{In Archive} RE: McElmo Creek Unit

Patrick Flynn to: Shaheerah Kelly, Dwight Mallory 04/16/2007 12:59 PM

Cc: wilsonlaughter

From: "Patrick Flynn" <pflynn@rnrc.net>

To: Shaheerah Kelly/R9/USEPA/US@EPA, "Dwight Mallory" <dmallory@rnrc.net>, 

Cc: <wilsonlaughter@navajo.org>

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Shaheerah:

1. The McElmo Creek Unit (MCU)is under an alternating 

waterflood and CO2

flood (water alternating with gas, WAG) to enhance 

oil recovery. The

natural gas produced at the MCU is therefore tainted 

with CO2 and cannot

be/is not sold. All of the gas produced at MCU 

(natural has + CO2) is

compressed and re-injected into the producing oil 

formation. 

2. There are no natural gas processing plants at MCU.

3. Correct, the Main Flare is only operated during 

compressor

malfunctions, electrical outages, emergency/upset 

conditions when the

recycle/re-injection compressor is down. Note we've 

ordered and will

soon accept delivery of a new compressor that will 

significantly reduce

compressor downtime and therefore flaring.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you need 

anything else.

Thanks - Pat

-----Original Message-----

From: Kelly.Shaheerah@epamail.epa.gov

[mailto:Kelly.Shaheerah@epamail.epa.gov] 

Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 1:44 PM

To: Dwight Mallory

Cc: Patrick Flynn; wilsonlaughter@navajo.org

Subject: RE: McElmo Creek Unit

Thank you for your responses. I just need to check a 

few other items.

1. Based on your response to question 3, it sounds 

like the gas at the

gas compression plant is not sent to a natural gas 

processing plant and

the gas is not later sold/sent to an end user or 

stored. Please let me
know if this statement is correct.

2. Are there any natural gas processing plants at the 

gas compression

plant?

3. Is the main flare only used during upsets, 

malfunctions and

emergencies, or is it currently used or will it be 

used in the future

during regular operation at the gas compression 

plant?

************************************

Shaheerah Kelly

U S EPA Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: 415-947-4156

Fax: 415-947-3579

 

 Dwight Mallory 

 <dmallory@rnrc.n 

 et> 

To 

 Shaheerah 

Kelly/R9/USEPA/US@EPA, 

 04/12/2007 04:16 Patrick Flynn 

<pflynn@rnrc.net> 

 PM 

cc 

 

wilsonlaughter@navajo.org 

 

Subject 

 RE: McElmo 

Creek Unit 

 

Please see the numbered responses below. Also, we 

would like to change

the Facility Name on the application to remove the 

term "gas plant" if

possible. I've revised the appropriate page of the 

Application Form and

it is attached. Sorry I didn't catch it on the last 

update.

If we need to submit another certification of truth 
and accuracy with

the change, let me know. I'm out of the office 

tomorrow and next week,

but I can get one signed and to you if need be.

Let me know if there's anything else.

1. No. There are no crude oil storage tanks located 

at the MCU gas

compression facility.

2. Yes. There are five small aboveground storage 

tanks at the MCU gas

compression facility. There is one 500 gallon tank, 

one 400 gallon tank

and one 250 gallon tank all of which contain lube oil 

for the

compressors. There is also a 1,000 gallon tank that 

previously contained

diesel fuel, but it has been removed from service.

3. No to both questions. There are no NGLs extracted 

at the MCU gas

compression facility and none of the gas is sold. All 

of the gas that is

processed by the facility is field gas that is 

re-injected to the

producing reservoir. Produced water and crude oil 

that are removed by

free water knockouts or "scrubbers" installed 

upstream of the facility's

compressors and are sent back to the tank batteries 

via a closed drain

system.

Dwight Mallory

Environmental, Health & Safety Coordinator

Resolute Natural Resources Company

1675 Broadway, Suite 1950

Denver, CO 80202

Phone (303) 534-4600 X 165

Fax (303) 623-3628

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EMAIL. THANK YOU.
-----Original Message-----

From: Kelly.Shaheerah@epamail.epa.gov

[mailto:Kelly.Shaheerah@epamail.epa.gov]

Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 1:11 PM

To: Dwight Mallory; Patrick Flynn

Cc: wilsonlaughter@navajo.org

Subject: McElmo Creek Unit

Hi. Please answer the following questions regarding 

the McElmo Creek

Unit Gas Plant. This would help in writing the 

permit. Let me know if

you have any questions. Thanks.

1. Are there tank batteries where oil is stored at 

the Gas Plant? If so,

how many?

2. Are there other storage tanks at the Gas Plant? If 

so, how many and

what materials are stored in the tanks?

3. Besides injecting field gas into the reservoir, is 

the gas diverted

to be sold at times? Is the field gas processed in a 

manner in which

natural gas liquids are extracted from the field gas?

************************************

Shaheerah Kelly

U S EPA Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: 415-947-4156

Fax: 415-947-3579

(See attached file: MCU_Contact_info.pdf)