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Some additional infonnation is given, but the data and conclusions are much the same as
prior to 1978.
If only control zones I, II, and III are considered, 13.3 million st of ore (commercial
mineralization) containing 5.5 million st of potash products would be unavailable.
The value lost in tenns of current (1977) dollars would be about $14.3 million. The gross
market value of the products would be about $282.4 million. Similar figures were
generated for sub-economic ("paramarginal") resources.
Sipes, Williamson, and Associates, 1981
Tracts 201M-3, 201M-4, and 201M-6 under lease to the Gulf Oil Corporation
were evaluated by Sipes, Williamson, and Associates (1981) for their fair market value of
hydrocarbons effective June 1, 1980. The tracts of about 640 acres each (total 1920
acres) are in secs. 21, 27 & 33 (respectively) T22S R31E. The fair market value of Tract
201M-3 was $2,027,664, that of Tract 201M-4 was $1,099,176, and that of Tract 201M­
6 was $1,846,184.
D'Appolonia Consulting Engineers, Inc., 1982
The report by D'Appolonia Consulting Engineers, Inc. (1982) contains five
chapters, only the first of which treats the amount of natural resources present at the
WIPP site. Chapter 2 examines resource recovery methods and is useful when the
economics of resource production is studied.
In section 1.1.2, the mineral and energy resources that underlie the four control
zones (I-IV) named are caliche, gypsum, salt, potash, and hydrocarbons. Table 1
(adapted from U.S. Department of Energy, 1980, tables 7-5 and 9-13) lists all of these
resources and gives quantity, depth, richness, data source, and some comments. Caliche,
gypsum, and salt (source of data: New Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources,
1978) are not considered economic reserves. Potash resources (sylvite and langbeinite)
are listed as 133.3 million st at 1600 ft below surface and 351.0 million st 1800 ft below
surface, respectively (source of data: U.S. Geological Survey, 1978b). The richness of
these materials is 8% K 2 0 and 3% KzO with a 4-ft minimum thickness, respectively. The
reserves are 27.43 million 51 of 13.33% ~O and 48.46 million 51 of KzO, sylvite and
langbeinite, respectively (source: U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1977). Hydrocarbon resources
(crude oil, natural gas, and distillate) are listed as 37.5 million bbls, 490 billion cubic
feet (BCF), and 5.72 million bbls, all at 4000 to 20,000 ft below surface (source: New
Mexico Bureau of Mines & Mineral Resources, 1974). The richness (physical and fuel
properties) of these resources are 31 to 46 degrees API, 1100 BTU/ft3, and 53 degrees
API, respectively. The crude oil is not considered an economic reserve. The reserves of
natural gas and distillate are listed as 44.62 BCF and 0.12 mb, both at depths of 14,000
ft (source: Sipes, Williamson, and Associates, 1980a).
In Table 2 (adapted from U.S. Department of Energy, 1980, table 9-14),
D'Appolonia ConsUlting Engineers, Inc. (1982) discuss the distribution of potash and
hydrocarbon resources and reserves by WIPP site control zones. Only 39.1 million st of
sylvite resource (29%) and 121.9 million 51 of the langbeinite resource (35 %) are in
control zones I, II, and III (source: U.S. Geological Survey, 1978b). Only 16.12 million
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