C7 Produced Water Recycling Pipeline

presented by Keith Davidson, PG, PE

May 30, 2014

HIGH SIERRA WATER SERVICES

noble 

 energy 
Pipeline Plan
• Regulatory Jurisdictions

• Permitting 

• Pipeline Integrity by Design

• Benefits to the Community

Presentation Outline
• Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission 

• Weld County Department of Public Health and 

Environment, Land Use Planning, Public Works 

• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 

(CDPHE)

• Federal Jurisdictions 

Regulatory Jurisdictions
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division

Regulations Governing Solid Waste Facilities 

– Industrial Recycling Operations

– Beneficial Use of Treated Waste Materials 

– Recycled Commercial Products

• Rubber tires

• Reclaimed Solvent

• Used Lube Oil

• Construction Waste & Scrap

• Produced Water

CDPHE: Lead Agency
• HMWM Division Review and Comment

– Engineering Design Plans and Specifications

– Risk Management Plan

– Pipeline Operations Plan

• Construction Storm Water Discharge Permit

CDPHE Oversight 
Weld County

• Land Use Zoning Review: pipeline hazards 

• Flood Hazard Criteria: lowlands construction

• ROW Use Permits: road crossings

CDOT Road Crossing 

• Cultural & Paleontological 

• Crossing Design & As-built Submittals

Federal 

• US Army Corps of Engineers: wetlands 

• US Fish and Wildlife: special status species 

Other Requirements
• 40 Acre Central Processing Facility 

• Oil, Natural Gas, and Water Gathered from Eco-node 

Wells Sites

• Multi-phase Separation

• Oil and Gas Transported to Market by Pipeline

• 100% Water Recycling 

Noble’s Wells Ranch CPF
• Production/Completion Water Recycling 15,000bpd

• Class II Water Disposal capacity 20,000 bpd

• Water Truck Receiving 8 bays

• Oil Recovery and Sales

• New Recycling Pipeline from Noble CPF

High Sierra C7 Water Recycling 

Facility
• Pipeline Integrity Through Design

– Automation control

– Leak detection

– Pressure Relief

– Auto-drain components

– Pigging capability 

– Air relief at high points 

– Isolation valves at CPF

– Limited number of fittings/connections

– Pipeline markers & tracer wire

• CDPHE Review and Comment

Quality Control During Design
Pipeline Profile

4685

4690

4695

4700

4705

4710

4715

4720

4725

4730

4735

4740

4745

Ground Elevation (ft AMSL)

Distance from Noble CPF (feet)

High Point 4740

Crow Creek 4695

Noble 

CPF 

4710

High 

Sierra 

C7

4714

 South North 

Near Crow 

Creek 4690
• Safety program

• Materials Certification

• Thermal Fusion Logging & Verification

• Geotechnical Testing & Engineering 

• Pipe Placement & Compaction Monitoring

• Air Pressure Testing

• Hydrostatic Pressure Testing

• CDPHE submittals

Integrity During Construction
Fused Pipeline Layout
Thermal Fusion I&C and Logging
Coupons for Tensile Testing
Tensile Test Apparatus
Pipeline Placement
Compaction
Internal Fusion Bead Milling Tool
Internal Fusion Bead Removal
Long Radius Elbows
Pig Launcher & Receiver
Water Pipeline Pigging
Leak Detection at High Point Air 

Relief 
• Operations Plan

• I&C Testing and Validation of Interlocks, Alarms, Leak 

Detection

• CDPHE submittal

• CDPHE Letter of Authorization 

Operational Integrity
Insert table

Testing of Interlocks and Alarms

Discrete Sensor Description Pump Pump Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Motor 

