2006 Progress Report

Since 2003, a team of scientists has been studying soils and crops in the Tongue River drainage area in an effort to anticipate, detect, and analyze the effects, if any, of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) produced water on irrigated soils and crops located in the Tongue River basin. At the end of the first three years of the expansive study, the scientists conclude that there have been no adverse changes in soil properties. The analysis is part of the ongoing Tongue River Agronomic Monitoring and Protection Program (AMPP). Detailed soil analysis was conducted on 337 samples collected from 16 fields over four sampling periods spanning the first three years of the program.

Soil samples from the monitoring events were delivered under chain-of-custody to Energy Laboratories, Inc. in Billings, Montana, for analysis of various constituents including pH, plant nutrients, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and soil texture.

Click Here to view a news release announcing the results.
Click Here to view the 2006 Fact Sheet of the results.
Click Here to view an executive summary of the complete report. (1Mb)
Click Here to view the full report. (222 pages, 13Mb)

Actual laboratory analytical reports for all testing can be viewed online at http://www.energylab.com/ampp.aspx.