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Kern River Natural Gas Line Expansion:
A Case Study in Overcoming Adversity on a Mountainous Lineal Reclamation Project
David Chenoweth, Joe Schneider and Colby Reid
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Project Description
• The Apex Expansion Project is located in the Wasatch Mountains in Morgan, Davis, and Salt Lake counties in northern Utah.
• The new 36” diameter pipeline is an expansion off an existing pipeline which stretches from southwestern Wyoming to California.
• 28 miles of new pipeline, 390 acres of revegetation, 175 acres of erosion control blanket, and 215 acres of seeding with straw mulch.
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Overall Project Goals
• Provide increased reliability and operational flexibility through additional looping and added compression.
• Add a capacity of 266 million cubic feet per day to safely and efficiently transport natural gas.
• Increase the availability of an abundant clean fuel for the generation of electricity.
• Provide much needed take-away capacity for the increasing natural gas supplies in the Rocky Mountains producing areas.
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Reclamation Plan• Developed by Kern River to address disturbances to
current site conditions due to construction of the Apex Expansion Loop.
• Incorporates standard erosion, sediment control, and restoration procedures.
• Site stabilization would require the following: backfilling, decompaction, recontouring, rock mulch, imprinting, water bars and revegetation.
• The pipeline contractor would perform everything but revegetation, which is the responsibility of WSRI.
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Reclamation Plan
• Revegetation included the following: seed bed preparation, seeding mixtures and rates, seeding methods, and reclamation treatments for steep slopes and erodible soils.
• Pipeline crosses 3 identified vegetation communities: Great Basin Sagebrush, Mountain Mahogany-Oak Scrub, and Douglas Fir Forest.
• Over 90 percent of the soil were considered to have moderate to high erosion, shallow bedrock or poor revegetation potential.
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Short Term Reclamation Goals• Re-establishing pre-construction contours and hydrologic
patterns
• Minimization of on-site erosion
• Minimization of off-site sedimentation
• Re-establishment of the pre-construction vegetative communities, as appropriate
• Where possible, replacement and/or enhancement to wildlife habitats crossed
• Establishment of post-construction vegetative monitoring stations
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Long Term Reclamation Goals
• Soil stabilization
• Establishment of a sustainable vegetative cover
• Annual post-construction monitoring for a minimum of 3 years
• Maintenance and repair of permanent erosion and sediment controls
• A commitment to the restoration and protection of water resources
• A return to pre-existing land uses to the extent practical and consistent with Kern River’s operations and monitoring needs
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Specified Approaches for Reclamation
• Slopes less than 30% - soil preparation, drill seeding, straw mulch, and crimping.
• Slopes 30-50% - hand broadcast seed, hand raking, and installation of straw erosion control blanket with photodegradable netting.
• Slopes greater than 50% - hand broadcast seeding, hand raking, installation of straw coconut erosion control blanket with photodegradable netting.
• 4 seed mixes utilized for different vegetation communities.
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Project Estimation
• Factored in union wage rates, slopes, and access to pipeline ROW.
• Initially assumed that access routes would be available, and that mild slopes (less than 30%) would be accessible to agricultural equipment.
• WSRI realized there would be many challenges with the project schedule, but believed the project could be completed with standard crew sizes.
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Contract Negotiations
• WSRI created a union based sister company, WSRII, in which the project would be performed under.
• Project general contractor was responsible for getting the pipeline in service by November of 2011 or face damages of $115,000 per day.
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Initial Project Approach
• To complete the first six sections of pipeline (168 acres) between November of 2010 and January of 2011. Then complete the rest of the 390 acres starting in June of 2011.
• Anticipated a 24 man blanket crew and a 4 man tractor crew could keep pace with pipeline construction. It was expected that crew sizes would grow as the project progressed.
• Expected to move equipment and laborers across the pipeline with low boy semis, 4wd pickup trucks, and UTVs. Hard to access areas were anticipated.
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Modified Project Approach
• Large amounts of precipitation in the fall of 2010 delayed revegetation until the spring of 2011.
• In March 2011, an inventory of site conditions revealed that the original project approach was not possible because of site access and slopes.
• WSRII hired extra laborers and utilized 2-9 passenger vans to get laborers to the access points, and then UTVs to get laborers and equipment to the pipeline.
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Modified Project Approach
• Helicopters were then used to transport laborers and equipment.
• Additional project management was dedicated to the job.
• By the end of August, WSRII had more than doubled its workforce. 2 school buses, a John Deere 650 dozer, and a Marooka dump truck were utilized to transport crew and equipment.
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Project Outcomes
• Even with all of the setbacks, WSRII was able to complete the project 5 days ahead of schedule.
• This project ended up being one of the most difficult revegetation projects that WSRI/WSRII has completed in its 29 year history.
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Lessons Learned
• There can never be enough time spent ground validating access along pipeline ROWs, especially in challenging terrain.
• Staffing a union project takes a large administration team and individuals experienced in union work.
• Critical management decision need to be made right away on a project of this complexity.
• WSRI has gained invaluable experience from this project, and we are eager to apply our knowledge on the next project.
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Questions