Project Updates

In the month of October, Air Products and its contractors will complete soil sampling in Lake Maurepas. The sampling will take place in the southern portion of Lake Maurepas, near Air Products’ existing permitted South Test Well. 

Air Products’ Class VI permit application has moved into the technical review stage of the permit approval process as of the end of September 2024.

Air Products participated in a public hearing on October 3, 2024 for its minor source air permit for the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex facility in Ascension parish. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality must review comments from the public before it can grant Air Products a permit, which will allow us to begin construction on this site.

Approved preconstruction work continues at the Ascension parish site. Already 500,000 metric tons of aggregate materials, 43,000 metric tons of cement and 7,000 deep foundation piles have been delivered and are being stored in advance of groundbreaking on the site.

In July, Air Products submitted its Class VI permit application for a carbon sequestration well to permanently sequester CO2 more than a mile below Lake Maurepas to the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources. 

In the month of September, Air Products and its contractors will conduct soil sampling in Lake Maurepas. The sampling will take place in the southern portion of Lake Maurepas, near Air Products’ existing South Test Well. 

At it’s Ascension parish site, Air Products has continued its approved pre-construction work on its site and has applied for a Minor Source Air Permit for the operation of the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex. 

The state will hold a public meeting October 3, 2024, for this permit.

In the month of September, Air Products and its contractors are conducting soil sampling in Lake Maurepas. A lift boat will arrive in Lake Maurepas in late August, and work will take around a month. In addition to daily boat traffic to take workers to the lift boat, boaters may see air boats marking different locations where sampling will occur. 

Boaters are asked to keep a safe distance from this lift boat while it is temporarily located in Lake Maurepas in the month of September. The sampling will take place in the southern portion of Lake Maurepas, near Air Products’ existing South Test Well. 

Air Products opted to conduct this work as late in the year as possible to avoid as much of the summer boating season as it could.

Air Products announced on Tuesday that it has made the first donation to the capital campaign for the Launch Therapy Center. Through the Air Products Foundation, the company is providing a $250,000 grant to expand Launch’s ability to serve children and families of Livingston parish.

Air Products has completed the drilling of the permitted South Test well and the drilling rig was safely moved off of Lake Maurepas this past weekend.

The final step of the construction work on this permitted South Test well is building the well guard around the completed well, which will be underway during the month of April.

Once this well guard is finished, Air Products’ construction work on Lake Maurepas will pause during the busy boating season.

Southeastern Louisiana University’s Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project is publishing real-time data from four monitoring buoys it placed on the Lake at www.southeastern.edu/LakeMaurepas

Today, Air Products announced a $250,000 grant to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation to fund fish stocking operations in Lake Maurepas. 

The funding will be used to introduce a large number of young fish to Lake Maurepas in 2024. 

This grant is the fourth made by the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund. In total, the fund has already provided more than $1.1 million in grants to worthy projects benefitting the Lake Maurepas community.

To learn more about the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/safety-and-environment.

Air Products work on the permitted South Test well will be completed soon.

The buoys installed on Lake Maurepas by Southeastern Louisiana University are now pushing live data to the public facing dashboard at Southeastern.edu/LakeMaurepas

SLU researchers, not Air Products, control this data and this dashboard.

To learn more about Air Products’ commitment to safety and nearly $10 million SLU research project funding of Lake Maurepas, visit cleanenergylouisiana.com/safety-and-environment.

Last week, Air Products’ team participated in outreach to local officials at the Louisiana Police Jury Association meeting in Lake Charles.

Work on Air Products’ permitted South Test well will be complete in the coming weeks.

Last week, researchers and students from Southeastern Louisiana University planted 350 cypress saplings as part of efforts to build up wetlands in Lake Maurepas.

SLU’s team will continue planting this week and ultimately will plant 2,000 cypress saplings this year and for the next two years as part of SLU’s Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project.

To learn more about Air Products’ commitment to safety and nearly $10 million SLU research project funding of Lake Maurepas, visit cleanenergylouisiana.com/safety-and-environment.
Work on Air Products’ permitted South Test well will be complete in the coming weeks.

As part of its work on the Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project, researchers at Southeastern deployed four monitoring buoys into Lake Maurepas last week, which will ultimately provide real-time data to the public about conditions on Lake Maurepas.

