Geologic Characterization Of The Birds Nest Aquifer, Uinta Basin, Utah (SS-147)

By: Michael D. Vanden Berg, Danielle R. Lehle, Stephanie M. Carney, and Craig D. Morgan

Assessment of the Aquifer's Potential as a Saline Water Disposal Zone

As petroleum production increases in the Uinta Basin, Utah operators are pressed to establish suitable saline water disposal plans. Several natural gas operators have identified the Bird's Nest aquifer in central Uintah County as a possible large-scale, saline water disposal zone; however, disposal into this aquifer poses unique challenges and risks. The Bird's Nest aquifer formed from the dissolution of saline minerals within a saline zone in the upper Green River Formation's Parachute Creek Member. Through the examination of core, outcrop, and geophysical logs, we determined that the aquifer is separated into an upper zone, covering about 410 square miles with an average thickness of 79 feet, and a more extensive lower zone, covering about 719 square miles with an average thickness of 84 feet. The fact that the Bird's Nest aquifer lies within the Uinta Basin's oil shale horizon raises questions as to how large-scale, saline water disposal into this zone might impact potential future oil shale development.

Other Information:
Published: 2013
Pages: 47
Plates: 31+ 2 Appendices
Scale: N/A
GIS Included
Location: Utah