The Extend of Flaring in Drilling Operations

Visible even from space, more than 1,500 natural gas flares illuminate the prairie in the Bakken oil field in North Dakota, for lack of gas pipelines. Image credit: Jim Wilson/The New York Times

In the December 17 issue of the NYT, Clifford Krauss writes that flaring in the Bakken field in North Dakota can be seen from space. World-wide flares produce an estimated 400 million tons of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to the emissions 77 million cars.

The article reports that companies are starting to think that it might be economical to capture the gas and use it to power machineries. In fact so much is flared right now in the Bakken field alone that if all drilling equipment would be powered with the gas instead of expensive diesel fuel, it would only take about a fifth of what is flared. The article praises the economical sound decisions of companies going this way as there are no legal ways to make these booming industries stop flaring. North Dakota allows flaring for the first year of every new well but grants extensions if it is not economically beneficial for companies to capture the gas. The same kind of laws we have in Michigan. One could ask why is the companies' new willingness to do the right thing at least in part the only way to stop this insanity? Why can we not just change these stupid and outdated laws that sell off our land, water and air to the highest bidders that do nothing for the public than harm our health and threaten the survival of our children?

Full article here: Applying Creativity to a Byproduct of Oil Drilling

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/business/energy-environment/applying-creativity-to-a-byproduct-of-oil-drilling-in-north-dakota.html

Heritage Park Oil Pump Leak?

For days now the oil pump in Heritage Park smells real bad as if it is leaking.

The Flare on Witt Farm

 

According to the environmental health specialist James Argo, one regular component of flare fumes, benzene "will be present in enough concentration to pose a measurable risk to inhabitants out to 5 km from the flare". I indicate this radius in the below picture:

The flare on Witt Farm and the 5km radius around the flare in which to expect health impacts due to benzene alone. At least 15,000 people live within this circle.

Here are a few other excerpts from a report James Argo wrote for the Canadian environmental group Save Our Seas and Shores (Argo 2001):

• "A flare is a device for disposing of waste gas and oil [and co-produced sea-water] very cheaply by burning the organic material in an open, uncontrolled, manner at an elevation above the ground varying from 15 to 75 or more m.. The elevation is to disperse the combustion products and throw them away from the work site."
• "Flares are an unreported source of greenhouse gases. Flaring emissions do not appear in National Pollutant Release Inventory from Environment Canada nor Toxic Release Inventory in the US."
• "Flares are an unreported source of dioxins."
• "A poorly operating flare is a travesty against the entire biosphere within up to a 30km radius. It is axiomatic that where a flare is smoking no one should be downwind."
• "The result is that an elevated risk for cancer may be present in the first 2.5 to 5 km from the flare. Residents in this zone have the potential to be affected by benzene exposure as described below. This concentration of benzene is below the odor threshold."
• "Increased morbidity and elevated risk of leukemia is everywhere possible for residents within 5 km under these conditions. Those most at risk of long-term health effects are persons under age 30."

 Sources:
 Argo J. UNHEALTHY EFFECTS OF UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS FLARING [Internet]. Sydney, NS, Canada: SAVE OUR SEAS and  SHORES (SOSS). Available from: https://wassmer.org/Adrian/soss-oil-and-gas-flaring.pdf 

Amodio M, de Gennaro G, Marzocca A, Trizio L, Tutino M. Assessment of Impacts Produced by Anthropogenic Sources in a Little City near an Important Industrial Area (Modugno, Southern Italy). The Scientific World Journal [Internet].2013:10. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/150397

Pope Francis: "Thou shalt not frack!"

Pope Francis holding up anti-fracking t-shirts following a meeting with a group of Argentinian environmental activists to discuss water and fracking issues. The shirts read “No To Fracking” and “Water Is More Precious Than Gold.” Meet the Newest Anti-Fracking Activist: Pope Francis. I haven't seen this covered prominently here, but thought it's worth a mention when the guy with a direct line to 1.2 billion people's ears says that it's not cool to frack. This week the Twitterverse went ablaze when Pope Francis met with Argentine filmmaker Fernando “Pino” Solanas (La Guerra del Fracking -- The Fracking War) and environmental activist Juan Pablo Olsson at the Vatican to discuss fracking and water pollution. Olsson posted the photo of himself, Solanas and Pope Francis. Next Up For Pope Francis: Anti-Fracking Activist? Finally, a logical pope. If your belief tells you that God gave us th...- read the full story at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/15/1255844/-Pope-Francis-Thou-shalt-not-frack

Demonstration at Enbridge's Office in Marshall

I received the following announcement by MI-CATS (http://www.michigancats.org/) and thought you would be interested and/or help to get the word out:

We are excited to invite you to a demonstration at Enbridge's office in
Marshall on Monday, November 25th at 11:30 am. Luckily there is no jury
selection that day! Instead we will visit Enbridge officials who hold down
a fort near the worst inland oil spill in the history of histories. We
will demand they properly clean up the spill before continuing with their
project. We will also urge them to abandon all tar sands infrastructure
projects. We invite people to bring signs, noisemakers, glitter and
energy! If you are able to join, reply to micats@riseup.net and we will give you
more specifics- meet up points and the timeline for the day.

