Midwest Tank Farm Sparge Wells
DTD has just completed the installation of two sparge wells beneath a mid-west tank farm. The above ground storage tanks (ASTs) were formerly used for storage of up to 2,000,000 gallons of benzene. Left over from those days, is a groundwater contaminant plume that has long been controlled by a perimeter collection trench. However, the client wishes to clear its liability by remediating the source, and to eventually be able to shut down the groundwater collection system.
Two horizontal sparge wells were specified, passing directly beneath one of the ASTs. As the tanks are considerably over 100 feet in diameter, standard walkover locating was not possible. DTD’s experience in drilling beneath tanks or other structures that prevent walkover locating (munitions landfills, nuclear waste storage, large petroleum tanks, etc.) came in handy.
Drill Rig and Mixing System
DTD used one of its small rigs, (a Vermeer 24×40) to install these two horizontal remediation wells. At right, the mud mixing system, drill rig, storage rolloff, and equipment trailer, can all be seen as set up on the job site. Each of the wells hit the specified target location for the well screen (elevation is critical with horizontal sparge wells), and the bores entered and exited at the base of the secondary containment berms, creating no disturbance to the tanks or obstacle to the trucks that came through for frequent filling from the tank farm.
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