Evaluation of brine disposal from the Bryan Mound site of the strategic petroleum reserve program. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6894082· OSTI ID:6894082

Case, Robert J.; Loeblich, Laurel A.; McKinney, Larry D.; Minello, Thomas J.; Park, E. Taisoo; Randall, Robert E.; Slowey, J. Frank

On March 10, 1980, the Department of Energy's Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program began leaching the Bryan Mound salt dome and discharging the resulting brine into the coastal waters off Freeport, Texas. During the months of March and April, a team of scientists and engineers from Texas A and M University conducted an intensive environmental study of the area surrounding the diffuser site. A pipeline has been laid from the Bryan Mound site to a location 12.5 statute miles (20 km) offshore. The last 3060 ft (933 m) of this pipeline is a 52-port diffuser through which brine can be discharged at a maximum rate of 680,000 barrels per day. Initially, 16 ports were open which permitted a maximum discharge rate of 350,000 barrels per day and a continuous brine discharge was achieved on March 13, 1980. The purpose of this report is to describe the findings of the project team during the intensive postdisposal study period of March and April, 1980. The major areas of investigation are physical oceanography, analysis of the discharge plume, water and sediment quality, nekton, benthos, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and data management.

• Research Organization: Texas A and M Univ., College Station (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Policy and International Affairs (PO)
• OSTI ID: 6894082
• Report Number(s): DOE/PO/10114-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900 -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
024000* -- Petroleum-- Storage-- (-1989)
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
B CODES
BENTHOS
BRINES
COASTAL WATERS
COMPUTER CODES
CRUSTACEANS
DATA ACQUISITION
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
DISSOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FISHES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INVERTEBRATES
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
MARINE DISPOSAL
NORTH AMERICA
OCEANOGRAPHY
PHYTOPLANKTON
PIPELINES
PLANKTON
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SALT DEPOSITS
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOUTHWEST REGION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE
SURFACE WATERS
TEXAS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER QUALITY
ZOOPLANKTON