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Beaver Creek Bridge Crude Oil Spill
Glasgow, KY - EPA Region IV
POLREP #16
Special - OPA 90 Work Plan 6 - Additional Funding Request to continue Operations

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
POLLUTION/SITUATION REPORT
Beaver Creek Bridge Crude Oil Spill - Removal Polrep

EPA Emergency Response

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Region IV

Subject:

POLREP #16
Special - OPA 90 Work Plan 6 - Additional Funding Request to continue Operations
Beaver Creek Bridge Crude Oil Spill

Glasgow, KY
Latitude: 36.9914130 Longitude: -85.9861300

To:

From:

Perry Gaughan, OSC

Date:

3/26/2015

Reporting Period:

03/26/2015

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Site Number:	Z4ZB	Contract Number:
D.O. Number:		Action Memo Date:
Response Authority:	OPA	Response Type:	Emergency
Response Lead:	EPA	Incident Category:	Removal Action
NPL Status:	Non NPL	Operable Unit:
Mobilization Date:	9/19/2014	Start Date:	9/19/2014
Demob Date:		Completion Date:
CERCLIS ID:		RCRIS ID:
ERNS No.:		State Notification:
FPN#:	E14459	Reimbursable Account #:

1.1.1 Incident Category
Region 4 Emergency Response and Removal Branch (ERRB) responded to a continuous release of crude oil along a one half mile section of Beaver Creek three miles west of Glasgow, Kentucky. Response efforts were initially requested by Kentucky Dept Environmental Protection (KDEP) and are being performed under the OSC's Oil Pollution Act authority.

1.1.2 Site Description
The spill Site is along the flood plain of a 50 acre farm three miles west of Glasgow. Crude oil continues to emanate from a creek bank into a 100 yard section of Beaver Creek in a remote section of the creek. Approximately a one half mile stretch of the creek has been impacted. The spill is located immediately south of a recent interchange construction by Kentucky DOT along the Louie B. Nunn Expressway between Interstate 65 and Glasgow, Ky.

1.1.2.1 Location
The spill is located along Beaver Creek on a 50 acre farm along State Route 1297 where it runs under the Louie B. Nunn Expressway.

1.1.2.2 Description of Threat
The crude oil release is emanating from the Harrison No. 2 abandoned oil well 80 feet from Beaver Creek. There are two additional abandoned oil wells on the flood plain but test trenching operations conducted in December of 2014 confirmed the source as the Harrison No. 2 well. According to Kentucky Oil and Gas, this well was most likely improperly plugged in the mid 1980's.

1.1.3 Preliminary Removal Assessment/Removal Site Inspection Results
EPA working with Kentucky DEP and the property owner has located three former well locations along the Harrison flood plain adjoining Beaver Creek east of Glasgow. Kentucky DOT has recently built an interchange on the L. Nunn Expressway on an 8 acre parcel of the farm upgradient of the creek.

The Harrison No. 2 well was initially uncovered and cemented on October 3rd by EPA and ERRs contractors (reference Polrep #3). However, test trenching operations near the well in December 2014 indicated that oil was continuing to flow from the well. Based on the latest well operations during Feb 2015, the cast iron bridge plug placed on Oct 1st 2014 was most likely set on bad, corroded casing which resulted in the plugging failure.

2. Current Activities

2.1 Operations Section

2.1.1 Narrative

Based on the continuing release of crude oil to Beaver Creek, the OSC requested and received additional funding from the National Pollution Fund Center (NPFC) on Feb 26th (see Polrep #13 OPA 90 Funding Request). Emphasis during the most current replugging operation were centered around the milling of the previous established well to 600 feet, reported to be the oil producing Leiper formation.

Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 20th 2015

Milling operations at the Harrison No. 2 well continued from Monday, March 16th through Wednesday, March 18th to a depth of 604 feet. On Thursday, March 19th, Norris Environmental of Glasgow, Kentucky was subcontracted to log the well. The well log indicated four oil producing zones from 200 to 500 feet. The Leiper formation was found to be at 500 feet. (Previous information from Kentucky Oil and Gas indicated that the Leiper formation would be found at 580 feet and would be the most productive oil zone.) The Corniferous oil producing zone was found at 200 feet and according to the well log appeared to have been blasted in an effort to produce the well. The well log indicated a rather wide blast area/void from 185 to 205 feet. During all milling operations by the well subcontractor over the last six weeks, no significant increase in crude oil coming to land surface was noted between 300 to 600 feet indicating that the Coniferous zone at 200 feet appeared to be the major source of oil impacting Beaver Creek.

Monday, March 23rd through Thursday, March 26th 2015

On Monday, March 23^rd, in an effort to stop crude oil from flowing from the well to landsurface (and the Beaver Creek water table), the oil well subcontractor attempted to cement 30 sacks of cement behind the 5 1/2 inch well casing at 185 feet. After a short period of time, this effort failed, apparently because of the zone/formation (void) at 200 feet. On Tuesday, March 24^th, the well void from 205 feet to 600 feet was filled with 50 sacks of cement. On Wednesday, March 25^th, another effort was made to cement the backside (annular space) of the 5 1/2 inch well casing. First, ten sacks of drilling mud was pumped to a depth of 185 feet and circulated to land surface and then 100 sacks of cement was pumped and circulated to land surface in an effort to cement behind the 5 1/2 inch well casing. Initially this effort appeared to be successful but the following day, the 5 1/2 inch well casing was tested (easily moved with the drill rig) indicating that there was insufficient cement behind the casing. Again this indicated that the zone at 200 feet is absorbing the large amount of cement being pumped down the 5 1/2 inch well casing.

2.1.3 Enforcement Activities, Identity of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs)

The OSC is working with Kentucky Oil and Gas in identifying previous drillers in the area. Once identified, EPA will pursue normal responsible party liability and request plugging records by operators. Wells in this area of Kentucky date back to 1930's to 1940's. Wells in an area of Boyds Creek less than ten miles from this site date back to 1865 (Civil War).

2.1.4 Progress Metrics

*Waste Stream*	*Medium*	*Quantity*	*Manifest #*	*Treatment*	*Disposal*

2.2 Planning Section

2.2.1 Anticipated Activities

2.2.1.1 Planned Response Activities

This OPA 90 Work Plan is a formal request for additional funding from NPFC to continue operations and cement the well. Currently, the OSC plans to log the well again on Monday, March 30^th to further define the geological formation between 150 to 200 feet, the Corniferous zone. This will assist in determining an ideal location to set a cast iron bridge plug and to determine a zone ideal for cementing the 5 1/2 well casing. It may be necessary to raise the casing out of the bore hole to find a zone (shale layer) which will accept enough cement to seal the well casing in place and eventually seal the well.

2.2.1.2 Next Steps

2.2.2 Issues

2.3 Logistics Section