `severe' limitation indicates that one or more soil properties or site features are so unfavorable or difficult to overcome that a major increase in construction effort, special design, or intensive maintenance is required. In this case the ponds have been designed with synthetic liners and engineered to overcome these limitations. Since this application is to convert an existing production pond into a Centralized E&P Waste Management Facility, no proposed Facility structures, access roads, or surface water diversion structures will be required. The Facility has been constructed to contain 121,480 barrels of produced water which does not include the required two feet of freeboard, 68,010 barrels for Pond 13 East and 53,470 barrels for Pond 13 West. The Facility utilizes a 60 -mil high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner and a geocomposite base liner to provide sufficient bedding material for the Facility. Once the Facility is approved by the COGCC for conversion, Oxy will install a sump and sight pipe and a second 60 -mil HDPE liner. The sump and sight pipe will allow for fluid monitoring between the two HDPE liners at the Facility. Bedrock Geology (Rule 908.b (7).A.ii) The bedrock underlying the proposed facility is composed of the Tertiary age Uinta Formation or the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation. The Uinta Formation consists of permeable, poorly sorted, fine to coarse sandstone with some siltstone and mudstone, becoming more coarse-grained and permeable toward the top of the formation. The Uinta Formation and the Parachute Member of the upper part of the Green River Formation comprise the Uinta — Animas aquifer in the Piceance Basin. The Uinta Formation lies stratigraphically above the Tertiary age Parachute Member of the Green River Formation. The Parachute Creek Member consists primarily of dolomitic marlstone. Kerogen, a waxlike hydrocarbon, is present in some parts of the Parachute Creek Member in the Piceance and Uinta Basins. Marlstone containing large concentrations of kerogen is referred to as `oil shale" and is generally not as fractured and contains smaller concentrations of kerogen. Fractures and dissolution openings along fractures in the marlstone form the principal pathways for water movement in the aquifer (Robson and Banta, 1995). Oil shale is generally less permeable and forms confining units. The Mahogany zone is an oil shale bed within the Parachute Creek Member that is an example of a confining unit found within the Piceance Basin. A saline zone in the lower marlstone of the Parachute Creek Member is found within the central part of the Piceance Basin and contains the minerals nahcolite and halite, is not extensively fractured, and forms part of the relatively impermeable lower confining unit of the aquifer (Robson and Banta, 1995). The depth to the top of the Mahogany zone in the vicinity of the site is expected to lie at an elevation of 6,000 feet. Geohydrology Report Page 2 The Garden Gulch Member, Anvil Points Member, and Douglas Creek Member of the Green River Formation and the Tertiary age Wasatch Formation forms a confining unit that separates the Uinta — Animas aquifer from the underlying upper Cretaceous Mesaverde aquifer. Local and Regional Geologic Structures (Rule 908.b (7).A.iii) The water storage facility is located on the northeastern limb of the Crystal Creek Anticline. The northwest trending fold system of the Crystal Creek anticlinal nose and the Clear Creek Syncline begins near the Colorado River and extends northward for approximately 30 miles into the southwestern part of the Piceance Creek Basin. A part of the Clear Creek syncline occupies the southwestern part of this area and the trace of its axis is closely parallel to that of the Crystal Creek anticline. The Clear Creek syncline is a broad shallow fold, the trace of which closely parallels the axis of the Crystal Creek anticline. The Crystal Creek anticlinal nose forms the southeastern