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Little Beaver Creek

 
Site Contact:
Joyel Dhieux
On-Scene Coordinator

(dhieux.joyel@epa.gov)

Site Location:
Marmarth, ND 58643
 response.epa.gov/LittleBeaverCreek
NRC#: 1176364

On Saturday, April 22, 2017, a sheen was reported on Little Beaver Creek in Bowman County, North Dakota. Bowman County is in the southwest corner of North Dakota near the town of Marmarth. Based on an aerial flight conducted by Plains Pipeline, the source of the discharge was a Continental Resources flow line, not the Plains pipeline.

Plains set containment boom in the Little Beaver Creek and Continental Resources has placed additional boom along the Little Beaver Creek and at the confluence with the Little Missouri River. While sheen and/or oil is visible for approximately fifteen river miles of creek, it is not contiguous/continuous for all fifteen miles. Approximately 25 to 40 barrels of emulsion were released, with the bulk of the release being oil (approximately 4-to-1 oil-to-brine ratio). This is a preliminary estimate based on visual inspection.


Creek bank at the POE following re-grading Photo: Bill Suess, ND DoH Point of Entry following re-grading Photo: Bill Suess, ND DoH Crews were flushing out pockets of oil upstream of CP#2. Oil was collected for recovery. Little Beaver Creek looking downstream from the point of entry Soils were excavated, replaced and regraded along the path of the oil Excavating contaminated soils along bank at the point of entry into the Little Beaver Creek Very light sheening at bank following excavation of contaminated soils Close up oil/water mix collected in the boom at CP#6. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Control Point #6 located at approximately 15 river miles downstream of the point of entry above the confluence with the Little Missouri River. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Control Point #5 located at approximately river mile 14. A small amount (i.e. 1-4 gallons) of oil/water mix was collected earlier in the day. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Close up of oil in the creek. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Crews collecting oil that had escaped the boom. The Red River formation crude was waxy enough to be collected with nets. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Crews deployed additional boom to prevent oil from migrating up a side channel to the Little Beaver Creek. After boom was installed, crews planned to conduct a boom sweep to collect the errant oil. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC With lower water levels and changing wind conditions, product migrated up a side channel of Little Beaver Creek near CP#4. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Control Point #4 located approximately at river mile 11.4. Some product had escaped the boom. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Water levels in Little Beaver Creek decreased and product was deposited in sandbar. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Control Point #3 (CP#3) located approximately 7.7 miles downstream from the point of entry. Some sheen visible. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Stained banks at CP#2 Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Oil collected at Control Point #2 (CP#2), approximately 4 river miles downstream of the point of entry. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC View of the point of entry into Little Beaver Creek. Boom (not visible in photo) has been placed along the bank. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Oil staining along the banks. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Oil collected at CP#1 Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Control Point 1 (CP#1) at river mile 0.1 below the discharge point into the Little Beaver Creek. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC Excavated soils were loaded and hauled for disposal. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC The oil flowed downhill and down a steep embankment into the Little Beaver Creek. Crews dug a bell hole at the bottom of the embankment above the creek to contain any additional oil seepage. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC The oil flowed downhill several hundred feet from the break. The berm around the break is seen in the distance. Continental had scrapped the top layer of contaminated soil for disposal. Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC The pipeline break area will be excavated and investigated pending notifications. The break was in a 3 inch flow line which is buried at a 6 foot depth. An earthen berm was built to contain any additional oil that surfaces from the break Photo: Joyel Dhieux, FOSC