Bayou Corne sinkhole

The Bayou Corne sinkhole, also referred to in French as Doline de Bayou Corne, is a colossal geological event that occurred in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. Its emergence in August 2012 was the direct result of the collapse of an underground salt dome cavern, which had been operated by the Texas Brine Company and was owned by Occidental Petroleum. The incident necessitated the immediate evacuation of 350 residents from the nearby community of Bayou Corne, marking it as a significant industrial disaster.

Background and Formation

The region of Bayou Corne, like much of Louisiana, is situated above extensive salt domes—gigantic underground deposits formed during the Earth's geological history. These salt structures, some reaching thousands of feet below the surface, have long been economically valuable. Historically used for salt mining, in the 20th century, these caverns were also adapted for storing crude oil and natural gas. The Napoleonville Dome, beneath Assumption Parish, contained numerous caverns, six of which were managed by Texas Brine. One such cavern, Oxy3, located over a mile deep and less than 100 feet from oil and gas storage, was in a proximity deemed unsafe, though not illegal at the time. Despite unsatisfactory pressure tests, Texas Brine proceeded with expansion plans in 2010.

The Incident and Expansion

In June 2012, residents began reporting unsettling phenomena: ground tremors and visible bubbles rising from the water. While initial investigations by the U.S. Geological Survey noted increased seismic activity, the exact cause remained elusive, with suspicions initially falling on natural gas leaks. As these symptoms intensified, Texas Brine denied the possibility of a sinkhole. However, by the end of July, the Oxy3 cavern had begun to collapse. This led Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to issue a mandatory evacuation order on August 3, 2012, after residents reported the smell of crude oil. Texas Brine's investigation confirmed the collapse of the salt dome's outer wall, leading to sediment ingress and the escape of oil and gas.

The sinkhole's size rapidly increased. Initially spanning a hectare, by February 2014 it had expanded to 26 acres, and by 2024, it covered 37 acres. Texas Brine managed the situation by burning off escaping gas and attempting to stabilize the area. The expansion was accompanied by seismic activity, which caused debris and oil to be ejected from the sinkhole, making room for further material to collapse inward.

Impact and Legal Ramifications

The Bayou Corne sinkhole triggered a complex legal and social aftermath. Residents were involved in extensive legal battles with Texas Brine, receiving weekly payments from the company during the evacuation period. Governor Jindal threatened to sue Texas Brine to compel them to offer buyouts to the affected residents. While some accepted settlements, others joined class-action lawsuits. The ecological impact on local flora and fauna remains largely unstudied, leading to the sinkhole being described as one of the largest ongoing industrial disasters in the United States.

Further complicating matters, Texas Brine filed lawsuits against Occidental Petroleum in 2015, alleging that an oil well drilled by Occidental in 1986 was responsible for the cavern wall breach. In 2018, a state district judge determined shared fault among three companies: Texas Brine (35%), Occidental Chemical (50%), and Vulcan (15%). The mandatory evacuation order was lifted in 2016, but the community's population drastically reduced, with only 32 residents remaining by 2020.