Elko District Office
| Contacts: | Lesli Ellis | , 775-388-1101 | , lellis@blm.gov |
Pine Valley Oil Well Repaired
ELKO, Nev.— An oil well in Pine Valley, south of Carlin, Nev., that was damaged on Dec. 18 has been repaired. The fluid from the well is contained by berms, and cleanup to vacuum the oil in the contained fluid continues. The well is completely secured and under control with no steam or oil coming from the well. No injuries or accidents occurred during the initial accident or repair operations.
Repair work was conducted over the Christmas holiday and supervised by the well operator Grant Canyon, LLC. An industrial crane was used to remove parts of the damaged workover rig and the area around the wellhead has been excavated in order to reach the damaged area and make repairs. A new wellhead has been welded into position and the hole filled with heavy weighted mud, securing the well.
It is believed the cause of the incident was due to a large, high-pressure bubble that emanated from the well.
The area is not near any structures or residences and is primarily a greasewood flat. There is sage-grouse habitat, but no known leks. The area is not within a wild horse herd management area and there is no known habitat for threated or endangered species. There is also no known threat to any surface or ground water supplies.
The well operator worked closely with the BLM, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, the Nevada Division of Minerals during the entire incident; repair, containment and ongoing remediation.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Elko District Office 3900 E. Idaho St. Elko, NV 89801