NM city frets as brine cavern threatens collapse

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

NM city frets as brine cavern threatens collapse
The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.07.2009

CARLSBAD, N.M. — The bright yellow signs are the first indication that things aren't right in Carlsbad. "US 285 south subject to sinkhole 1,000 feet ahead," motorists are warned. But there is little other evidence that in southeastern New Mexico's oil country, a giant cavern sits beneath the surface, ready to swallow part of the highway and possibly a church, several businesses and a trailer park.

The cavern was formed over three decades as oil field service companies pumped fresh water into a salt layer more than 400 feet below the surface and extracted several million barrels of brine to help with drilling. State regulators flagged it as a potential danger after concluding that it was similar to two wells northwest of Carlsbad that collapsed without warning last year.

Over the past few decades, communities in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, Canada and Europe learned of similar underground danger only after cracks appeared and the ground began to sink. Regulators are trying to determine how to prevent future collapses by better managing a practice that's used throughout the world.

Most brine wells operate far from occupied areas, but Carlsbad's is unique because it is in a population center — and could prove disastrous. "It would be like a bomb going off in the middle of town," said Jim Griswold, a hydrologist with the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division.

Read more: http://www.azstarnet.com/news/316584

[Ian David]

1. self-delete. n/t

[UpInArms]

2. that Irby guy is a fool

Eugene Irby, whose family owns I&W Trucking, said the company has always followed the rules and performed annual pressure tests on the cavern. Had the cavern been that unstable, he said, it would have already collapsed, given that more than 2 million pounds of water and heavy trucks were on the surface every day.

"I went to work there every day," Irby said. "I would walk the yard at times, and if there were cracks in the ground I would have seen them. There's none."
I&W has given up the brine operation, emptied its tanks and moved down the road.

flawed logic - if it was going to collapse, it would have done so already?

he's a genius - he would have "seen" cracks in the ground and that would have proven what?

[Beartracks]

6. Yeah, that's a bit simplistic, isn't it?

Wow, this could be a huge problem for Carlsbad.

[Feron]

3. Drill baby drill!

NM city frets as brine cavern threatens collapse

oh wait.....

[havocmom]

4. Upon reading the article in the Star, Havocdad remarked: It wasn't socialists that did it!

'twas those dirty rotten capitalists that did it! The ones who don't need regulating according to too many GOP pols.

[izquierdista]

5. $100 million in crop damage?

I'd have to call bullshit on that. How can a sinkhole take out ALL, 100%, the entire agricultural production of the county?

[NMDemDist2]

9. cuz it will take out the major aqueduct that feeds the whole south end of the valley

it will devastate the pecan and cotton crops, that water is the life line of a LOT of agriculture in the south county and if the sink hole opens, there goes the irrigation canal with it.

easily $100mill in crop losses.

[TygrBright]

13. Hope this is NOT anywhere near you!

I read the article and thought of you right away. Remember you got friends up Norte, if you need anything!

worriedly,
Bright

[NMDemDist2]

15. we're fine, it will just make the drive to town a bit more convoluted

:hug:

[izquierdista]

14. Look it up

Total agricultural production in Eddy county was $100 million, and most of the pecans are NORTH of Carlsbad.

[NMDemDist2]

16. annually

there is one of the largest pecan orchards right there, I expect they think they would lose a lot of their trees and possibly their shelling shed too

check out the map, the possible sink is right there

http://maps.google.com/maps?near=3401+S+Canal+St,+Carlsbad,+NM+88220-6531+(Calvani+Pecan+Co)&geocode=CRwfQBE8-pq5FX4s7gEdztXJ-SGtGqDsePKwDA&q=Pizza+Inn&f=l&dq=calvani+pecans&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.726391,56.513672&ie=UTF8&ll=32.38884,-104.215965&spn=0.018228,0.027595&z=15&iwloc=A

[Thor_MN]

18. Trees don't grow in 1 year.

Destroy a wheat harvest and next year you just start over. Destroy an orchard and it's decades in the recovery.

[nyy1998]

7. Carlsbad is only a couple hours drive from my hometown

I've been to the Caverns, which are really beautiful. And I know my high school has played the Carlsbad high school team(and dominated them, but that's a different conversation). If they could somehow make sure that both the town and the actual Caverns are preserved would be a major plus in my book.

[NMDemDist2]

10. the Caverns aren't in any danger, the sink hole is 25 miles north of the Cave n/t

[NMDemDist2]

8. yeah, it's a big mess, nobody wants to pay for it and it's gonna cost a fortune

one way or the other.

I drive by it (but thankfully not OVER it) daily.

it's a bad scene.

[Gamey]

11. WIPP's in a salt layer. So much for stability.

[NMDemDist2]

12. you missed what's happening

Wipp is 2500 feet down, this cavern is from them forcing water into the surface salt layer so they could sell brine water to the oil companies to hold down the oil while they pull the pumps to service them.

apples and oranges

[Javaman]

17. Meh, just stuff it with cucumbers...

and in a little while you have a brazillion pickles! Saves the city and feeds them too!