Development of the Wink Sink in west Texas, U. S. A. due to salt dissolution and collapse

Journal Article · · Environmental Geology and Water Sciences; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01728499· OSTI ID:5920642

Johnson, K S ^[1]

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1. Oklahoma Geological Survey, Norman (United States)

The Wink Sink, in Winkler County, Texas, is a collapse feature that formed in June 1980 when an underground dissolution cavity migrated upward by successive roof failures until it breached the land surface. The original cavity developed in the Permian Salado Formation slat beds more than 400 m (1,300 ft) below ground level. Natural dissolution of salt occurred in the vicinity of the Wink Sink in several episodes that began as early as Salado time and recurred in later Permian, Triassic, and Cenozoic times. Although natural dissolution occurred in the past below the Wink Sink, it appears likely that the dissolution cavity and resultant collapse described in this report were influenced by petroleum-production activity in the immediate area. Drilling, completion, and plugging procedures used on an abandoned oil well at the site of the sink appear to have created a conduit that enabled water to circulate down the borehole and dissolve the salt. When the dissolution cavity became large enough, the roof failed and the overlying rocks collapsed into the cavity. Similar collapse features exist where underground salt beds have been intentionally dissolved during solution mining or accidentally dissolved as a result of petroleum-production activity.

• OSTI ID: 5920642
• Journal Information: Environmental Geology and Water Sciences; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Geology and Water Sciences; (United States) Vol. 14:2; ISSN 0177-5146; ISSN EGWSE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
ABANDONED SITES
CAVES
CAVITIES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISSOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GROUND SUBSIDENCE
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OIL WELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUGGING
SALT DEPOSITS
TEXAS
USA
WATER
WELLS