South Sunshine Tank Battery Slope Rehabilitation

Client: Range Ventures, LLC        Date: September – October 2015

Total Engineering Budget:  $45,000

Construction Cost: $120,000

Services Provided:

• Bureau of Land Management Coordination
• Contractor Coordination
• Slope Rehabilitation Engineering Design
• Construction Observation & Monitoring

The South Sunshine Tank Battery is approximately 20 miles south of Meeteetse, Wyoming. Nestled in the Owl Creek mountain range, the area is prone to landslides. Following a wetter than average spring of 2015, the site had become inundated with sloughed earth material from the hillside above the tank battery.

James Gores and Associates, Inc. was engaged by the well owner to design a slope stability plan, and observe its construction.Construction activities began with the removal of approximately 1,700 cubic yards of sloughed material. Once the slope had been cleared of sloughed material, and the heel of the slope failure was exposed, 280 lineal feet of perforated drain pipe was installed for future dewatering purposes. After installation of the drain line was completed, approximately 1,885 cubic yards of material was placed and compacted as slope fill. Geosynthetic material was placed in horizontal layers throughout the slope at intervals of 18 inches to mechanically stabilize the compacted slope. 1, 845 square yards of topsoil was placed over the reconstructed slope and stabilized with Miramesh geosynthetic material. Slope monitors were also installed to monitor potential future movement of the hillside above the location and the rehabilitated slope. Construction activities progressed for approximately five weeks, and were completed October 23, 2015.