Published: March 19th, 2013 at 3:00 pm ET
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Title: Joint Natural Resources
Source: Louisiana State Senate
Date: March 18, 2013
h/t Anonymous tip, rainbeaudais
At ~11:00 in
Gary Hecox, geologist working on the issue for the State of Louisiana: The sinkhole continues to expand. It expanded some more over the weekend. [...]
It covers 12 acres of sinkhole, with a settlement area of approximately 20 acres.
And you can see how it aligns along the edge of the salt […] you can see it’s expanding in the northeast/southwest direction, parallel to the edge of the salt.
See also: "We went into a ‘Code 3’" last week at giant sinkhole -- 'Maximum state of alert' (VIDEO)
Watch the full hearing here
Published: March 19th, 2013 at 3:00 pm ET
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sending...
"Parallel to edge of salt dome."
The'disturbed area'…duhh.
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"sub-parallel" is what I heard which is only slightly different.
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LOL..nuance.
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Yes, Not intended to be picking on you, just keeping the wording straight so the wheelbarrow pushers don't pay a visit.
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The clip above..says parallel.
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Perhaps the wording..should be taken up by the administration.
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Well, you certainly have my apology.
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No problem…16Penny.
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Rose, sorry to call you back here but correct me if I am wrong. Were we both right?
I pointed out that the audio clip said one thing.
You pointed out the ENE quote said another?
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Hi 16penny…yes..the tape says one thing..the text another.
Subparallel..is a type of fracturing..which would be found/occurring in the 'disturbed rock area' running parallel with the dome.
Ernest Claudin..Impact Structures
Research on impact geology, geophysics, petrology, and impact cratering
http://www.impact-structures.com/impact-spain/shock-deformation-in-triassic-buntsandstein-conglomerates-spain/the-subparallel-fracturing/
I wish I had a better link.
A meteor buff..before coffee.
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Otherwise..here is a definition for subparallel.
Adjective. Almost parallel, but diverging or converging slightly
http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/subparallel
Of course ..converging is the issue.
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PS..This is what I'm looking over at the moment.
Fracture Patterns within Mudstones on the Flanks of a Salt Dome:
Syneresis or Slumping?
http://geology.ou.edu/aaspi/publications/2007/coker_etal_GCAGST2007.pdf
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General data…
Salt Domes in the Gulf Coast Aquifer
"Irregularly distributed networks of vuggy to cavernous porosity"
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/numbered_reports/doc/R365/ch12-hamlin_paper.pdf
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So the'thought' was sub-parallel fracturing in the subparallel(disturbed area) vs. the PSI and volume of materials available from the 8 hydrocarbon sources.
This before even adding… in the collapse of the dome..the materials therein.
Thanks for hearing ..my thoughts.
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16 P
Perhaps you can explain why when one of your statement is corrected it causes silly remarks on your part. The name is Thad pls show enough backbone to use it rather than play child's hint-hint word game.
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Further.. dome side wall collapse inevitable.
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A repost from a few days ago.
The salt eroding..is only part of the problem..faulting..micro-cracking.. fracturing .etc..have to be added to the mix.
"For salt storage caverns in close proximity to the edge of salt, an accurate assessment
of the edge of salt is critical for prudent and efficient cavern operation. It should be noted that
the edge of salt does not necessarily correspond with the limits of “good quality salt” as salt
quality tends to degrade toward the peripheral edge of a salt structure"
Edge of Salt Definition for Salt Domes and Other Deformed Salt Structures –
Geologic and Geophysical Considerations
Spring 2003
http://www.geostockus.com/wp-content/uploads/Looff-Duffield-Looff-Spring2003.pdf
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Remember, the sinkhole is above the dome cap. It's only natural that further collapse take place in the direction of the edge of the dome, considering the shape of the funnel that goes from the edge toward the center of the cap before breaking surface.
A rough estimate at 12 acres might indicate that is getting upwards of half the cavern volume. The hole, the deep part, probably won't expand much further eastward. But the subsidence area probably will expand further into Texas Brine's facilities.
