1. ASSESSMENT OF WATER RESOURCES IN DEWEY LAKE AND SANTA ROSA FORMATIONS, LEA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO ALLAN SATTLER. SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES AND JERRY FANT BLM, CARLSBAD A PROPOSAL THROUGH BLM FIELD OFFICE, CARLSBAD

5. THE ISSUE (EPILOGUE) THE NEW MEXICO WATER SITUATION HAS BECOME SO EXTREME THAT THE ACTUAL AVAILABILITY LOOMS LARGER AND LARGER THE ISSUE OF THE WATER AVAILABILITY IN THE DEWEY LAKLE/SANTA ROSA FORMATIONS WAS A PROMINENT ISSUE IN THE RECENT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE WATER IN THE DESERT STUDY THIS ISSUE COULD TRANSEND THE OIL AND GAS STUDY AREA

6. BACKGROUND OF SANDIA INVOLVEMENT SANDIA IS BOTH ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS AND CONCERNED WITH NATION’S ENERGY SUPPLY. FROM WIPP INVOLVEMENT AND STUDIES, SANDIA IS FAMILIAR WITH GEOLOGY/HYDROLOGY OF THE NEARBY AREA. SANDIA HAS LONG TERM INTERESTS IN THE NATION’S AND NEW MEXICO’S WATER SURETY AND SECURITY. SANDIA VOLUNTEERED TO WORK ON THE SITUATION DURING MEETINGS WITH BLM AND OCD. SANDIA VOLUNTEERED TO AND WROTE A WHITE PAPER ON SITUATION AND SUGGESTED A STUDY. SANDIA EXPANDED THE WHITE PAPER TO A PROPOSAL, INITIALLY AS A REGULATORY ISSUE. THE WATER SITUATION IN NEW MEXICO IS CRITICAL, ADDING URGENCY TO THE STUDY.

7. APPROACH HIRE CONSULTANT –TO BE UNDER BLM AND SANDIA SUPERVISION/ COLLABORATION. –INAPPROPRIATE FOR SANDIA TO COMPETE WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY. –GIVES BLM BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. COMMITTEE TO APPROVE WORK STATEMENT AND CHOICE OF CONTRACTOR. CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH BLM AND COMMITTEE. INVOLVE NMOCD AND STATE ENGINEER.

11. OBTAINING INDUSTRY BUY IN INDUSTRY TO HAVE SAY IN STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW). INDUSTRY TO HAVE SAY IN HIRING OF CONSULTANT. KEEP OPERATORS INFORMED. –INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH OPERATORS –REPORTS TO OPERATORS EVERY 1-2 MONTHS. –FREQUENT BRIEFINGS TO THE “COMMITTEE”

12. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACTOR SOW  Conduct literature search on Dewey Lake and Santa Rosa Formations.  Study all available data, prepare preliminary report.  Summarize existing beneficial uses of water from Dewey Lake and Santa Rosa Formations.  Comment on usefulness of existing data.  Make recommendations (consult with BLM, OCD, Sandia, and operators) where additional data should be taken.  Interpret all core, log, cuttings, well test and EM data (if taken).  Subcontract for field services of service companies, if required.

13. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACTOR SOW (cont.)  Prepare report to identify where, and in what quantity and quality, water exists and recommend where special protective measures should be taken.  Lists of all geologic/hydrologic factors going into decision including relationship between geologic and hydrologic factors and methodology used.  List of the geotechnical factors and methodology in sufficient detail so that a roadmap exists for similar studies in the future.  Insert data into GIS or suitable electronic format.  Prepare required written and oral reports, make presentations to the committee.

14. SPECIFIC GEOLOGIC/HYDROLOGIC DELIVERABLES STRUCTURE MAPS ON THE TOP OF EACH UNIT. ISOPACH MAPS. INDICATIONS OF WATER YIELD. INDICATIONS OF WATER CHEMISTRY. RECHARGE AREAS AND MECHANISMS MAPS OF GEOLOGIC PROPERTIES THOUGHT TO AFFECT PERMEABILITY: –CEMENTING, –FRACTURING, –GRAIN SIZE.

15. TECH TRANSFER ROADMAP OF HOW STUDY IS CONDUCTED TO BE A MODEL FOR FUTURE STUDIES. DIRECT INPUTS TO OPERATORS, GOOD REPRESENTATION. INPUT, INVOLVEMENT TO REGIONAL GEOLOGIC SOCIETIES, UNIVERSITIES. PAPER(S) FOR TECHNICAL SOCIETIES. COMPREHENSIVE PAPER TRAIL. “STAND ALONE” DATA SUCH AS ISOPACH AND STRUCTURAL MAPS. DATA IN GIS OR SUITABLE ELECTRONIC FORMAT WHERE APPROPRIATE.

17. COST ELEMENTS CONSULTANT. CORE, CORE ANALYSIS, LOGS. CUTTINGS ANALYSIS. SPECIFIC EM STUDIES. WATER CHEMISTRY, WHERE AVAILABLE. QUESTION OF SANDIA COSTS. –FROM GRANT. –FROM NEW MEXICO SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE. QUESTION OF SUBCONTRACTS. –THROUGH BLM. –THROUGH SANDIA. –THROUGH CONSULTANT.

18. IN KIND FIELD SERVICES, DONATIONS, FROM OPERATOR DONATION OF RIG TIME FOR CORE AND LOGS DONATION OF FIELD SUPERVISION: CORE, LOGS, CUTTINGS DONATION OF LOGS FROM COMPANY FILES

19. POSSIBLE OUTCOME (Resource) LONGER SURFACE CASING STRINGS WILL BE REQUIRED IN SOME AREAS, NOT IN OTHERS. CASING STRING MAY GO ONLY THROUGH SANTA ROSA FORMATION IN SOME AREAS AND BE SHORTER. INTERIM CASING PROCEDURES MAY BE ALTERED AS A RESULT OF STUDY.

20. POSSIBLE OUTCOME (Water Availability) KNOWLEDGE OF USABLE WATER IN DEWEY LAKE AND SANTA ROSA FORMATIONS WATER WELLS SITED JUDICIOUSLY