Projects

Perry Ranch Subsurface Drip Irrigation Project

 
Service provided: Dispersal of associated coal seam gas water

Location: Sheridan County, Wyoming

Daily capacity: 2.5 ML/day

Project start date: January 2005

Area developed: 84 ha, 687 km drip tubing, 14 km pipeline, pond capacity 22.5 ML

Water quality: EC = 2200 �S/cm, SAR = 48, Na = 500, HCO3 = 1400 mg/L, TDS = 1390 mg/L

Crops produced: lucerne and mixed cool season grasses

Aerial view of odd-shaped SDI fields to fit available land Swathing bountiful grass hay grown with coal seam water
Sampling soils for salt deposition Rancher after harvest of hay crop

This was BeneTerra’s first full-scale project using subsurface drip irrigation to disperse coalbed methane produced water.  It was built in three phases over two years to accommodate increased customer demand for water dispersal.  At peak times it has handled as much as 4 ML/day. As of November 2010 more than 3 600 ML have been dispersed at this project site.

These SDI fields have produced impressive hay crops. The rancher has been able to increase his herd size and supplies hay to two other ranches.  The topsoil on this ranch is virtually sodium free.  The subsoils exhibit a buildup of sodium but that is offset by naturally occurring calcium minerals.  Of the six monitoring wells on the project, two have exhibited a small increase in total dissolved solids, presumably from leaching of naturally occurring salts with the SDI water. The TDS levels have remained within legal limits.