Pad At Bayou Corne Sinkhole being evacuated of Equipment. Cracking and "Event/Growth/Burp" Happening today 1/19/13 UPDATED with Flyover 1/19/13

UPDATE 1/20/13 video of Flyover from 1/19/13 after "Event/burp/growth." Amazing the embedding option is still available so I am able to embed it here.  You can see how the pad is being taken over by the sinkhole in the video.

 


  Assumption Parish site has information of a "burp/event" happening today and growth of the Bayou Corne Sinkhole.  There was also increased seismic activity before the "burp" of the sinkhole that brought up debris and oil.

The pad that is at the sinkhole is being evacuated of equipment and personnel due to cracks that are happening and a growth event.

I wrote about the sinkhole and had done a video about it, 2 days ago.  They had not done a flyover since the 27th of December.  I found they had a new flyover up a couple of hours after I did my video.

The initial information this morning:

There has been increased seismic activity near the cavern this morning as well as developments of cracks on Oxy 3 pad. At approximately 10:00 this morning, another burp occurred in the sinkhole. The State Police helicopter has arrived to provide aerial viewing. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

Here is the update on it today, no flyover video yet to show the growth.

The Office of Conservation, in consultation with Assumption Parish Incident Command, is advising that the Texas Brine facility sinkhole appears to be undergoing a growth event, indicated by a recent upswing in measured seismic activity that began to decrease about the time of this morning’s release of debris and crude oil to the top of the sinkhole, as well as the appearance of cracks on the surface of the Oxy 3 well pad, located directly above Texas Brine’s failed cavern and on the eastern side of the sinkhole.
Monitoring of seismic activity and direct field observations from ground level and overflights are part of the ongoing response to determine the potential extent of this latest growth event – one of several observed since the formation of the sinkhole. Observations indicate that the current growth event is centered on the east side of the sinkhole – possibly related to shifting of salt and material within the cavern collapse zone. After a period of heightened activity, the number and strength of sharp seismic events dropped markedly following the release of debris and hydrocarbons from the sinkhole – though impacts at the surface on the eastern side of the sinkhole will continue to be monitored closely.
Following the appearance of the well pad surface cracks on the southwestern corner of the Oxy 3 well pad, the Office of Conservation advised that personnel and equipment should be removed from the site to ensure safety while observation and analysis of the growth event are ongoing.
Though the exact timing and extent of episodic growth events cannot be predicted, the Office of Conservation and its consultants had identified the Oxy 3 well pad as being within the area of potential sinkhole growth, and has maintained constant monitoring of subsurface conditions and activity for signs of instability in order to act quickly to protect the safety of the public and workers on site.

Here is one picture of the activity.  Most of the monitors for today and yesterday are blank.  This one is from yesterday. 

Pad is the area with all the equipment.  Notice all the water around the buildings now on the right.  That area use to be all dirt, without water.  This picture was taken 2 days ago 1/17/13.

View more pictures here. 

I hope they release another flyover.  I showed in my video how the water/sinkhole was approached two buildings that were close to the sinkhole and had begun surrounding it, besides the major seismic activity of the area.






Here is an upclose picture from 12/11/12 of the buildings I focus on in the video above.  It shows the water surrounding them over a month ago.