When the buoys are live, data including water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, and turbidity will be measured. Additionally, one buoy will have a weather station.

The public will be able to access this data via a dashboard located at southeastern.edu/LakeMaurepas. 

To learn more about Air Products’ commitment to safety and nearly $10 million research project funding of Lake Maurepas, visit cleanenergylouisiana.com/safety-and-environment

Work on Air Products’ permitted South Test well will be complete in the coming weeks.

Work on the permitted Class V South Test well will conclude in the coming weeks.

As part of its Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project researchers from Southeastern Louisiana University presented to a legislative Task Force studying the local impacts of carbon capture about SLU’s extensive independent monitoring research of Lake Maurepas.

To learn more about SLU’s work, visit https://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/programs/lakemaurepas/index.html

To learn more about Air Products’ commitment to safety and nearly $10 million research project funding of Lake Maurepas, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/safety-and-environment

Work is continuing on the permitted Class V test well in the Southern portion of Lake Maurepas and is expected to be complete in the coming weeks.

Researchers at Southeastern Louisiana University have published a report recapping their first year of research through the Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project. This can be downloaded on SLU’s website.

Work continues on Air Products’ permitted test well in the Southern portion of Lake Maurepas.

The Department of Natural Resources recently issued a Class V permit for Air Products’ second test well. Work on this second test well, located in the Northern part of the Lake, will begin shortly after the completion of the South well and be complete in the Spring.

Air Products recently announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community

As part of its Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project, Southeastern Louisiana University is sampling crabs and fish across the lake. To see a dashboard of where this sampling occurred, visit https://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/programs/lakemaurepas/otherdata/index.html

Work continues on Air Products’ permitted test well in the Southern portion of Lake Maurepas. The Department of Natural Resources recently issued a Class V permit for Air Products’ second test well. Work on this second test well, located in the Northern part of the Lake, will begin shortly thereafter and be complete in the Spring.

Air Products recently announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community

The Department of Natural Resources has issued a Class V permit for Air Products’ second test well, following a public hearing in August. Work on the first permitted test well in the Southern portion of Lake Maurepas is ongoing and will be complete in the coming months. Work on this second test well, located in the Northern part of the Lake, will begin shortly thereafter and be complete in the Spring.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Air Products recently announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community.

Air Products continues its work on the permitted South Test Well in Lake Maurepas, which started in August. Boaters in the area should stay 500 feet away from the rig, which is marked with buoys and lights.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Air Products recently announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community.

Air Products has expanded its website for the public with a News and Update section, where the public can view fact sheets about the project and also watch educational videos. Visit CleanEnergyLouisiana.com.

Air Products recently announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years.  To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community

Buoys and flashing lights create a perimeter around the rig and provide a robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Air Products recently announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community

The Livingston Parish Fire Protection District #2 and the Manchac Volunteer Fire Department will each receive a grant of $400,000 to support their first response missions, facilitating the purchase of new patrol and emergency response boats that will bolster response times and improve overall safety for residents, boaters and commercial fisherman on Lake Maurepas.

Buoys and flashing lights create a perimeter around the rig and provide a robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Air Products announced the Lake Maurepas Community Fund, a $1 million annual commitment to communities bordering Lake Maurepas starting in 2023 through the overall operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is currently anticipated to be at least 25 years. To learn more, visit https://www.cleanenergylouisiana.com/community

The Livingston Parish Fire Protection District #2 and the Manchac Volunteer Fire Department will each receive a grant of $400,000 to support their first response missions, facilitating the purchase of new patrol and emergency response boats that will bolster response times and improve overall safety for residents, boaters and commercial fisherman on Lake Maurepas.

Buoys and flashing lights create a perimeter around the rig and provide a robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Work continues on Air Products’ permitted South Test Well and is expected to continue through the Fall.

The Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project at Southeastern Louisiana University is preparing to deploy monitoring buoys on Lake Maurepas later this year as part of its effort to track the Lake environment.

Buoys and flashing lights create a perimeter around the rig and provide a robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

• Air Products and its contractors continue work on the permitted South Test Well, with work planned to continue into the Fall.