element of an anticlinal fold that trends across the southwest part of the Piceance Basin. The fold plunges to the northwest and terminates near the western boundary of the area in a structural saddle (Hail, 1992). The anticline is somewhat asymmetrical and has steeper dips on its southwest limb of about 200 feet per mile and gentler dips on its northeastern limb of about 65 feet per mile (Hail, 1992). No major faults are present in the project area. Two small groups of normal faults are present in the southern extent of the Roan Plateau with one set approximately 15 miles northeast and a second smaller group about 20 miles northwest of the project site (Hail, 1992). Geologic Hazards (Rule 908.b (7).A.i) There are no major faults in the central Roan Plateau area (Hail, 1992). Minimal seismic activity near the proposed disposal facility has occurred in recent geologic time. One earthquake of magnitude greater than 5.0 occurred in Garfield County since the early 1960s when proper instrumentation was implemented in the state of Colorado. The epicenter of this earthquake was approximately 17 miles southeast of the project site. A second recorded earthquake greater than 5.0 occurred in Rio Blanco County with an epicenter about 20 miles northwest of the project site. Mesa County has historically experienced few earthquakes. The USGS has rated Mesa County as having low to moderate earthquake hazard, although no specific seismic study has been done in Mesa County. According to the Colorado Geological Survey, no Quaternary -age faults are present in the Roan Plateau area (Widmann and others, 1998). However, the Geologic Map of Colorado (Tweto, 1979) shows northeast -southwest trending normal faults exist in the Cretaceous bedrock near the Douglas Creek Arch and the western edge of the Piceance Basin. In addition, a series of normal faults trace along the eastern Piceance Basin boundary near the Grand Hogback to the east. Although faults are not always visible at the surface, this does not preclude the chance of an earthquake happening in the area at some point in the future. According to the Colorado Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Council (2008), "Earthquakes can also occur on faults that do not Geohydrology Report Page 3 rupture the ground surface or on faults that are not yet recognized as being hazardous. These so called "random" earthquakes are considered in most hazard analyses to help account for faults that are not apparent at the earth's surface." No surficial geologic hazards (landslide, mudflow, fan) or soils hazards have been mapped in the immediate vicinity of the proposed disposal facility. The site is not located in an area mapped as a floodplain hazard by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). However, because of the natural slope above the property within the northeast -to -southwest oriented drainage, overland flow is possible in the event of an extreme precipitation event. Although records of extreme rainfall events are unavailable for locations on top of the Roan Plateau, climate records since the mid -20th century indicate that the record 24-hour rainfall amounts at Grand Junction, Palisade, and Parachute have not exceeded 2 inches (Western Regional Climate Center, 2011). The duration of these events within a 24 hour period is not known, and it is possible that a short burst of intense rainfall event could cause local overland flow in the watershed that encompasses the project site if a precipitation rate exceeds the infiltration rate of the watershed soils. The primary limitations for shallow excavations are based on the slopes and severe seepage. Consideration will be given to the design and construction of this facility to ensure that slopes are graded appropriately to minimize the potential for cutback caving. The suitability of the soils in the project area is identified as being somewhat to very limited in regard to the construction of ponds and embankments. The limitations identified