47-039-02210
This is an older commercial injection well in Kanawha county. The well was changed to commercial use when it was sold to the current operator in 2008. Cleanup of the site enforced by the EPA due to groundwater contamination had been completed before the sale. Recently there has been work on the well, both to deal with mechanical integrity problems and to refracture the formation waste is being injected into.
Well drilled in 1968. Converted for injection in ?
Formation into which waste is injected -- Newburg
Geographic location: latitude 38.460906, longitude -81.650601
Major issues
- Hydrocarbon contamination of groundwater due to activities on the site forced a cleanup, including soil removal and groundwater monitoring wells.
- Operator has received NOVs for injecting over the maximum permitted injection pressure, a major violation.
- Operator has received NOVs for failure to submit monthly WR-40s (2015), for spills and secondary containment issues (2014 and 2015).
Documents
2012 UIC permit (modification allowing third party haulers)
Page from 2011 permit application review notes with mention of natural gas flow behind production casing
2014 NOV for spill and secondary containment issues
2015 NOV for injecting over maximum injection pressure
2015 NOV for failure to submit WR-40 monthly monitoring reports
2015 NOV for making alterations to facility with approval
2015 NOV for spill and improper secondary containment
2015 NOV for improper secondary containment
2016 NOV for injecting over maximum injection pressure
2017 NOV for failure to conduct timely MIT
Documents related to groundwater contamination -- 2002 summary of soil and water tests, 2008 report on cleanup, and 2010 water tests
Goggle Earth Imagery
The facility with large tank in center, two smaller tanks in secondary containment to the left. The injection well itself is south east of the large tank. The fenced facility has gates on two sides, allowing trucks to drive through and unload on the special pad (light colored area) near two smaller tanks in containment.
2013 Visit
We drove by the site in April 2013 and took some photos:
This photo shows the site looking east. In the foreground are two tanks set within cement secondary containment. An unloading area is between the road and the tanks. The tall tank in the center of the site holds 57,000 gallons. It is not within secondary containment as required by the permit and law. The well itself is behind the large tank between Tupper's Creek and a building.
The unloading area is surfaced with cement with what appears to be drains and a sump. The pad isn't surrounded by a curb. Any liquids spilled during fluid transfer from a truck should, if the pad is constructed properly, flow into the sump where it can be pumped out.
The actual well is behind the building to the left, obscured by the chain link fencing. We weren't able to see if there were gauges present because of the distance.
Large tanks for water and/or fracture flowback are stored by the operator outside the UIC well site within the gated drive to the site.
We could smell really harsh, biting odors from some distance of the site (500-1000 feet). There's a residence across the street and a church nearby. The UIC permit requires flappers on the tanks to prevent odors. Either they aren't present or they aren't working.
Underground Injection Control Class 2 Wells
Introduction to Class 2 Wells in West Virginia
Collected documents and information for a number of Class 2 disposal wells and secondary recovery area permits
Searchable tables for UIC inspections, UIC permitting and MITs based on a copy of the Office of Oil and Gas' online UIC databases made in 2016.
Background materials related to West Virginia's primacy (including the primacy application), EPA guidance documents, and a lot more.
Select wells which present important issues
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Gas Well Study is the examination of natural gas wells in West Virginia.
Underground Injection Control Class 2 Wells
These wells are used either for the disposal of oil and gas liquid waste or for the enhanced recovery of oil or natural gas.
Gas Well Study Site Visits
Annual reports, environmental assessments, and individual well information.
YouTube Videos
Select videos from the Gas Well Study YouTube channel.
What Happened at Fernow
An investigation into what caused the vegetation death in the land application area after landspraying hydraulic fracture flowback waste.
The Spill at Buckeye Creek
An investigation into a spill from a Marcellus well site into Buckeye Creek in Doddridge county.
The Details
Plunger Lift Technology on Gas Wells
Fluids Brought to the Surface during Production
Plugging a Well
How To Read a Lab Report
Information the Completion Report Provides
Casing and Cementing