• The Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project at Southeastern Louisiana University has a 16-person team providing independent research about the Lake Maurepas environment. Learn about this team at https://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/programs/lakemaurepas/index.html.

• Air Products’ contractors have replaced its boom line with buoys and flashing lights around the perimeter of the rig to provide a more robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

• Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas. 

• Air Products’ contractors are continuing work on the permitted South test well. This work will continue throughout the Fall.

• Southeastern Louisiana University has launched a Facebook page for its Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project, which includes photos and updates from its team monitoring the health of Lake Maurepas. Find it on Facebook by searching “Southeastern Louisiana University Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project.”

• Air Products’ contractors have replaced its boom line with buoys and flashing lights around the perimeter of the rig to provide a more robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

• Air Products has launched a boater safety guide guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Air Products’ contractors are continuing work on the permitted South test well. Air Products has expanded its capacity for staff at the rig by moving in additional living quarters, to ensure proper staff levels on the rig at all times.

Southeastern Louisiana University has launched a website for its Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project, which includes monitoring reports and updates from its researchers who are monitoring the health of Lake Maurepas. To visit, go to: https://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/programs/lakemaurepas/index.html

Air Products’ contractors have replaced its boom line with buoys and flashing lights around the perimeter of the rig to provide a more robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Southeastern Louisiana University has launched a website for its Lake Maurepas Monitoring Project, which includes monitoring reports and updates from its researchers who are monitoring the health of Lake Maurepas. To visit, go to: https://www.southeastern.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/programs/lakemaurepas/index.html

Air Products’ contractors are continuing work on the permitted South test well.
Air Products’ contractors have replaced its boom line with buoys and flashing lights around the perimeter of the rig to provide a more robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

• Air Products’ contractors are continuing work on the permitted South test well. The public may see some pilings being removed this week; these are a part of a boom system that was removed.
• Air Products’ contractors have replaced its boom line with buoys and flashing lights around the perimeter of the rig to provide a more robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.
• Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas. Boaters should stay 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products’ contractors are continuing work on the permitted South test well. 

Air Products continually monitors the Tropical Weather Outlook and is in a heightened state of preparedness because of Tropical Storm Idalia, which is not forecast to threaten our work area. Project leadership is meeting multiple times each day to review weather data and tracking maps to ensure a quick response to any change in forecast.

Air Products’ contractors have replaced its boom line with buoys and flashing lights around the perimeter of the rig to provide a more robust visual safe buffer zone. Boaters should stay outside of these buoys and 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas. Boaters should stay 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products’ contractors are continuing work on the permitted South test well. 

Air Products continually monitors the Tropical Weather Outlook. Currently, there is no threat forecast to affect the permitted South test well construction area. Air Products and its contractors stand ready to respond appropriately should the forecast change.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas.

Boaters should stay 500 feet from the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

This past weekend, Air Products’ contractors moved a rig into Lake Maurepas for the south test well, which is already permitted by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. This rig is being constructed right now and drilling is planned for mid-August. The rig is staffed around the clock by workers. Traffic through the canals between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain is observing a no wake zone for the duration of this construction.

Work on the south well pad is complete. Contractors are placing rocks for the north well pad. Both well pads are already permitted by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. A separate permit for the north test well is under consideration by the LDNR.

Air Products has launched a boater safety guide online and placed signs with a QR code directing people to this website around Lake Maurepas. Boaters should stay outside the orange buoy line around the rig area for their safety and the safety of the workers.

Air Products Launches Next Phase of Geologic Research at Lake Maurepas for Louisiana Clean Energy Complex

• Air Products will drill a permitted Class V test well in the southern portion of Lake Maurepas to further assess the pore space – located more than a mile below the lake – to ensure it is suitable for safe and permanent carbon capture storage.
• Carbon capture and storage are critical to protecting Louisiana’s future as an energy leader and strengthening America’s energy independence.
• The permitted Class V test well will provide core and fluid samples, and other data, which will supplement the data already gathered from subsurface seismic testing, which was safely completed in early July 2023.

Air Products has started the next phase of geologic testing required for safe and permanent carbon storage beneath Lake Maurepas as part of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex, which will create clean energy and strengthen America’s energy independence.

