DEQ: Tests confirm chloride spilled from well site
DEQ: Tests confirm chloride spilled from well siteDEQ: Tests confirm chloride spilled from well site
By Vickie Welborn • vwelborn@gannett.com • May 6, 2009
Tests of a substance that flowed from a natural gas well site and into a south Caddo Parish pasture, where 17 cows eventually died April 28, indicated the presence of elevated chlorides, the state Department of Environmental Quality confirmed Tuesday.
Still, the state veterinarian has not determined that's what killed the cows, DEQ Northwest Regional Director Otis Randle said.
Sam Irwin, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry, also was unable late Tuesday to confirm whether the state veterinarian who preformed a necropsy on one of the cows has completed his report.
Analysis of the substance also confirmed that it contained oil and grease and some organic compounds.
"But it had a high chloride content," Randle said. He declined to comment on the source of the chloride.
Chlorides, particularly sodium chloride or potassium chloride, can be added to the fluids used during various stages of the hydraulic fracturing treatments to open the underground shale and allow the trapped natural gas to migrate through the pipe.
But chloride, also is naturally occurring in the water that flows back to the surface after the fracturing is completed. The liquid that flowed from the well site pooled in a low area that was accessible by the cows owned by Cecil "Skipper" Williams Jr.
Additional soil samples from a 400-square-foot impact area and fluid in fracturing tanks on site were taken Monday night and were submitted for testing Tuesday.
The results should be known today or Thursday. "We will have a better understanding by then who is responsible," Randle said. Then, DEQ will consider whatever action is "deemed appropriate" against the responsible party, he added.
Chesapeake Energy Corp. owns the Haynesville Shale gas well on state Highway 169. Schlumberger is the completions contractor.
By Vickie Welborn • vwelborn@gannett.com • May 6, 2009
Tests of a substance that flowed from a natural gas well site and into a south Caddo Parish pasture, where 17 cows eventually died April 28, indicated the presence of elevated chlorides, the state Department of Environmental Quality confirmed Tuesday.
Still, the state veterinarian has not determined that's what killed the cows, DEQ Northwest Regional Director Otis Randle said.
Sam Irwin, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry, also was unable late Tuesday to confirm whether the state veterinarian who preformed a necropsy on one of the cows has completed his report.
Analysis of the substance also confirmed that it contained oil and grease and some organic compounds.
"But it had a high chloride content," Randle said. He declined to comment on the source of the chloride.
Chlorides, particularly sodium chloride or potassium chloride, can be added to the fluids used during various stages of the hydraulic fracturing treatments to open the underground shale and allow the trapped natural gas to migrate through the pipe.
But chloride, also is naturally occurring in the water that flows back to the surface after the fracturing is completed. The liquid that flowed from the well site pooled in a low area that was accessible by the cows owned by Cecil "Skipper" Williams Jr.
Additional soil samples from a 400-square-foot impact area and fluid in fracturing tanks on site were taken Monday night and were submitted for testing Tuesday.
The results should be known today or Thursday. "We will have a better understanding by then who is responsible," Randle said. Then, DEQ will consider whatever action is "deemed appropriate" against the responsible party, he added.
Chesapeake Energy Corp. owns the Haynesville Shale gas well on state Highway 169. Schlumberger is the completions contractor.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on -
Notice the false/presumtive headline.
DEQ: Tests confirm chloride spilled from well site
But......in the article: "He declined to comment on the source of the chloride."
I admit the situation is very suspisous, but I have heard many stories/gossip/rumours about potential disputs between the landowner and the farmer owning the cows, or a possible attempt by the farmer to intentionally kill the livestock so he could get cash out of CHK,
All really besides the point. I guess I am really ranting about the poor writing by the times staff, they seem to have a tabloid mentality.
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Permalink Reply by Cathaus on
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You are very funny Baron. Those poor cows suffered tremendous pain before they died. Does that not affect you at all? If not, then you need to learn compassion. It isn't only due human beings but helpless animals as well.
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Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on
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All he is saying is that they would been shot between the eyes and eaten.
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Permalink Reply by Bobi Carr ("parker") on
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KB,
I think he was only trying to be funny. I almost posted a comment about waiting to use the salt to make jerky until after they were dead. And our next pet will probably be a Highland cow.
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on
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Lighten up KB,
I happen to love animals and have several pets myself.
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on
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I have heard a story, that the farmer is related to an empoyee of Schlumberger, had access to some of their chemicals, and that this was an attempt to collect some cash.
I have also heard from sources on the ground at the wellsite, that there is no evidence of chemicals flowing from the wellsite, meaning that the chemicals had to be dumped in the field.
I am not saying that these stories are positivly true. But, The state has been very tight lipped about a possible source.
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Permalink Reply by Sue on
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If the chemicals did flow from the wellsite, would it not be a trail of chemicals on the ground from the wellsite to the pool of water the cows drank. Or is it airborne and just settled in the pool of water? Or did it bubble out of the ground and made the pool of water the cows drank from? Help me understand! Thanks
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Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on
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it would have to flow from the site sue
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Permalink Reply by Dorcheated A1 on
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Baron,
You and I agree on a lot my friend, but I'm going too back KB, on this one. The farmer theory is way out of the park for me.
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Permalink Reply by Gregg Williams on
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Landowners have done it before, personally familiar with one that was about to go to jail for fraud.
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Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on
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Oh no not "Sodium Chloride" I really hope it wasn't that deadly chemical or we will all be dead.
Sarcasm aside I expect most all of you who graduated high school know that sodium chloride is otherwise known as common table salt, and I would expect these idiots at the DEQ ( I know a couple and they are far from the sharpest knives in the drawer) would use a little common sense. What do we all see in cow pastures-big green blocks, what are those big green blocks? They are of course salt blocks, salt being an essential life mineral for bovines as well as humans.
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