August 7, 2009
WSGS Releases Open File Report
The Wyoming State Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management Buffalo Field Office, announce the release of Open-File Report
2009-10: 1993 – 2006 Coalbed Natural Gas (CBNG) Regional Groundwater Monitoring
Report: Powder River Basin, Wyoming. This report presents and interprets the
monitoring well data from the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) deep
monitoring well network in the Wyoming PRB. These data were collected from a
total of 111 monitoring wells from 1993 through 2006. The BLM deep monitoring
well network was designed and constructed to evaluate potential leakage between
the CBNG water-producing coal deposits and adjacent sandstone beds, and to
measure the drawdown in the producing zones. Groundwater models and drawdown
predictions have been used to forecast the potential hydrogeological impacts of
CBNG production in Wyoming. The BLM deep monitoring well data can be used to
evaluate impact analysis and provide calibration data for future analysis of
CBNG drawdown impacts. This report represents the initial analysis of data
through 2006. Additional data for 2007 and 2008 will be analyzed and
incorporated for a finalized version of this report. The Wyoming State
Geological Survey welcomes comments and suggestions pertaining to Open-File
Report 2009-10.
Click here to download Open File Report.
Press Release
from the Office of the Wyoming State Geologist
Ron Surdam, State Geologist