With this next phase, Air Products will be deploying a temporary rig and other equipment to drill a permitted test well on Lake Maurepas to further assess the pore space – located more than a mile below the lake – to ensure it is suitable for safe and permanent carbon storage. The Louisiana Clean Energy Complex will produce clean hydrogen and use carbon capture technology to capture 95 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the production of the hydrogen, and then permanently and safely store the CO₂ more than a mile below Lake Maurepas.

“Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Air Products, and this next phase of pore space assessment is critical to ensuring it’s suitable before any CO₂ is permanently stored,” Andrew Connolly, Air Products’ Vice President and General Manager of Low-Carbon Hydrogen Large Projects, said. “This process will provide a more complete view of the geology found more than a mile underneath the lake, where Air Products intends to permanently and safely store the carbon dioxide as part of our efforts to produce clean hydrogen.”

Air Products will collect materials like core and fluid samples, and other data from the well to supplement the data gathered as part of subsurface seismic testing, which was safely completed at the beginning of July. The data collected will form the basis of the company’s planned permit application for a Class VI Carbon Sequestration well on Lake Maurepas.

Equipment for drilling the permitted Class V test well has begun traveling to Lake Maurepas and will include barges, boats and a rig. The drilling rig also includes temporary crew quarters for around-the-clock staffing and monitoring during construction.

Supervisors and managers will always be present and on duty, bring collective decades of experience, and are extensively trained on both safety and environmental stewardship to support the safety and wellbeing of the lake and those who use it.

Air Products is committed to ensuring the structures on Lake Maurepas are as unobstructive to daily use of the lake as possible, and still easily seen by boaters for safety purposes. Boater safety updates are being posted online and will be publicized via QR codes that will be posted around the Lake.

Construction on the well pad for our permitted South Well is ongoing. Barges are “light loading” rocks in Lake Pontchartrain onto barges that will travel into Lake Maurepas through the South Pass. It will take roughly six barge trips for the South Well Pad. Once constructed, these well pads will provide an excellent fish habitat.

Contractors will begin moving the rig into Lake Pontchartrain this week; it will enter Lake Maurepas through the South Pass during the first week of August, weather permitting.

Traffic through the canals between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain is observing a no wake zone for the duration of this construction.

DEQ is holding a public hearing on Air Products’ permit applications for its North Class V Test Well August 2 at 6 p.m. in Baton Rouge.

1) Patch 3 work (of six overall) in the lake's middle-western area remains underway. Those on the lake may see orange buoys (approx. football sized), flat green floating receivers & green and red buoys (approx. 3-5 ft. tall), which are held in place by cinder blocks. Note: Patch Cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

 

2) Air Products received its permit for a Class V test well from LDNR for work on Lake Maurepas.

 

3) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

 

4) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

 

5) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

 

6) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Patch 3 work (of six overall) in the lake's middle-western area has begun. Those on the lake may see orange buoys (approx. football sized), flat green floating receivers & green and red buoys (approx. 3-5 ft. tall), which are held in place by cinder blocks. Note: Patch Cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

2) Air Products received its permit for a Class V test well from LDNR for work on Lake Maurepas.

3) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

4) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

5) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

6) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Patch 2 of the six-patch subsurface seismic survey at Lake Maurepas is complete, and Patch 3 work in the lake's middle-western has begun. Those on the lake may expect to see orange buoys (approx. football sized), flat green floating receivers & green and red buoys (approx. 3-5 ft. tall) which are held in place by cinder blocks. Note: Patch Cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

2) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

3) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

5) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Work in Patch 2 and seismic testing will continue this week, weather permitting. Work in Patch 3 is expected to begin soon. Activity in the southwest corner of the lake is near completion and work is slated to begin in the middle-western area. Those on the lake may expect to see orange buoys (approximately the size of a football), flat green floating receivers & green and red buoys (approx. 3-5 foot tall). They are all held in place by cinder blocks. Note: Cleanup is being done as work is conducted. 

2) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

3) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area located across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

5) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Work in Patch 2 continues in the southwest corner of the lake and seismic testing will continue, weather permitting. Those on the lake may expect to see orange buoys (approximately the size of a football), flat green floating receivers & green and red buoys (approx. 3-5 foot tall). They are all held in place by cinder blocks. Note: Cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

2) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

3) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area located across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

5) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Work in Patch 2 continues, and seismic testing will resume this week, weather permitting. The public will likely see and hear activity on Lake Maurepas. Cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

 

2) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

 

3) Geophones are visible on the lake.

