Transcript Final Research Presentation

Water Quality and Hydraulic
Fracturing: GIS Analysis
Kyra Reumann-Moore
REU in Environmental Sustainability
Mentor: Joe Ryan
Graduate Student: Jessica Dehart
Background on Hydraulic Fracturing
• Concern over spills, faulty casing, flawed
cementing, or travel through faults
• Evidence of elevated methane within 1 km of
producing wells in PA
• Pavillion, WY study: elevated pH, BTEX, Cl–,K+
• COGA Voluntary Baseline Sampling Program
• COGCC mandatory groundwater monitoring
▫ Only state to require samples after drilling
▫ One of three to require sampling at all
AirWaterGas SRN
• 5 year NSF grant of $12 million
• Awarded Fall 2012
• CU-Boulder is the lead
institution
• My area: Water Quality
▫ Will fracturing fluid
contaminate drinking water
aquifers?
▫ Focus on the DenverJulesburg basin
▫ Look at: contamination
levels, parameter
correlations, oil and gas
wells proximity
COGCC Database
• Individual water well sample sites
• Oil and gas wells shapefile
• Looked at parameters based on EPA and CDPHE
drinking water quality standards
• 627 samples used in analysis
• Problems: lack of coordinates, qualifier codes in
data, parameters not reported consistently
COGCC Database
The online database map
A typical sample site page
Wells in the DJ Basin
Oil and Gas Wells in the DJ Basin
As reported by the COGCC
Water Wells in the DJ Basin
Field Sampling
• With Stephen Osborn and a
team from Cal Poly Pomona
• 39 sample sites in Boulder,
Adams, and Weld counties
• Helped Jessica Dehart take 6
samples at each site for DOC,
VOCs, and pesticide analysis
• Field data: latitude and
longitude, pH, specific
conductivity
• Also sampled for future
analysis: dissolved gases,
isotopes, alkalinity, metals
Water Quality Parameters
Spatial Trends
Methane and TDS
concentrations
Field Data Locations
Field and COGCC
Conductivity
Methane Concentrations Near Wells
My graph based on COGCC data
Osborn’s graph from PA
*Please note the difference in scale*
Carbon isotopes
My graph based on COGCC data
Delta 13C C1 (per mil)
Osborn’s graph from PA
Other Concentrations Near Wells
Water Quality Comparisons
Number of Wells Nearby & Well Depth
Areas for Further Research
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What geologic formations the water wells are in
Further study of carbon isotopes
Fault proximity
Time between oil and gas well activity and water
well sampling
• More field sampling, especially at COGCC sites
with high concentrations
Acknowledgments
• SRN – Air Water Gas Research Group
▫ Dr. Joe Ryan
▫ Jessica Dehart
▫ Dr. Stephen Osborn
• National Science Foundation
• Dr. Lupita Montoya
• COGCC
• TestAmerica, Accutest, ALS Environmental