HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.20 Seismicity EvaluationTPR 176-25
Underground Injection Control Well
Seismicity Evaluation
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
34 S. Wynden Drive, Suite 240
Houston, TX 77056
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well Conversion TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Colorado
Section 25, Township 7 South, Range 94 West, 6th PM
803.g.6 Seismicity Evaluation
The four items included in the 800-Series Rules under the topic of Seismicity Evaluation are
addressed in the following sections.
803.g.6.A and 803.g.6.B Evaluation of Known Faults and Historic Seismic Activity within
12 Miles of the Proposed Injection Well
The map in Figure 803.g.6.A-A shows Precambrian Basement faults (red and green lines) and
faults mapped in the Williams Fork Fm (brown lines) that are based on seismic data and have
been published in the geologic literature. Also shown are earthquakes (red circles) that have
occurred in and around Piceance Basin during the period 1973 to 2021, the time range which
includes the major drilling activity, and the start-up of most water injection wells in the center of
the basin. Additionally, current UIC wells (larger and smaller black circles) are shown.
The only earthquake within 12 miles of the subject well was man-made, created by the 1969
Project Rulison Nuclear Frac conducted by the US Government. It is located about 6 miles west of
the Subject Well. No natural earthquakes have been recorded within 12 miles of the subject well.
The magnitude of natural earthquakes in the greater Piceance Area (only a portion of which are
shown in the map) is shown by the histogram also in Figure 803.g.6.A-A. Fifty percent of the
earthquakes measured 2.25 Magnitude or less, which are considered minor and are commonly
not felt by humans. Magnitude 2.5 to 5.4 earthquakes are commonly felt, but typically cause
minor or no damage.
The location of natural earthquakes is strongly correlated with the margins of the basin. The
middle of Piceance Basin, which is ringed on the map in Figure 803.g.6.A-A by the tan colored
Cretaceous outcrop belt, has experienced few natural earthquakes. From this map, the
occurrence of natural earthquakes has a very weak to no visual correlation to published
basement faults or Williams Fork faults. Natural earthquakes also seem to have no observable
correlation with proximity to UIC wells in the basin.
Figure 803.g.6.A-B is the same as Figure 803.g.6.A-A but zoomed closer into the area of the
Subject Well. Note that the published, seismic-based basement faults nearest the Subject Well
are approximately 1.5 miles southwest and approximately 1.5 miles northeast. Also recall that
the calculation of maximum injection volume is based on an injection zone radius of ¼ mile as set
by COGCC in Regulation 803.f.3.
The stratigraphic cross section in Figure 803.g.6.A-D shows the Subject Well with the two other
CPX wells at Tepee Park Ranch. Note that the wells are in very close proximity to one another.
Also shown on the left is a well more than three miles away. The Iles Formation with its
members, the Rollins, Cozzette and Corcoran, are correlated. Note that there is very little
variation in thickness in the nearby wells and in the well miles away showing that there is no
anomalous thinning or thickening in the Iles Formation in the wells at Tepee Park Ranch in
general and the Subject Well in particular. This is evidence for no normal or reverse faults
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well Conversion TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Colorado
Section 25, Township 7 South, Range 94 West, 6th PM
encountered by these wells in the Iles Fm. Typically, a fault cut in a well will display either
thinning due to missing section (normal fault) or thickening due to repeat section (reverse
fault).