 

4) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

 

5) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area located across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

 

6) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain. 

1) Following the safe and successful completion of the seismic work in Patch 1, work in Patch 2 has started. The public may see and hear continued activity on Lake Maurepas. Cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

2) Subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. The public may see general operations in the early mornings and evenings.

3) Geophones are visible on the lake.

4) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Contact 225-250-7995 or lahydrog@airproducts.com for more information.

5) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area located across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

6) There are no Air Products activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) We are continuing work on the test wells and subsurface seismic study on the lake so increased activity may be seen and heard. Routinely, subsurface seismic survey work is done only during daylight hours. At times, general operations may be seen in the early mornings and evenings. Lake cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

2) Geophones are currently visible on the lake.

3) Air Products' established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy contact information is below.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac and a seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant.

5) Southeastern Louisiana University completed a draft copy of a baseline historical report on Lake Maurepas, which will soon be made available to the public.

6) There are no current activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) We are continuing work on the test wells and seismic study on the lake; therefore, increased activity may be seen and heard. Lake cleanup is being done as work is conducted.

2) Geophones (about the size of a dinner plate) are currently visible on the lake to measure sound waves.

3) Air Products' established crab trap damage reimbursement policy contact information is below.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac.

5) A seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant (off Hwy. 51). A ramp was recently added and a jack up barge is on site.

6) Southeastern Louisiana University completed a draft copy of a baseline historical report on Lake Maurepas, which will soon be made available to the public.

7) There are no current activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) We are continuing work on the test wells and seismic study on the lake; therefore, increased activity may be seen and heard.

2) Geophones (about the size of a dinner plate) are currently visible on the lake to measure sound waves.

3) Air Products' established crab trap damage reimbursement policy contact information is below.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and laydown area at Port Manchac.

5) A seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant (off Hwy. 51). A ramp was recently added and a jack up barge is on site.

6) Southeastern Louisiana University is conducting environmental testing of Lake Maurepas and will provide a baseline environmental report.

7) There are no current activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Expect to see increased project preparatory activity and boat traffic on Lake Maurepas. 

2) Geophones, to measure sound waves, will be temporarily placed in the "Phase One" area of the lake. They are about the size of a dinner plate and will be visible on the lake.

3) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Questions may be directed to the contact info below.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and storage area at Port Manchac.

5) A seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant (off Hwy. 51). A ramp was recently added and a jack up barge is on site.

6) Southeastern Louisiana University is conducting environmental testing of Lake Maurepas and will provide a baseline environmental report.

7) There are no current activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1) Air Products held its promised seismic demonstration at Lake Maurepas on Monday, December 5.

2) As part of the project's next steps, expect to see mobilization and increased boat traffic on Lake Maurepas. No seismic testing will be conducted this week.

3) Air Products has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy. Questions may be directed to the contact info below.

4) Air Products has a project management trailer and storage area at Port Manchac.

5) A seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant (off Hwy. 51). A ramp was recently added and a jack up barge is on site.

6) Southeastern Louisiana University is conducting environmental testing of Lake Maurepas and will provide a baseline environmental report.

7) There are no current activities on Lake Pontchartrain.

1. Air Products will hold the rescheduled seismic demonstration on Monday, December 5.


2. Southeastern Louisiana University is conducting environmental testing of Lake Maurepas and will provide a baseline environmental report.


3. Air Products met with a group of Lake Maurepas crab fisherman and has established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy.


4. Air Products has a project management trailer and storage area at Port Manchac.


5. A seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant (off Hwy. 51). A ramp was recently added and a jack up barge is on site.


6. Several project boats are assessing and mapping Lake Maurepas and there are no current activities on Lake Pontchartrain. 

1. Air Products has filed an application for a Class V Stratigraphic Test Well to be located in the northern part of Lake Maurepas. Air Products has already received the Office of Coastal Management and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for this well.


2. Southeastern Louisiana University began environmental testing of Lake Maurepas in October and is gathering information to provide a baseline environmental report.


