PROJECT: AVERY ISLAND
LOCATION: AVERY ISLAND, LA
OWNER: CARGILL
SYSTEM: POLYURETHANE RESIN INJECTION
COMPLETED: AUGUST 2012
Cargill Incorporated operates one of the oldest salt mines in the U.S. located on historic Avery Island, La. Avery Island is also, home to the McIlhenny Company, the producer of Tabasco Sauce. The unique Avery Island location produces the red peppers that give Tabasco its’ special flavor. A large fresh water leak into the slat mine had been reduced to 600 gallons per minute by two drill rigs; using cement slurry placed by Heyward Baker and Lane Geotechnical. The reduction in the volume of the leak increased the leak pressure to a point that the cement slurry could not keep from being washed out. The mine was closed, and a sink hole opened at the surface that began to consume trees. The old salt mine is supported by salt columns and all were worried that if the water ingress could not be mitigated they could lose a large portion of the island. JWI was called in to use chemical grout to reduce the flow to a point that Cargill mine grouters could reenter the mine and work from the inside. JWI introduce a hydrophobic, expanding urethane grout into the constant stream of cement slurry being pumped by Heyward Baker. The urethane gave the cement purchase points at the high-pressure leak location and the water ingress was reduced from 600 gallons per minute to roughly 5 gallons per minute. MSHA allowed Cargill employees to reenter the mine and clean up the rest of the leaks.