are primarily applicable to unlined water impoundments. Consideration will be given to design and construction characteristics related to the area soil thickness and depth to bedrock to mitigate these limitations. Consideration also will be given to the design and operation of the high density polyethylene (HDPE) liner system for the impoundments, which will mitigate potential seepage and leaks. Surface Water Features (Rule 908.b (7).B.i) Surface water features within two miles of the project site include Cascade Canyon located approximately 1,640 feet to the southwest of the water treatment facility, and Little Creek approximately 1,624 feet to the northeast. The site lies on a drainage divide between Cascade Creek to the southwest and Little Creek to the northeast. If a produced water spill were to occur and leave the site, it is expected that it would flow toward Cascade Canyon. Oxy USA WTP had another permitted pit named the MCM #83-92 Pit (COGCC facility ID #273647) located approximately 1,130 feet to the north. The MCM #83-92 pit is shown as being closed on the COGCC GIS database. The site is shown on the USGS 1:24,000 topographic map (Circle Dot Gulch Quadrangle). Cascade Creek has perennial flow, although no flow records are available to determine the flow conditions in these drainages. There are no springs shown in Section 4, Township 6 South, Range 97 West. However, there are springs shown in adjoining Section 3, Section 5, Section 9 Section 10, Township 6 South Range 97W, and in Section 36, Township 5 South, Range 97 West, of the 6t" Principal Meridian. These springs are all located at elevations of less than 8,400 feet and most are closer to an elevation of 8,200 feet above mean sea level. Geohydrology Report Page 4 Shallow Groundwater and Major Aquifers (Rule 908.b (7).B.ii) Shallow groundwater is not expected to occur in close proximity to the site due to the site being located on a prominence of Cascade Canyon at an elevation of approximately 8,600 feet. Cascade Canyon is the nearest surface water and lies at elevations of 8,200 feet to 8,400 feet. Major aquifers in the area consist of the Uinta — Animas aquifer, and according to published geologic maps, the bedrock exposed at the surface consists of the Uinta Formation. The Uinta — Animas aquifer in the Piceance Basin consists of the Uinta Formation and the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation. Much of the intergranular space in the sandstone and siltstone is filled by sodium and bicarbonate cements; however, fractures are numerous and produce substantial permeability. Water Wells within the Site Boundary (Rule 908.b (7).B.iii) According to the COGCC website and the Colorado Division of Water Resources, there are no permitted water wells within Section 4, Township 6 South, Range 97 West. There are no permitted water wells in close proximity to the site. The nearest permitted water wells are shown in Section 5, Township 6 South, Range 97 West, and are located across the Conn Creek drainage from the proposed site. These wells are identified as belonging to Williams Production RMT, Cliffs Engineering, and Cities Service Oil and Gas Corp. Some of these wells appear to have been abandoned, and others appear to be used as monitoring wells. They are all located at an elevation of approximately 8,400 feet above mean sea level. Hydrologic Properties of Shallow Groundwater and Major Aquifers (Rule 908.b (7).B.iv) The Uinta — Animas aquifer in the Piceance Basin receives about 24,000 acre-feet per year of recharge, primarily in the upland areas near the margins of the aquifer. Discharge is approximately equal to recharge and primarily occurs in the valleys of Piceance Creek and other tributaries to the White River or in the valley of the Colorado River and its tributaries (Robson and Banta, 1995). The permeability of the major formations in the Piceance Basin aquifers is relatively low. Permeability of the Uinta — Anima aquifer is dependent on the location