Tank Farms, Oil Wells, Flares, and Pumps in our Area as Seen from Space

Courtesy of Pam Taylor:

The Google Earth shots for Witt Farm and the McMunn tank farm and Class II injection well off of Carleton Hwy. and U.S. 223 in Palmyra haven't been updated since 2010, so I didn't include them. The Tipton Rd. tank farm has no flare or injection well or processing facility attached. 

Goetz tank farm and processing plant, Shepherd Rd. just east of Pentecost. Google Earth photo from 6.2.13. This is the largest and oldest facility in the area. This is where the newest Class II injection well is being drilled, although the rig wasn't set up yet in early June when this was taken. If you look closely at the lower left of the picture, at the pipeline that runs diagonally just above the top left edge of the tree line, you can just barely see the flame of the flare that burns 24/7 and you can see the pipelines running from the tanks to the stack. Supposedly, they will be shipping the gas via pipeline and they'll stop burning off the gas at some point in the future.

Below is the Ruesink tank farm, processing plant, and Class II injection well on Knight Hwy. Google Earth photo taken on 6.2.13 You can see the open waste/mud pit quite well in this photo.

Track of the New Pipeline Becomes Clearer

The pipeline progressed much further than I thought. It is well hidden behind one row of corn plants. After a few pictures from Wizz Computer opposite of Witt Farm you follow me South on M52 towards Adrian. The pictures were actually made after returning North bound out of the city to have a better view - but I present them here as if you are going South from Witt Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here the pipeline will cross M52

 

Seemingly running towards this house (see the blue flagging stake). Adding up to something like this. Probably achieved by horizontal drilling from the corn field to the drill site of Carson?

 

There is also substantial work going on at the Carson Highway end of the pipeline. As in the case of Savoy's 1st pipeline from Heritage Park to Witt Farm, again it looks like there are 5 parallel pipes to avoid getting a permit for one larger pipeline for going under Beaver Creek. This will again involve horizontal drilling. Whether they will drill horizontally all the way from Carson to the corn field across M52 - or just under M52, then have the pipes buried 4 feet under going through the property on the west side of M52 shown above, and again drilling horizontally under Beaver Creek and then again standard 4 feet under ground to the Carson site is not clear yet - and it will be difficult to follow as it will go almost entirely through private land...

 

Again, Savoy's pipelines pass through very close to nationally recognized wetlands and cuts under Beaver Creek and through - or under one of the largest forested areas within or close to city limits.

Breaking News: New Pipeline SW of Witt Farm Under Construction

Pipes for a new pipeline leading more oil wells to Witt Farm are being assembled right now. As I did not see any stakes indicating the direction of the pipeline track, I suspect this to connect to horizontal drilling from the Carson Highway site.

This would bring the oil of three additional wells to the central processing facility (tank farm) on Witt Farm - and by that increase the already large flare emitting toxic and cancerous BTEXs and other compounds, most probably even hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid).

Witt Farm Prepared to process up to 6 Wells - Flare is very Large and Smelly

Since a few days the wind carries very strong fumes from the hidden flare on Witt Farm all the way to Heritage Park. The smell reminds me of sulfur and hydrochloric acid, which could be connected to the intense drilling and brine pumping we see since a while on the Purse, Stratton and Heritage Park wells. I took a look from the farm entrance but had only my cell phone so the pictures are not very good. But will be updated now:

 The flickering of the air above the barrel from the strong flare inside is not really visible but you can see that there are now 6 storage barrels, which corresponds to 6 wells being processed now or soon to come 

Look at the sizzling air above the barrel. This will give you an indication of how much stuff is emitted into the air all the time.

 

There are now also six separators for up to six wells

Construction on Witt Farm - Open Flare on Purse Funeral Home

 Pipeline drilling rig on Witt Farm - more of Witt Farm for sale 

Pipeline drilling rig and oil pump on Witt Farm

Preparations of the separators to accommodate for more oil wells

Looks like there are 5 separators now

Flare next to the Funeral Home

Closeup of the Flare from Howell Highway shows soot and smoke

Flare from Howell Highway shows soot and smoke

And from a little further against darker background

You may also want to read the next post that will tell you more about the nasty stuff that is in flares!

Concerns City Of Adrian & Adrian Township Residents Should Have About Oil and Gas Production Facilities In Your Area!

Concerns City Of Adrian & Adrian Township Residents

Should Have

About Oil and Gas Production Facilities In Your Area!

1.     What is going to be the processing capacity of the plant?

2.      What are they processing (crude, natural gas?) and into what?

3.      How do they plan to provide secondary containment for the facility? (Earthen (Clay)? with High density polyethlyene (HDPE) liners, geotextile liners?, concrete?)

4.      How are they going to dispose of produced water and other wastes?

5.      How are they going to recycle used oil?

6.      What type of air permit will be required? Will it be title V (title V means it pollutes a lot)

7.      What is going to be the storage capacity for oil at the facility?

8.      Who is doing the NEPA study on the environmental impacts from the plant and the pipeline and gathering pipelines associated?

9.      Another concern is what is the potential for increased 18 wheeler traffic in the area and

the safety involved with that?

10.  What are the potential chemicals they will be using at the facility?

11. How equipped is the LEPC in the area (Local Emergency Planning Committee) to respond to an emergency?

12. And who will take on the cost of upgrading fire and hazmat services the community will need from this facility?

13. How much Noise, Vibration and Odor will this facility produce and what will this do to our property values?

14.  What is the potential life span of this facility? 25 to 30 years?

15. How will the City of Adrian spend the proceeds from this operation and will they post the revenue on the city web site with transparency?

Handout shared at the 4/1/2013 city commission assembly by an anonymous citizen with great knowledge of the industry.