3. Air Products recently met with a group of Lake Maurepas crab fisherman and established a crab trap damage reimbursement policy.


4. Air Products has a trailer and storage area used for project management at Port Manchac.


5. A seismic survey staging area is located across from Middendorf's Restaurant (off Hwy. 51). A ramp was recently added to the access platform at the wharf. Additionally, a jack up barge is expected to be placed in the water this week.


6. There are currently several project boats assessing and mapping Lake Maurepas.


7. Air Products is planning a demonstration to show what is involved with seismic testing. A date will be announced soon.


8. No activities are currently being conducted on Lake Ponchartrain. 

Beginning Work for Two Test Well Locations is Underway

In addition to the subsurface survey, Air Products has begun preliminary work to install two stratigraphic test wells on Lake Maurepas. The purpose is to further confirm the geology beneath Lake Maurepas as suitable for permanent sequestration of CO₂. 

Air Products received the necessary permits to conduct this test well work in the lake's south location from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Office of Coastal Management. 

The test wells and associated activities are not expected to increase the noise or adversely affect access for residents or recreational and commercial users of Lake Maurepas.

The proposed activities would be conducted in phases to avoid disruptions to normal lake and adjacent marsh access.

Activities will include deepening two sections of an existing channel that will be used for barge and drill rig access to Lake Maurepas, well pad construction, well installation at two proposed locations and a staging area at Port Manchac.

A staging area will be located at the Port Manchac facility; no modifications will be made to existing facilities.

Minor dredging and propwash preliminary work began September 16 and will end October 27, 2022. The work is being conducted to allow access for a drilling rig and rock barge. The barge will enter Lake Maurepas from Lake Pontchartrain via Pass Manchac. Tugs will be used to move the barge through the navigation channel.

Dredging will only be implemented on Lake Pontchartrain near the entrance to Pass Manchac. 

Propwash will be used to improve passage at one location on Lake Maurepas near the entrance to Pass Manchac (west of Akers).

Propwash will also be utilized to prepare the drill pad locations at the south and north test well sites.

Total dredging and propwash is approximately 39,700 cubic yards, placing the coverage under programmatic general permit (PGP#1).

Other channel improvements include stump removal.

The south test well drilling will start in November 2022. The north test well drilling will start in January 2023. These activities will be completed in April 2023.

A 16’ X 7’ platform will be installed to protect the test well locations.

The completed wells may be left in place for potential use as sequestration monitoring wells if testing confirms the geology is suitable for carbon sequestration.

A supplemental plan for plugging, capping, and/or removing the test wells will be provided if the area is deemed unsuitable for carbon sequestration. 

Lake Maurepas Seismic Survey Work

Air Products will construct a state-of-the-art clean energy complex in Ascension Parish. This clean energy complex will make Louisiana a leader in the U.S. clean energy transition. The project will produce clean hydrogen and feature the world’s largest site for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and permanent sequestration. Carbon sequestration is permanent, proven and an environmentally sound disposition of CO2. Louisiana’s geology is some of the best in the world for sequestration. Approximately 95 percent of the CO2 generated at the new facility will be captured, compressed, and transported safely to permanent sequestration sites (geologic pore space) beneath Lake Maurepas. Air Products has received approval from the State Mineral and Energy Board – part of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources – for the permanent sequestration of the CO2 in this area. The permanent sequestration area is approximately one mile beneath the surface and will have no effect on water tables. A seismic survey of Lake Maurepas is to begin in October 2022 through Spring 2023. A seismic survey is a 3D visual safety inspection of underground geology to help ensure the safest places to permanently store CO2 are assessed and confirmed. This survey is required as part of the permitting process.

The survey will be conducted by Exoduas Inc. in six phases, allowing continued boating access and recreation on the lake. Sound waves similar to a fish finder will produce 3D images of underground geologic structures. These sound waves are produced using small charges 60 feet beneath the water bottom. Passive receiver units called “nodal geophones” will record sound waves from the source points to map the subsurface formations in the area. Receivers are approximately 8” high and 3” in diameter and will be placed on cane poles (seismic source location markers) at the surface of the water and on land areas north and southeast of the lake.

 

For more information, please contact: lahydrog@airproducts.com.