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.
Views: 99
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Catfish on
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It would have to be a large amount of liquid leaked to flow and pool up. As many workers are on site someone should have noticed. The hole thing seems kind of strange to me.
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Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on
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I was only implying the writer's use of the word "sodium chloride" as if it were some sort of dangerous chemical. She could have just as easily used the word salt and the sheeple who read the times may have had a better understanding. My contacts at the DEQ have also told me dihydrogen-monoxide was also found in the pools in question- this chemical compound is one of the most deadly in the history of the world and has killed millions of people.
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Permalink Reply by The_Baron on -
You may need to explain that dihydrogen-monoxide is just water before you create a panic.
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Permalink Reply by P.G. on
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I wonder how much petroleum products they mix with salt blocks for sale at the feed store?
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Permalink Reply by Randy on
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As I understand, as people in the past have explained.... It probably WAS the salt. Those cows like salt, a whole lot. If it is in liquid form, they will drink it until it kills them. Kind of like toddlers will drink cleaning fluids that are pretty and taste good.
The point is that the salt could have from anywhere, and if you've ever seen salt-water run down a field, it kills everything on the way down. Pretty soon it should obvious the route it took to get to that pond. If there isn't any trail... it had to come from somewhere else.
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Permalink Reply by Checkmateking on
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"Salt poisoning has been described under various circumstances in adult cattle. Presenting clinical signs in 6 Holstein beef cattle with such poisoning were primarily dysfunction of the central nervous system and included ataxia, opisthotonus, nystagmus, depression, muscle twitching and intermittent convulsions, as well as abdominal pain and polydipsia. Diarrhea occurred in 2, and blindness in 3/6 cattle. Hypernatremia (161.8 - 178.8 mmol/L) and hyperosmolality (331.81 - 366.18 mOsm/L) were present in all animals. To treat the affected cattle, access to fresh water was restricted, vascular volume was expanded with isotonic saline and then hypotonic fluid (5 % Dextrose solution) iv and dexamethasone im was administered. Although biochemical parameters returned to normal reference ranges, 3/6 affected animals remained blind."
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Permalink Reply by Cathaus on
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I agree KB. The jokes made about these hapless cows struck a nerve with me. I find humor in most cases but try as I might, I found none in this instance. People seem to forget that those cows may have been some child's college fund or a myriad of other funds. The cows suffered a horrendous death, no matter who was responsible. Pointing fingers and blaming each other will not bring them back. If Schumberger was responsible, then they should pay a substantial penalty as well as make adequate restitution to the owner.
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Permalink Reply by kittycatmama on
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I have heard that other dead animals in the surrounding area were found the same day. I heard Friday that 15 cats were found dead at one location the day of the spill. To make a joke out of an animal's suffering is despicable.
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Permalink Reply by Spring Branch,mineral owner on
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KB, I am as supportive of the industry as anyone. but I support your most recent post 100 %. To infer that Skipper Williams intentionally poisoned his own cows to collect money from CHK is absurd. The man does a lot of work for Chesapeake and as far as I know they have a very good business relationship. One of the very first Haynesville wells, Williams 22 in 15/15, was drilled near his house. He didn't own the land where the cows were poisoned, he leased it, and I'm sure that Chesapeake, Schlumberger, and Skipper wished that this incident had never happened. They will discover what happened, how it happened and will fix it. Hopefully that will be the end of it. For industry people to fein a conspiracy is just as rediculous as the two anti's feining clouds of yellow dust.
I don't believe I want any steaks off those cows.
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Permalink Reply by DaddyT on
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It hurts family members for anyone to imply that wrong doing occured! Thanks to you SB. These are supposed to be facts on this site, I thought anyway and not rumors, and as all of us know people can start talk that will injury for a lifetime. Lets wait on the facts.
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Herell on
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Does anyone know if CHK had there SPill Prevent Countermeasure Plans (SPCC) in place at the time of the spill?
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Permalink Reply by Thomas Herell on
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I am not sure on the fliuds, if they were mixed with oil or salt water and determining the size of the tanks has to do with needing a SPCC, The transportation or delivery would be regulated by the DOT. SPills do happen its just whether or not you had the plans in place and react properly to them.
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