803.g.6.C Map of Potential for Seismic Activity within 12 miles of the Proposed Injection
Well
The map in Figure 803.g.6.C shows the long-term probability of a damaging earthquake within
12 miles of the Subject Well. Based on this map, 4 to 20 damaging earthquakes are expected in
the next 10,000 years (https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-
hazards/science/introduction-national-seismic-hazard-maps) near the Subject Well. Still very
low, but slightly greater, is the probability of a damaging earthquake outside of Piceance Basin
in the vicinity of Mt Sopris, the location of which is also shown in Figure 803.g.6.C. The URL for
this map is shown here:
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=38.28774,-109.05028&extent=39.95814,-
104.5706&range=search&showUSFaults=true&showUSHazard=true&baseLayer=terrain&timeZone=utc&search=%7B%22name%22:%22Search
%20Results%22,%22params%22:%7B%22starttime%22:%221973-01-01%2000:00:00%22,%22endtime%22:%222022-01-
12%2023:59:59%22,%22maxlatitude%22:40.511,%22minlatitude%22:37.568,%22maxlongitude%22:-105.62,%22minlongitude%22:-
109.29,%22minmagnitude%22:1.5,%22eventtype%22:%22earthquake%22,%22orderby%22:%22time%22%7D%7D
803.g.6.D Wellbore Diagram of Injection Zone Relative to the Precambrian Basement
The proposed Wellbore diagram for the Subject Well is shown in Figure 803.g.6.D-A. The
diagram in Figure 803.g.6.D-B shows the same wellbore diagram of the injection zone in the
Subject Well (left side, drastically shrunk in size) along with the stratigraphic column (middle),
expected depths, and expected thicknesses (right) for the formations from surface to
Precambrian Basement at the location of the Subject Well. Based on the available well control
near the Subject Well, the Precambrian Basement will be at a depth of approximately 22,000’,
which is about 10,000 feet below the proposed injection zone in the Subject Well.
Given all the information above and in the referenced figures regarding:
• published basement and Williams Fork faults,
• historic earthquake activity,
• few earthquakes in the basin,
• no observable correlation between earthquakes and published faults in the basin proper,
• no observable correlation between earthquakes and existing UIC wells in the basin,
• no log-based evidence of faulting in the proposed injection zone of the Subject Well,
• the proposed injection zone in the Subject Well is approximately 10,000 feet shallower than
the Precambrian Basement,
there is extremely low potential for induced seismicity during the proposed injection
operations.
6 miles
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Known Faults, Earthquakes and UIC Wells
within 12 Miles of Subject Well and
Beyond
Figure 803.g.6.A-ASources:
Basement Faults,
Hoak, T.E. and A.L. Klawitter, 1995, Figure 9, Delineation of Piceance Basin Basement
Structures Using Multiple Source Data: Implications for Fractured Reservoir Exploration,
Intergas `95: International Unconventional Gas Symposium, Tuscaloosa, AL
Williams Fork Faults,
Cumella, S.P. and D.B. Ostby, 2003, Figure 21, RMAG Piceance Basin Guidebook
Earthquakes, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/
Legend
Location of
Subject Well
12 mi Radius
Around Subject
Well
Basement
Reverse Fault
Basement
Normal Fault
Williams Fork
and Iles Strike-
Slip Fault
UIC Well in Iles Fm
UIC Well in Zone
other than Iles Fm
Earthquake,
1973-2021 with
Magnitude
1.7
Project Rulison
Nuclear Frac in
1969, Reported
Magnitude 5.3
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Known Faults, Earthquakes and UIC Wells
within 12 Miles of Subject Well,
Zoomed View
Figure 803.g.6.A-BSources:
Basement Faults,
Hoak, T.E. and A.L. Klawitter, 1995, Figure 9, Delineation of Piceance Basin Basement
Structures Using Multiple Source Data: Implications for Fractured Reservoir Exploration,
Intergas `95: International Unconventional Gas Symposium, Tuscaloosa, AL
Williams Fork Faults,
Cumella, S.P. and D.B. Ostby, 2003, Figure 21, RMAG Piceance Basin Guidebook
Earthquakes, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/
Legend
Location of
Subject Well
12 mi Radius
Around Subject
Well
Basement
Reverse Fault
Basement
Normal Fault
Williams Fork
and Iles Strike-
Slip Fault
UIC Well in Iles Fm
UIC Well in Zone
other than Iles Fm
Earthquake,
1973-2021 with
Magnitude
1.7
Project Rulison
Nuclear Frac in
1969, Reported
Magnitude 5.3
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Typical Seismic Expression of Precambrian
Basement Faults Shown in the Literature
Figure 803.g.6.A-C
Seismic line modified from,
Hoak, T.E. and A.L. Klawitter, 1995, Figure 7, Delineation of Piceance Basin Basement
Structures Using Multiple Source Data: Implications for Fractured Reservoir Exploration,
Intergas `95: International Unconventional Gas Symposium, Tuscaloosa, AL
Reverse Basement Fault
Normal Basement Fault
Legend Note:
•Horizon and fault colors added to original
published interpretation for more clarity
in this UIC well application
•MWX well projected ~2 miles north to
seismic line
•McDaniel well projected ~15 miles north
to seismic line
TEP Superior MWX-1
6S-94W sec 34
TD 8,350’, Iles Fm
Terra McDaniel (OWP) 1-11
9S-94W sec 11
TD 14,452’, below Weber Ss
SW NE
3.2 miles 1,198 feet 2,077 feet
Subject Well
Iles Fm
Proposed
Injection
Zone
A normal fault in a well is typically expressed as a thinned zone due to missing section.