and orientation of fractures. The potentiometric surface of the Uinta — Animas aquifer generally ranges from about 100 feet above land surface to 500 feet below land surface; the surface generally is near or above land surface in valleys in areas of groundwater discharge. Larger depths to water are more common in highland areas that are remote from streams or other sources of recharge (Robson and Banta, 1995). In the Piceance Basin, the potentiometric surface ranges in altitude from about 6,000 feet to 8,500 feet, and groundwater primarily flows toward the discharge areas along Piceance and Yellow Creeks (Robson and Banta, 1995). The total dissolved solids in the aquifer range from 500 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 3,000 mg/L. Geohydrology Report Page 5 Site Location in Relation to Nearby Floodplains (Rule 908.b (7).B.v) The facility is not within a mapped FEMA flood hazard zone; however, it is located near the rim of the Cascade Creek canyon an area that may be prone to flash floods. The site is located within 1560 feet of Cascade Creek, but is at an elevation of 200 feet to 400 feet above the creek. The site is not subject to COGCC Rule 317B since it is not close to the segment of the Colorado River that supplies the town of De Beque with drinking water. Existing Shallow Groundwater Quality (Rule 908.b (7).B.vi) Baseline groundwater quality sampling should occur prior to facility construction or modification to document pre -development conditions at the project site, as data in the area is currently not available. The groundwater quality, where it is present, is expected to be relatively fresh to `bicarbonate' type groundwater. Potential for Impacts to Nearby Surface Water and Groundwater (Rule 908.b (7).B.vii) Cascade Creek could potentially be adversely impacted if a release from the facility were to reach it. Shallow groundwater resources are not expected at this location. The pond will be constructed with a HDPE plastic liner to prevent seepage. Olsson Associates, Inc. James W. Hix Senior Geologist Geohydrology Report Page 6 References Colorado Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Council (CEHMC), 2008. Colorado Earthquake Hazards. Accessed on the world wide web on January 18, 2011 at http://geosurvey.state.co.us/PortaIs/O/Earthquake_Map_2008.pdf. Glover, K.C., Naftz, D.L., and Martin, L.J., 1998, Geohydrology of Tertiary rocks in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, excluding the San Juan Basin, regional aquifer -system analysis: U.S. Geological Survey Water -Resources Investigations Report 96-4105, 103 p. Hail, W.J. 1992. Geology of the Central Roan Plateau Area, Northwest Colorado. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1787. Robson, S.G., and E.R. Banta, 1995. Ground Water Atlas of the United States- Segment 2, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah. USGS Hydrological Investigations Atlas 730-C. Self, J.G., Johnson, R.C., Brownfield, M.E., and T.J. Mercier. 2010. Stratigraphic Cross Sections of the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin, Northwestern Colorado. Chapter 5 of 7, Oil Shale and Nahcolite Resources of the Piceance Basin, Colorado. U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS -69-Y. Taylor, O.J. 1987. Hydrologic system of Piceance Basin, in Taylor, O.J., compiler, Oil shale, water resources, and valuable minerals of the Piceance Basin, Colorado, the challenge and choices of development: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1310, p. 63- 76. Topper, R., Spray, K.L., Bellis, W.H., Hamilton, J.L., and P.E. Barkmann, 2003. Ground Water Atlas of Colorado. Colorado Geological Survey Special Publication 53. Tweto, Ogden 1979, Geologic Map of Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Special Geologic Map, scale 1:500,000. U.S. Geological Survey, 2004. Geologic Provinces of the United States: Colorado Plateau Province. Accessed online at http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/province/coloplat.html