My predition is that the hole will probably reach 30 acres or better before the cavern fills, all expansin heading toward Bayou Corne and Highway 70. The subsidence will surely swamp the town and claim the bayou. Exactly how far it gets, though, is a wait and see.
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My estimate is based on failure of the internal integrity of the dome… containing 51 caverns.
"Authorities have been investigating whether pipelines, the 51 underground salt dome caverns carved from the vast Napoleonville Dome or other oil and gas infrastructure could be the source of natural gas escaping into the atmosphere."
July 10 2012
Efforts intensify to find gas leaks in Assumption waterways
http://theadvocate.com/news/3219113-123/efforts-intensify-to-find-gas
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I have yet to see any indicator which points to anything beyond the failure of Oxy3. There has been a lot of talk, but as far as a geological response, all I see is one cavern failure on which I can hang any sense of certainty. The rest at this point is just unsupported speculation.
The dome is over six square miles in area, and about twenty eight cubic miles in volume. Do you have any idea how much salt would have to fail for the dome to collapse? Do you have any idea how much fracking sludge it would take to collapse a dome? I just don't see any sign of that. The scale is far too massive not to have gobbled up square miles already, not just a mere dozen acres.
All I see in scale of surface response is a single cavern failure.
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Anyone who has recently begun following this catastrophe and wants to catch up quick should follow the link provided in the article. These hearings are long but they are as close to the source as you can get for information. Other than sticking your head into the stinkyhole and taking a look for yourself that is.
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acid rain eroded the dome?
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"The hole, the deep part, probably won't expand much further eastward. But the subsidence area probably will expand further into Texas Brine's facilities."
That is true only if the salt is not being dissolved which I have not seen any proof of that. The caprock will buy some time but as it becomes undermined it too will succumb to gravity. The subsidence is being caused in part by the aggregate in the aquifer falling into the collapse zone, leaving the claytard on top with concentric circular "fractures" as the soil gives way. That is why we keep seeing long narrow sections fall in with slough in events. I am thinking that the funnel shape that the claytard is taking on has been diverting the majority of the gas and oil away from the actual sinkhole and into the aquifer.
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ENE Admin. Please correct the quote to reflect that it is paraphrased or replace the word parallel with subparallel, which is what Hecox said. Engineers do not use that specific of a term by mistake.
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Is there a high risk of explosion?
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Right now it looks like any high risk of explosion is above ground, specifically in confined enclosures which have potential ignition sources. The chance of an underground pressure related explosion is near zero with the facts at hand. If shifting geology releases gasses other than (mostly) methane, such as hydrogen sulfide or butane, the potential for above ground explosions would rise drastically and in a hurry. These heavier gasses would accumulate in low lying areas and may not be detected until it is too late. Should the contents of a cavern be sent flying out of the ground due to a cavern collapse, who knows. That is the worst potential.
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There is no geological situation..the same as this sinkhole..not even this.
AGIP Crude Oil Spill Site in Yenegoa LGA of Bayelsa State
March 11 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2vKvbPSxPU
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Hi Heart of the Rose
OMGosh…It's a hot tub, with a chemical peel and mud wrap all in one treatment.
This really does not look good. Thanks for the link.
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HotR
Not crude oil, gas of some kind notice the volume in the hole is not increasing nor is there any drain run-off from the puddle.
There is a big black market fir oil in Nigeria if it were oil people would be collecting in containers to steal.
The last year I work there over 3,000 people were burned to death stealing gasoline in 4 different events–They dig up the pipelines- drill holes in them with a hand drill and steal the gasoline–then something stupid happens like a vendor light a cooking fire, or a theif lights a cigarette-
http://omgghana.com/nigeria-crude-oil-thieves-killed-in-lagos-pipeline-fire/
http://cellar.org/2006/nigeriangasexplosion.jpg
http://english.people.com.cn/200605/13/images/0513_A06.jpg
http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/2161846-3×2-340×227.jpg
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Yes..a gas of some sort.around the edges traces of oil can be seen.
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Hi..WSP.
Oil spill..just doesn't cover…oil/methane gushing from the earth.
Forever and ever.
Forever and ever.. is also the story for the Assumption Parish sinkhole..I'm afraid.
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