A reverse fault in a well is typically expressed as a thickened zone due to repeat section.
North South
Rollins
Cozzette
Corcoran
est
est
Figure 803.g.6.A-D
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Stratigraphic Correlation of the Iles Fm
Showing No Evidence of Faulting in the Iles
Fm Based on Thickness Changes
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Earthquake Hazards Within 12 miles of the
Proposed Injection Well and Beyond
Figure 803.g.6.C
Legend
Earthquakes,
1973 through 2021
Mt Sopris
Basemap and data from:
USGS Interactive Earthquakes
and Hazards Map
Approximate
Location of
Subject Well
Approximate 12 mi
Radius Around
Subject Well
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/?extent=38.28774,-109.05028&extent=39.95814,-
104.5706&range=search&showUSFaults=true&showUSHazard=true&baseLayer=terrain&timeZone=utc&search=%7B%22name%22:%22
Search%20Results%22,%22params%22:%7B%22starttime%22:%221973-01-01%2000:00:00%22,%22endtime%22:%222022-01-
12%2023:59:59%22,%22maxlatitude%22:40.511,%22minlatitude%22:37.568,%22maxlongitude%22:-105.62,%22minlongitude%22:-
109.29,%22minmagnitude%22:1.5,%22eventtype%22:%22earthquake%22,%22orderby%22:%22time%22%7D%7D
Expected number of occurrences of damaging earthquake shaking in 10,000 years
National Seismic Hazard Map
Subject Well
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Proposed Wellbore Diagram
Figure 803.g.6.D-A
Figure 803.g.6.D-B
CPX Piceance Holdings, LLC
Proposed Injection Well TPR 176-25
Garfield County, Sec 25 7S 94W
Stratigraphic Chart, Piceance Basin
Showing Formations from Surface to
Precambrian Basement with Depths and
Thicknesses
Note:
•ExxonMobil O’Connell R11X-34P well which is
located 9.1 miles east of the Subject Well in Sec 34
7S 92W. Tops adjusted to merge with Subject Well
to account for drastic difference in KB
Modified from https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-069/dds-069-
b/REPORTS/Chapter_7.pdf
Williams Fork
Surface
Ohio Ck
Mancos B
NiobraraFrontier
Dakota
Morrison
Curtis
Entrada
Chinle
Weber
Maroon
Minturn
Belden
Molas
Leadville
Precambrian
Chaffee
(Dyer/Parting)
Rollins
Cozzette
Corcoran
Mancos
Expected Depths
from TPR #1 and
ExxonMobil
O’Connell
(MD, Ft)
Est 22,000’
11,638
0
6,879
7,540
10,988
11,422
11,950
12,200
12,570
12,700
12,730
12,870
12,968
14,948
17,748
17,800
18,077
17,282
11,850
13,323
14,961
Expected Interval
Thickness from
These Tops (Ft)
661
3,448
434
216
212
1,473
1,638
390
250
370
130
30
140
98
1,980
2,334
466
52
277
500’ to 1,000 est
Proposed
Injection Zone
Estimated
~10,000’
above
Precambrian
Basement
Proposed Injection Zone
Wellbore Diagram of Subject
Well Shown at Depth and Scale
More Appropriate for this
Diagram
Base Injection Zone
11,735’,
PBTD 11,825 in Subject
Well
Proposed
Injection
Zone in
Subject Well
Expected to
be ~10,000’
above
Precambrian
Basement