Bayou Corne Sinkhole Photos

[Duck Butter]

Bayou Corne Sinkhole Aerial Images - a set on Flickr

Bayou Corne Sinkhole Aerial Images - a set on Flickr

Still steadily sinking

[swamp snorkler]

What's crazy is that they had 70' tall cypress trees right there and they not there anymore!

[Smalls]

Pretty ugly situation over there, that's for sure.

[swamp snorkler]

I'm suprised they don't have more sinkholes than they do around here.

[latravcha]

Those are some older pictures. Since then it has grown to 2 to 3 time that size ant they ave build a burm aroung it. Ont but 3 miles from my house.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by latravcha

Those are some older pictures. Since then it has grown to 2 to 3 time that size ant they ave build a burm aroung it. Ont but 3 miles from my house.

Wow

[weedeater]

fishing any good, says its 1300' deep and sure seems like salinity would be high

[Smalls]

Originally Posted by weedeater

fishing any good, says its 1300' deep and sure seems like salinity would be high

If you can get past all that oil and all the chemicals that have supposedly leaked into it, might be worth a try.

[Duck Butter]

The newest photos, thanks latrav

Bayou Corne Sinkhole Flyover 5/6/2013 - a set on Flickr

Bayou Corne Sinkhole Flyover 5/6/2013 - a set on Flickr

[weedeater]

Originally Posted by Smalls

If you can get past all that oil and all the chemicals that have supposedly leaked into it, might be worth a try.

I eat fish out of our local rivers and lakes so that dont worry me to much

[fun w son]

kinda new to the story....what caused it?

[swamp snorkler]

Texas Brine was drilling a well in the area and came to close the sides of a salt dome or something to that effect.

Ok, I thought I would put together a little "run down" of the sinkhole events leading up to the situation today, those who just recently started following this story and are trying to play catch up, or those that are having trouble putting the pieces together. Here it goes

First, the napoleonville salt dome is a 1x3 mile underground natural salt deposit. Salt domes are used by petrochemical companies to store crude oil, natural gas (methane), liquefied petroleum gas, and radioactive or toxic wastes, among other things, after they have been mined, and caverns or wells created. For more info on specifics of salt domes and their uses, please refer to this page:

Salt dome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salt dome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Salt dome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Nepoleonville salt dome has roughly 50 caverns in it (exact number is unclear because I've heard so many different ones). One of these caverns drilled and owned by the company Texas Brine is situated on the west edge of the salt dome. On August 3rd, 2012 it was discovered that a sinkhole or "slurry", about the size of one football field, had appeared roughly above this cavern now known as Oxy Geismar Well #3. This came after months of various bubble sites being found in the surrounding bayous, and "tremors" felt by locals. These bubbles are now known to be methane gas.

At first is was unknown what had caused the sinkhole, but later found that TB's (Texas Brine's) cavern had collapsed resulting in the "cave in". It is now known that the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) knew that there was integrity problems with this cavern at least since January of 2011. There is a letter from TB to DNR stating that their cavern had failed a pressure test...this was ignored, and not admitted until someone dug up that letter. The story is the same with radioactive waste that was being stored in the cavern. On Aug. 25, 1995 DNR signed a permit allowing TB to store NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material) in Oxy well #3. The Advocate reported: "The radioactivity of scale, a common byproduct of oil and gas exploration and production, can vary widely from background levels to much higher", the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. DEQ officials said Wednesday "NORM materials can be harmful if ingested and confirmed they had not been testing the sinkhole for radioactivity." I'm told that the amount of Norm on site is not enough to pose any health hazards.

It was discovered that the methane bubbles were coming from the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer. This aquifer runs over the top of the salt dome, and under the bayous and swamps of the area. It is still unclear why the methane has built up there, but they have drilled wells down into it to vent and flare off the methane there in an attempt to relieve the pressure. Currently there are five vent wells completed in the alluvial aquifer and one, Relief Well #2, completed in the cap rock. Four of the vent wells have positive wellhead pressure indicating gas accumulation; the fifth well has no wellhead pressure. The venting was at first unsuccessful due to the wells becoming clogged. Three of the wells are daily flaring methane at a rate of 12 - 32 mcf/day, as stated by the latest field update submitted by the office of conservation. http://assumptionla.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/825-p-m-bayou-corne-field-update/
And the two facebook pages created, and maintained by locals at: http://www.facebook.com/BayouCorneSinkhole and http://www.facebook.com/groups/170121413123913/[/SIZE]

[latravcha]

Originally Posted by weedeater

fishing any good, says its 1300' deep and sure seems like salinity would be high

I keep on clowning a buddy of mine that lives about 1000 ft. form the sink hole that it not that bad of a thing he will be one of the few people in Pierre Part that will be able to catch reds in his back yard.

On a more serious note I do feel for the people that live closer to the sink hole. Texas Brine is ****ing them over wanting to do a buy them out and offering next to nothing for their property. They have some really nice houses in the area and then they have some that are not that nice. Most of the families that live in the immediate area have evacuated. Several of the families were not able to evacuate because they have nowhere to go. What worries me the most is that Texas Brine does not have deep pockets like BP. Just hope the people that lived in the area don’t get screwed.

[latravcha]

The green arrow is that area of the sink hole. Green dot is area of my house. Not that far.



sink hole.jpg

[jchief]

Where is the water coming from?

[swamp snorkler]

Originally Posted by jchief

Where is the water coming from?

The Swamp....... DUH!

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by jchief

Where is the water coming from?

I think this "Swamp" area is all connected to Lake Verret which is just a mile or so south of the sink hole.

I use to go the Lake Verret a few times in Apr. or May to hit the bream when they spawned. You could load the boat with them.

Also this area [IMO] was the snake capital of Louisiana back in the '70's & '80's. While fishing, I could look around and see 5 to 10 snakes swimming around. Most were Diamond back water snakes. Sometimes I would have to scare them away to keep them from comming in the boat when they got back by the engine.

The aligator population now keeps the snake numbers in check.

[huntin fool]

Just got back from thy area. That is some sketchy business right there. Those houses right next to it appeared to be evacuated. There are some gorgeous homes right there. Hate to see that happen.

[eman]

All bets are off now w/ the containment levee being breached in 5 places. The water outside the levee got way higher than inside and it broke thru. all the water that flowed in now has to flow out taking the contaminants w/ it right into the swamp.

[latravcha]

That is what happens when you use sand to build a levee in the swamp. I hate to say it but I don't think they can do much about the situation but must make a showing.