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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />:693 <br /> <br />MEEKER DOME UNIT - COLORADO <br /> <br />Meeker Dome is located approximately 3 miles east of the <br />town of Meeker on the north side of the White River between <br />Coal and Curtis Creeks. This is a local anticlinal uplift <br />which has been penetrated by numerous oil and gas wells. <br /> <br />The salinity problem arose due to oil and gas wells that <br />were drilled in the 1920's and subsequently abandoned. The <br />Meeker Well was identified in 1968 as having a flow of 3 cubic <br />feet per second and a salt concentration of 19,200 mg/L. This <br />would yield an annual salt load of approximately 57,000 tons. <br />After the well was identified as a significant point source, it <br />was plugged. Analy.sis a few months later revealed a flow <br />emanating from two abandoned wells located about two miles north. <br />These wells were then plugged, but later a diffuse flow appeared <br />on the south flank of the dome. <br /> <br />Investigations, done in conjunction with the feasibility <br />report, indicate that of the eight oil and gas exploratory wells <br />drilled on the Dome, four are adequately plugged. The four <br />other wells, the Scott, James, Marland, and Meeker wells, were <br />believed to be unplugged or inadequately plugged and are acting <br />as conduits for the subsurface saline water. To verify this <br />assumption, a monitoring network was installed, as well as a <br />cleaning, testing, and plugging program for the Marland, Scott <br />and James wells. This program ~s currently in progress. Because <br />major problems were encountered in cleaning the Marland bore, <br />a parallel hole was drilled and an attempt made to plug the well <br />by hydraulically fracturing the formation using a pressure cement- <br />ing procedure from the nearby parallel hole. <br /> <br />The final verification program report explaining the plugging <br />program, present conclusions reached, and recommendations for <br />future action was received in OctOber, 1981. <br /> <br />The feasibility report, as well as the draft environmental <br />statement and public hearing, is scheduled for early 1984. The <br />final environmental statement is set for late 1984. <br /> <br />(updated 11/12/81) <br /> <br />DS:cs <br /> <br />-26- <br />