The Abstract
"This report, prepared in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP), the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, and the Dauphin County Conservation District, provides estimates of water budgets and groundwater volumes stored in abandoned underground mines in the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield, which encompasses an area of 120 square miles in eastern Pennsylvania. The estimates are based on preliminary simulations using a groundwater-flow model and an associated geographic information system that integrates data on the mining features, hydrogeology, and streamflow in the study area. The Mahanoy and Shamokin Creek Basins were the focus of the study because these basins exhibit extensive hydrologic effects and water-quality degradation from the abandoned mines in their headwaters in the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield. Proposed groundwater withdrawals from the flooded parts of the mines and stream-channel modifications in selected areas have the potential for altering the distribution of groundwater and the interaction between the groundwater and streams in the area.
Preliminary three-dimensional, steady-state simulations of groundwater flow by the use of MODFLOW are presented to summarize information on the exchange of groundwater among adjacent mines and to help guide the management of ongoing data collection, reclamation activities, and water-use planning. The conceptual model includes high-permeability mine voids that are connected vertically and horizontally within multicolliery units (MCUs). MCUs were identified on the basis of mine maps, locations of mine discharges, and groundwater levels in the mines measured by PaDEP. The locations and integrity of mine barriers were determined from mine maps and groundwater levels. The permeability of intact barriers is low, reflecting the hydraulic characteristics of unmined host rock and coal.
A steady-state model was calibrated to measured groundwater levels and stream base flow, the latter at many locations composed primarily of discharge from mines. Automatic parameter estimation used MODFLOW-2000 with manual adjustments to constrain parameter values to realistic ranges. The calibrated model supports the conceptual model of high-permeability MCUs separated by low-permeability barriers and streamflow losses and gains associated with mine infiltration and discharge. The simulated groundwater levels illustrate low groundwater gradients within an MCU and abrupt changes in water levels between MCUs. The preliminary model results indicate that the primary result of increased pumping from the mine would be reduced discharge from the mine to streams near the pumping wells. The intact barriers limit the spatial extent of mine dewatering. Considering the simulated groundwater levels, depth of mining, and assumed bulk porosity of 11 or 40 percent for the mined seams, the water volume in storage in the mines of the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield was estimated to range from 60 to 220 billion gallons, respectively.
Details of the groundwater-level distribution and the rates of some mine discharges are not simulated well using the preliminary model. Use of the model results should be limited to evaluation of the conceptual model and its simulation using porous-media flow methods, overall water budgets for the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield, and approximate storage volumes. Model results should not be considered accurate for detailed simulation of flow within a single MCU or individual flooded mine. Although improvements in the model calibration were possible by introducing spatial variability in permeability parameters and adjusting barrier properties, more detailed parameterizations have increased uncertainty because of the limited data set.
The preliminary identification of data needs includes continuous streamflow, mine discharge rate, and groundwater levels in the mines and adjacent areas. Data collected when the system is responding to hydrologic stresses such as recharge or pumping changes would provide information on hydraulic barrier integrity and groundwater/surface-water exchanges; the latter would also be informed by tracer studies and streambed surveys. Use of transient simulations, calibrated with transient measurements, is suggested to provide an independent estimate of the storage capacity of the mines."
Source:
Water Budgets and Groundwater Volumes for Abandoned Underground Mines in the Western Middle Anthracite Coalfield, Schuylkill, Columbia, and Northumberland Counties, Pennsylvania—Preliminary Estimates with Identification of Data Needs, By Daniel J. Goode, Charles A. Cravotta III, Roger J. Hornberger, Michael A. Hewitt, Robert E. Hughes, Daniel J. Koury, and Lee W. Eicholtz
How does this apply to the Marcellus Shale Play?
1. Mine Drainage may be the perfect surrogate raw water for Marcellus and other Unconventional Gas.
2. The concept
a. Select natrual or induced minewater discharge areas near existing wastewater treatment plans, raillines, or other accessible areas. It would be best to use rail rather than hauling or pipeline installed along rail right-of-ways.
Phase I
a. Rank Sites and Characterize Sources
b. Interpet Minewater as Natural or Artifical Discharge Points and install a rapid treatment module to aerate the water and remove iron and manganese. Collect iron and managense oxides and use as a raw material for treating other waste streams.
c. Send this water by rail or pipeline to Fracwater Treatment Areas or a central storage area.
d. Blend the fracwater and AMD waste streams
e. Repeat-
Phase II - Use a portion of the revenue to install passive treatment systems.
Phase III- Discontinue use of the fluid for hydraulic fracturing, but use the passive systems to treat natural discharges and pipelines to faciliate the movement of production water for treatment.
Phase IV - Use the water to reclaim abandon mine lands by helping to establish a native grassland - growing switchgrass and other native grasses. Harvest these grasses as a future sustainable field. My reclaiming the land - we are also helping to reduce the volume of acid mine drainage.
Just a thought
Brian Oram, PG
Native of Wilkes Barre, PA
http://www.bfenvironmental.com/
Showing posts with label acid mine drainage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acid mine drainage. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Friday, February 19, 2010
DEP revising oil and gas well regs
This is a reposting of an article- I think it is critical for citizens, professionals, and organizations to review and comment.