on January 12, 2011. Western Regional Climate Center, 2011. Accessed on the world wide web on January 19, 2011 at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/Climsmco.html. Geohydrology Report Page 7 FIGURES Geohydrology Report Page 8 /0�� ®XC Y' U S A '10y/ T P L , �, ',^fid, . Pond 13 E/W Complex OXY 760 Horizon Drive, Suite 101;- rr Topographic Location Map Grand Junction, CO 81506 Sp c'tgr Map Revised: April 29, 2013 Garfield County, Colorado 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 Miles T5S-R96Wr J+ T5S-R97W 1 % r� ,' `, l� li'� f '=036 •53a� ! , � T�, i �,'' ,��' � )� rA , �--�.� I - - lei r s { f I � �� a1� fjJl1 li �j f i l/r_ r 117 �,lt �rr r r � ��� ;�', 1 �J ��• ji 1 �.1+ r F, � � r s � fI r fr, la;I %��: •� {" � rl ,r,1.' �-�J�Jf a Y '' '�'r ` rf i}{l{;. r�.�" ,� r. ; I / � { + V{ ,r X 630f- i ��{/%f �/ I { f f l �kL� / - i � ✓ I J,, f �; 1! � + `I,4 � J l - ' , i„ ( It _ S �� 1 � y ,A--1 f' f j�f ''• � , : ,f/ ;, f� / f � ' ''}-1,�;,�� • 1 - - �"'�1,a��`1+',��,y� �•�t � � t 1rr ,r �• 'I f}'����k �+-s ` '; I �''` /ay��/ � \ ` y �`�,f _., �� ; f ��`^ice' ��i ! �r+ �t Ib T6S-R97W {1{ Rar cY vte _ �1 f �,'�f,%/,� ,ti✓ / � �� 'FF%-� ` 1� �"�J'� I, /( -`� Is Pte. �`� �� �`l� " 'i `ter^ r `. t� 1 1, � ��y� �I��� �� ' � , Y � �r ��r± ,�� Y&'�_.` ,•. � f� � '' r /,, J - - �` } �.��. •.'`� � � r / �.� � 1, 4 � `.. �lf'.`� t--, Z` Q1 �• 095 < 014 r it ��: ' { '✓ I � r � � ... i fs i � q�' r�_�'i;' _ - - - f f f r t i I{r� • " ` o Pond 13 E/W Complex Oxy Responsible Road I - ,/'4%k OXY USA W Tr P LP y' y Pond 13 E/W Complex OXY 760 Horizon Drive, Suite 101 1 ! +� Soils Map Grand Junction, CO 81506+1 Map Revised: April 29, 2013 Garfield County, Colorado + •! 0 0.025 0.05 0.075 0.1 0.125 Z 1 Ii Miles •i� � � � 1 '� ri+• � P a i tW i r 1 J r'` F r +� jIf `i 10 1 i e ` �I - + / f t rr ` { r r r� •� � 1 � � I J f ti 0 X T �` jr 1 � + 004 '' T6S-R97W' •,: `� 003,. J r f*'" I i s ame f 5' 'l Jr ��• � � f Ir re- P f 4 •� �� � � �� rfi •fr• 1+ J + Itis � a•' � � 1 a e p 3 fNorthwater-Adel complex, 5-50% slopes 1 S Parachute-Irigul complex, 5-30% slopes Parachute- Irig ul-Rhone assoc, 25-50% slopes y•L u+N Pond 13 E/W Complex Oxy Responsible Road 1 + OXY USA WTP LP 1 r ,4 Pond 13 E/W Complex OXY 760 Horizon Drive, Suite 101 ll ! Surface Water Map Grand Junction, CO 81506 i r Map Revised: April 29, 2013 Garfield County, Colorado r 0 0.035 0.07 0.105 0.14 0.175 Miles L{r jr C y ; fA I !' y' 1 1 r 1 ifs ti d lr r 40 1 •"sr � T6S—R97Wff r` + } � 4 _ � + � k � fir• ,f° Ae r �'� !f r� �' �''• .r' t i Ile !!� 1 009 Stream Network -- - Intermittent Stream pf Li Perennial Stream a y til } Q Pond 13 E/W Complex Oxy Responsible Road 4. ?� ?04%k OXY ��� r�iTr� LPp 029 028 Pond Complex 13 E/W Com OXY 760 Horizon OXY Drive, Suite 101 T5S-F Floodplain Area Map Grand Junction, CO 81506 31- 03 033 Map Revised: April 29, 2013 Garfield County, Colorado 0 0.7 1.4 2.1 2.8 3.5 0.03 f T8S Miles -^ 5 4 003 002 001 g, 005 00 ' d, 01 i3 Pond 13 E/W Complex 4, 01.5, 07 008 01 011 012 007 008 U�1 : r. Q11 �� 441 009? ., T6S-R98W 017T6S-R97W ' 014 017 022 � � �', 018 016 F 014 T6S-R96W a 01 )27 01.9. p Y 022 023 024 019 020 N 021 : 022 -_ 02302 )3 x 035', 3 ©30 028 7 026 029 g 027 026 02 031 032 . 033 `034 035 036 )0 002 ' oQ' r 5 031 032 033 035 03 004 003 002 001 'r 011 012 f 007 008 009 005 004 003 002 1 , 010 011 0, *, ) 5 01 013 018 017 016 0:15 0 013 011 1 T7S=R98W ) 2 023 02190^ 020 015 014 1 021 T7S-R97W 024 ' °T7, !R%W 27 026 025 030 0 1019 0 021 022 023 028 027 026 02. r li. 34 035 036 OG (I . ,029 028 027 02 03 Z 032 033 034 035 036,E n 3 002 001 00 �0 005 004 031 032. 033 035 036 �Z 003 002 001 A 6 ) 0 011 012 007 008 492 010 006 005 004 003 9� 0001 200- 009 r'�� 011 012 �qc _ X.50 T8S-R98W \ Pond 13 E/W Complex 01497 013 018 7 016 fT8S_R1W' 015 014 013 007 008 T Floodplain 2 �i Oxy Responsible Road 22 Unimproved Public Road 023 024 019 020 21022 023 024 018 01 Gravel Public Road Paved Public Road 019 020