Valve

Alarm 

Code

Noble 

CPF

C7 

Facility

Noble 

CPF

Noble 

CPF

Noble 

CPF

Noble 

CPF

Noble 

CPF

C7 

Facility

C7 

Facility

C7 

Facility

C7 

Facility Shutdown

northbo

und

southbo

und

northbo

und

northbo

und

drain 

NB drain SB

southbo

und

northbo

und

southbo

und

drain 

NB

drain 

SB

Low Low Level Tank sending tanks stop close close close 2

High High Level Tank receiving tanks stop close close close 2

Low Low Level Tank sending tanks stop close close 2

High High Level Tank receiving tanks stop close close 2

High-High Level Vault shutdown stop stop close close run run close close close open open 1

High Level Vault warning

Low Level Vault warning

Emergency Stop Button shutdown stop stop close close close close close 2

Emergency Stop Button shutdown stop stop close close close close close 2

Low pressure alarm 

northbound leak detection stop close run close open 1

High pressure alarm 

northbound pressure limit stop close close 2

Low pressure alarm 

southbound leak detection stop close run close close open 1

High pressure alarm 

southbound pressure limit stop close close close 2

High temperature alarm 

northbound northbound pipeline stop close close close close close 2

Low temperature alarm 

northbound northbound pipeline stop close close close close close 2

High temperature alarm 

southbound southbound pipeline stop close close close close close 2

Low temperature alarm 

southbound southbound pipeline stop close close close close close 2

Water balance alarm 

northbound

mass balance, leak 

detection stop close close close close close 2

Water balance alarm 

southbound

mass balance, leak 

detection stop close close close close close 2
Pipeline Leak Detection Testing
Pipeline Leak Signature

-150

-100

-50

0

50

100

150

5/8/2014 13:55 5/8/2014 14:24 5/8/2014 14:52 5/8/2014 15:21 5/8/2014 15:50 5/8/2014 16:19 5/8/2014 16:48

line 

packing

line 

packing

Leak

Event

pump stop 

pump stop

Leak 

Event

pump start

meter matching

pump start

flow lag
Pipeline Operations Forecast

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

 
– Noise $

– Road Damage $$

– CPF Congestion $$$

– Public Safety $$$$

Trucking Impacts
Air Quality Benefits

Estimated Savings by Elimination of Tanker Truck Trips

Year One-Way Tanker 

Truck Trips 

Barrels of Water Per 

Day

Round Trip Miles 

per year

CO2e Emissions 

(pounds/year)

Dust Emissions 

(pounds/year)

Equivalent 

Number of Cars 

Removed

2014 5,615 2,000 44,923 170,044 2,723 22

2015 16,846 6,000 134,769 510,131 8,169 65

2016 28,077 10,000 224,615 850,218 13,615 109

2017 39,308 14,000 314,462 1,190,305 19,060 153

2018 50,538 18,000 404,308 1,530,392 24,506 196

2019 50,538 18,000 404,308 1,530,392 24,506 196

1) CO2e or CO2 equivalent is based on NO2, CH4, and CO2 exhaust emissions using factors from Intergovernmental Panel on 

Climate Change (IPCC) 1995, Second Assessment Report

2) PM10 Dust emissions estimated using data for Colorado Highway 36, EPA AP-42, January 2011

3) Equivalent number of cars is derived from comparison to the CO2e emissions of a modern gasoline passenger car driving 10,000 

miles per year with a fuel economy of 25 MPG.
Tetra Tech, Inc.

Pipeline Integrity Through Design 

– Limited pipeline connections & therefore, potential for leakage 

– Pigging capability for drainage, testing, maintenance 

– Automation & leak detection 

– Quality Control during design, construction, commissioning 

High Sierra Water Services, LLC

World Class Produced Water Treatment Services

Noble Energy, Inc. 

Global Energy Company dedicated to Water Recycling and Sustainable 

Business Practices

Integrated Project Team 
Thanks to the following project stakeholders: 

• Greg Blais, PE, High Sierra Energy

• Joshua Patterson, High Sierra Water Services

• Doug White, High Sierra Water Services

• Adam Prior, PE, Noble Energy

• Operations Staff of the Wells Ranch CPF

Acknowledgements