Witt Farm Update

As expected, the flare on Witt Farm is very large. You cannot see the flame (as it is hidden in an empty, top open tank - I wonder why?) but as 6 or more wells are now processed on Witt Farm, it is burning very hot, which you can see on the picture below. The smell is awful, even while taking the picture from M52, which is west of the flare - and the wind coming from the south - so it should not smell at all to the west!! Just as a reminder of my previous post: what you can smell might not be the worst of the gas and volatile cocktail that is spewed out by this mega-flare. However, it is a good indication of how much is spewed, which is certainly not healthy for the neighbors within at least a 2 mile radius. Denial will not help them as these are chemicals that are not following the "what does not kill you makes you stronger" fallacy.  In addition, property values in the wider surroundings will go down because of having a dirty industry so close by - regardless of neighboring property owners following the "ostrich principle" (sticking your head in the sand takes care of danger) as in the notion of "what you do not talk about does not exist"...

Burning of the gases and vapors of 6 or more wells in the hidden flare on Witt Farm produces a lot of heat showing the partial combustion of partially poisonous and cancerous chemicals.

There are now 7 or more oil barrels to store crude - meaning that either 7 wells are currently processed, soon to be processed - or that there is so much oil going in through the now 3 pipelines that the previous 6 tanks were not sufficient anymore.

 The six original grey tanks were lately supplemented by 1 or two new beige colored tanks, which would translate to probably 8 wells coming in

On the separator side, there are 6 separators visible when coming down M52 southbound. This would rather suggest 6 wells...

Ann Arbor OKs Fossil Fuel Divestment

A powerful new methods how municipalities can bring down the almighty oil and gas lobby. Hopefully Adrian is thinking of doing the same...

http://annarborchronicle.com/2013/10/22/ann-arbor-oks-fossil-fuel-divestment/

More information and background about divestment:

Does Divestment Work? http://www.iop.harvard.edu/does-divestment-work

Fossil Free Campaign http://gofossilfree.org/

An update on fossil fuel divestment http://mayormcginn.seattle.gov/an-update-on-fossil-fuel-divestment/

Institutions committing to divest from fossil fuels: http://gofossilfree.org/commitments/

It does not exist if you cannot see it????

Despite not burning in the open but being hidden in a empty oil tank - the Witt Farm flare is real and much larger than it was in the beginning when only one well was hooked up. Flares are known to contain poisonous and cancerous VOCs in addition to natural gas. In contrary to the Michigan DEQ's promises to force oil companies to capture and market the natural gas, Savoy Energy is still burning it off - more than 8 months after starting doing so on Witt Farm. This is not only wasteful but irresponsible. As the local and state authorities are obviously not doing their job, I am currently in the process to organize a citizen-run air monitoring near the site.

 

Hidden Flare 2/24/2013 fed by a single well on Witt Farm

 

Youtube Video of that Flare

 

Flare on 5/26/2013 fed by 3 wells 

 

Flare on 8/1/2013 fed by 4-5 wells

And as of today probably by as many as 6-8 wells. Due to the increased perimeter of the "no trespassing" zone around Witt Farm, I cannot post new pictures of the surely much increased flare.

The increased flares will add up to a substantial load of unhealthy chemicals at least in a radius of up to 1 mile. Below are some links to related publications that might be of interest. The majority of materials are from "fracking" operations. Please note that the major difference is that in "fracking" operations much more water is pumped down - and more chemical additives are used, which increases the real danger of water pollution. The risk potential for air pollution, in contrary, as well as escaping gases and volatiles, and pollutants in flares from unconventional oil extraction are comparable to those reported from "fracking operations".

