Basic Data Report for Drillhole SNL-18 (C-3233)

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/989397· OSTI ID:989397

Powers, Dennis W. ^[1]

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1. Consulting Geologist, Anthony, TX (United States)

SNL -18 (permitted by the New Mexico (NM) State Engineer as C.3233) was drilled and completed during June 2006 to provide geological data and hydrological testing of the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Permian Rustler Formation along the margin of the northeastern arm of Nash Draw, north of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. SNL -18 is in the area where upper Salado Formation halite has been dissolved and is in the mudflat facies tract of Rustler mudstone -halite units. Culebra transmissivity is expected to be relatively high. SNL -18 is located near the southeast corner of section 20, T21S, R31E, in eastern Eddy County, NM. SNL.18 was drilled to a total depth (TD) of 566 feet (ft) below ground level (bgl), based on driller’s measurements. Below the caliche pad, SNL.18 encountered poorly consolidated sands, the Mescalero caliche, and the Gatuña, Dewey Lake, and Rustler Formations. The Santa Rosa and upper Dewey Lake have been eroded at SNL -18. The Rustler was cored from the lower Forty-niner Member into the upper Culebra Dolomite Member, with generally poor recovery. Geophysical logs were acquired from the open hole to a depth near TD. Water was encountered in the interval including lower Dewey Lake to Forty -niner Member. SNL -18 was drilled to 307 ft (Dewey Lake) using air. Air and mist were used to drill and core from 307–496 ft. From 496 ft to TD, mud was used for drilling and coring with poor to no returns circulating to the surface. Coring was abandoned in the upper Culebra Dolomite due to hole conditions. Core recovery was variable, and cuttings are limited to lacking below 496 ft. Cement was pumped into the drillhole to control loss of circulation and fill during drilling. The Los Medaños was drilled through mudstone 2 (M -2) and into the top of anhydrite 1 (A -1) based on geophysical logs and drilling rates. The thickness of M -2 is normal. No cuttings were obtained.

• Research Organization: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), Carlsbad, NM (United States); Washington Regulatory and Environmental Services Solutions LLC, Carlsbad, NM (United States); Washington TRU Solutions LLC, Hanford, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)
• DOE Contract Number: AC29-01AL66444
• OSTI ID: 989397
• Report Number(s): DOE/WIPP--07-3366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Culebra
Tamarisk
Dewey Lake
Dolomite
Forty-niner
Magenta
Permian
Rustler
above mean sea level
annulus fillings
basal bedded zone
bedding
below ground level
casing
cement
claystone
coarsening upward sequence
core recovery
coring
cuttings
drillhole
fining-upward cycles
gamma
geology
geophysical
gypsum
halite
hydrologic
lithology
mudstone
pedogenic calcrete
plugging and abandoning
siltstone
stratigraphic
tailings
transmissivity