Congratulations
to JM Huber Corporation for receiving the 2009 prestigious award of
�Best Overall Use of Best Management Practices� from the Bureau of Land
Management. This award recognizes the oil, gas, geophysical, and
geothermal operators, along with their partners, for demonstrating
leadership and creativity in reducing the impacts of developing natural
gas, oil and geothermal resources on public lands.
JM
Huber Corporation received this recognition for their coal bed natural
gas development in the Powder River Basin. Highlighted, as one of their
outstanding management practices for this award, was the use of the SDI
(sub-surface drip irrigation) system. Ben White, of JM Huber
Corporation, stands inside the Bow and Arrow SDI facility explaining
how SDI is beneficial for the reuse of the water dispersed from the
coal bed natural gas exploration. To learn more about the award, click
the link below and watch the video.
2009 BLM Awards
BeneTerra
appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with a company who has
demonstrated their commitment to reducing the environmental impact of
producing natural gas. We congratulate JM Huber Corporation for being
this year�s recipient of the �Best Overall Use of BMPs� awar
The
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently issued BeneTerra a patent for
techniques developed to disperse produced water from coalbed methane
wells. The �utility� patent protects subsurface drip irrigation methods
developed by BeneTerra to beneficially use coalbed water in a way that
limits groundwater impact.
Patent number
7,320,559 is entitled �System and method for dispersing coal bed sodic
water.� It was applied for on July 14, 2005 and was awarded on January
22, 2008. The patent reflected the state of the art at the time of
application. As would be expected we have made many improvements in the
system since the patent application was made. A second patent
application, a �continuation in part,� was submitted and recently
published. More will follow as the BeneTerra team continues to innovate.
2007 hay yields excellent with coalbed water
Hay
fields irrigated with coalbed water through BeneTerra subsurface drip
irrigation have done well this year. BeneTerra
employees weighed randomly selected bales to calculate first
cutting yields. Despite weevil damage and herbicide carryover
problems, first cutting alfalfa in northeastern Wyoming
yielded between 2.0 and 2.6 tons per acre. Grass hay yielded
between 1.6 and 2.3 tons per acre. With this start total
alfalfa yields could be as high as 6 tons per acre this year.
BeneTerra Partner Coaches Problem Solving Team
to State Title
A team of five fourth grade boys coached by BeneTerra partner, Linda
Zupancic, took first place honors at the Wyoming Destination
Imagination competition. The team from Meadowlark Elementary School in
Sheridan practiced at the BeneTerra office for three months prior to
the statewide competition on March 31st in Casper. Their challenge was
�Direct Flight� in which they designed a launching device and aircraft
that performed aerial stunts. They were not allowed outside input � not
even from their coach. Linda�s job was to encourage the boys to solve
problems cooperatively.
Our
partners and staff found it difficult to refrain from advising but
restrained themselves admirably. The boys are headed for the Global
Challenge competition in Knoxville, Tennessee in May. We are proud of
them and wish them the very best.