• Aviva L, Aimee C, Shmuel A, Nicholas B, Constantine S. 2013. Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania. Environmental Research Letters 8(1):014017. PDF
• Bamberger M, Oswald RE. 2012. Impacts of gas drilling on human and animal health. New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS 22(1):51-77. PDF 
• Colborn T, Kwiatkowski C, Schultz K, Bachran M. 2011. Natural Gas Operations from a Public Health Perspective. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 17(5):1039-1056. PDF
• Colborn T, Schultz K, Herrick L, Kwiatkowski C. 2012. An Exploratory Study of Air Quality Near Natural Gas Operations. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 20(1):86-105. Link to the article and other information
• Katzenstein AS, Doezema LA, Simpson IJ, Blake DR, Rowland FS. 2003. Extensive regional atmospheric hydrocarbon pollution in the southwestern United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100(21):11975-11979. PDF
• Larson D, Breech R, Hendricks J, Chernaik M, Mall A, Smith F, Joswick J, Eisenfeld M. GASSED! Citizen Investigation of Toxic Air Pollution from Natural Gas Development [Internet]. El Cerrito, CA 94530: Global Community Monitor. Available from: http://gcmonitor.org/downloads/gassedreport.pdf
• Leahey DM, Preston K, Strosher M. 2001. Theoretical and observational assessments of flare efficiencies. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995) 51(12):1610-6. PDF
• May J. Refinery Flaring in the Neighborhood [Internet]. Oakland, CA 94612: Communities for a Better Environment (CBE). Available from: http://www.cbecal.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Refinery-Flaring-in-the-Neighborhood.pdf
• McKenzie LM, Witter RZ, Newman LS, Adgate JL. 2012. Human health risk assessment of air emissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources. Science of The Total Environment 424(0):79-87. PDF
• Perry SL. 2012. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: Addressing the Societal Costs of Unconventional Oil and Gas Exploration and Production: A Framework for Evaluating Short-Term, Future, and Cumulative Risks and Uncertainties of Hydrofracking. Environmental Practice 14(04):352-365. PDF 
• Strosher MT. 2000. Characterization of emissions from diffusion flare systems. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995) 50(10):1723-33. PDF
• Subra W, Steinzor N. Odor and Symptom Log [Internet]. earthworksaction.org. Available from: http://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/odor_and_symptom_log

REALLY

I  have been silent until now.  As I drove back into town today listening to the radio and a local ad for Major DuMars stating how he loves this city. The POTENT smell was awful on 52 by the Witt farm. How can you care about your community and the people and jeopardize the MOST important things air and water. There are many residential neighborhoods in the area of the flare. Are they at all concerned for their health if not their children. What will it take for the PEOPLE of Adrian to realize that there are repercussions.

3rd Pipeline from Valley Rd Under Ground - 4th Pipeline Under Construction

Look at the developments on the Witt Farm property. Not only did Savoy fence the area in but they prepared the Tank Farm to receive oil and gas from at least 10 wells - maybe soon more. The 3rd pipeline running from Heritage Park (which had to be re-drilled to take on the new pipeline, Figure 1) to the 2 wells off of Valley Road is now under ground. It passes 10 feet by the children playground (Figure 2) and circles the baseball diamond (Figure 3) before running around a restored prairies in Heritage Park (Figure 4) and passing under Cook Drain, which flows into River Raisin. The pictures are a little dated from October 1 and October 9. The pipeline is now completely buried.

 

Figure 1: Redrilling the Heritage borehole during the county middle-school cross-country meet.

 

Figure 2: Digging in pipeline 3 close to children playground.

  

 

Figure 3: Circling around the baseball diamond.

 

Figure 4: Pipelines laid out to be buried along the restored prairies north of the baseball fields.

A 4th pipeline is under its way. Victoria Powell shared the following report:

On Sunday, October 27, 2013 9:36 PM, victoria powell <victoriapowellwh@yahoo.com> wrote:

 "There is a great deal of activity at the smaller oil donkey facing Hunt Road in the past few days: ditches are being prepared to lay pipes from well 60420 (smaller oil donkey facing Hunt Road near Tipton Road) directly under Spielman Road to well 60743 which is the newest oil well on Country Club Road. The line of intent is perpendicular to Tipton Road (about 0.4 miles from it), and leads directly from 60420 to 60743. The pipes today were on saw-horses in preparation for welding. Several vehicles yesterday (in the wind and rain), and today at the work site with 4-6 pick-up trucks, and 6-7 workers."

Almost every of these pipelines is build underneath creeks, drains and rivers with now extra spill protection. In addition, the already dangerous flare on Witt Farm will become at least twice as potent. Depending on the wind direction and wind speed quite a few neighborhoods will receive dangerous levels of BTEX and other volatiles - besides the pleasant odor...

How our country will get off fossil fuels

Learn about how our country will get off fossil fuels at the http://thesolutionsproject.org