Public comment sought by March 2
By SANDY LONG
PENNSYLVANIA — In efforts to provide better protection to Pennsylvania’s water resources, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is revising its existing rules for the construction of oil and gas wells and soliciting comments on the proposed revisions by March 2.
The proposed rulemaking would incorporate and update existing requirements, with modifications, regarding the drilling, casing, cementing, testing, monitoring and plugging of oil and gas wells.
The effects of unregulated drilling are still being addressed today. Last year, the DEP plugged 259 abandoned oil and gas wells located in the western and north-central regions of the state in nine counties. Many of the wells were leaking oil, acid mine drainage or natural gas.
The department has documented more than 8,600 wells throughout the state that were abandoned prior to the passage of modern oil and gas drilling regulations.
“Abandoned wells create passageways for pollution to enter and contaminate drinking water,” said DEP secretary John Hanger. “They also can allow natural gas to enter water supplies or build up in a home, which can create a dangerous enclosed space. Modern regulations require that wells be cased properly during use and sealed once they are taken out of service but, unfortunately, there are thousands of wells that were simply abandoned before people understood the dangers.”
The costs to plug a well vary with its age, depth and the terrain in which it is found. Typically, DEP crews clear a site and clean or remove the old well. After casings are removed and the well bore is clear, the well is filled with grout or cement and other materials.
Funding for the state’s Abandoned and Orphan Well Plugging Program comes from surcharges on well-drilling permits and from the Growing Greener program.
According to the DEP, Pennsylvania has the highest number of abandoned wells in the Appalachian region and is one of the top five states nationally. Since the first commercial oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania in 1859, DEP estimates as many as 350,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the state, with many of those wells having been abandoned without proper plugging.
Locally, the Wayne Conservation District has begun investigating the locations of such wells in the county. To report an abandoned well, call 570/253-0930.
View the proposed changes to the gas and oil well regulations at
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/Oil%20&%20Gas%20Documents/CHAPTER%2078%20Revisions%20January%2027%202010.pdf
Written comments on the draft proposed rulemaking should be sent to the DEP, Bureau of Oil and Gas Management, P.O. Box 8765, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8765. Comments may also be submitted electronically to the department at ra-epoilandgas@state.pa.us.
Public comment sought by March 2
By SANDY LONG
PENNSYLVANIA — In efforts to provide better protection to Pennsylvania’s water resources, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is revising its existing rules for the construction of oil and gas wells and soliciting comments on the proposed revisions by March 2.
The proposed rulemaking would incorporate and update existing requirements, with modifications, regarding the drilling, casing, cementing, testing, monitoring and plugging of oil and gas wells.
The effects of unregulated drilling are still being addressed today. Last year, the DEP plugged 259 abandoned oil and gas wells located in the western and north-central regions of the state in nine counties. Many of the wells were leaking oil, acid mine drainage or natural gas.
The department has documented more than 8,600 wells throughout the state that were abandoned prior to the passage of modern oil and gas drilling regulations.
“Abandoned wells create passageways for pollution to enter and contaminate drinking water,” said DEP secretary John Hanger. “They also can allow natural gas to enter water supplies or build up in a home, which can create a dangerous enclosed space. Modern regulations require that wells be cased properly during use and sealed once they are taken out of service but, unfortunately, there are thousands of wells that were simply abandoned before people understood the dangers.”
The costs to plug a well vary with its age, depth and the terrain in which it is found. Typically, DEP crews clear a site and clean or remove the old well. After casings are removed and the well bore is clear, the well is filled with grout or cement and other materials.
Funding for the state’s Abandoned and Orphan Well Plugging Program comes from surcharges on well-drilling permits and from the Growing Greener program.
According to the DEP, Pennsylvania has the highest number of abandoned wells in the Appalachian region and is one of the top five states nationally. Since the first commercial oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania in 1859, DEP estimates as many as 350,000 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the state, with many of those wells having been abandoned without proper plugging.
Locally, the Wayne Conservation District has begun investigating the locations of such wells in the county. To report an abandoned well, call 570/253-0930.
View the proposed changes to the gas and oil well regulations at
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/Oil%20&%20Gas%20Documents/CHAPTER%2078%20Revisions%20January%2027%202010.pdf
Written comments on the draft proposed rulemaking should be sent to the DEP, Bureau of Oil and Gas Management, P.O. Box 8765, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8765. Comments may also be submitted electronically to the department at ra-epoilandgas@state.pa.us.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Marcellus Shale and the Potential Solutions for Northeastern Pennsylvania
The Marcellus Shale, also known as the Marcellus Formation, is a Middle Devonian-age black, carbonaceous, i.e., organic rich, shale, that has a low density and underlies large portions of New York , West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania and the Marcellus Shale or similar formations may underlie sections of Kentucky , Maryland, and Virginia.
Natural gas occurs within the Marcellus Shale in three ways:
1) within the pore spaces of the shale;
2) within vertical fractures (joints) that break through the shale; and,
3) adsorbed on mineral grains and organic material. Most of the recoverable gas is contained in the pore spaces. However, the gas has difficulty escaping through the pore spaces because they are very tiny and poorly connected.
In 2002 the United States Geological Survey calculated that the Marcellus Shale contained an estimated undiscovered resource of about 1.9 trillion cubic feet of gas. Because of the large surface acreage and depth of the formation, i.e., over 1 mile below the surface, it was initially not anticipated to be a large producing formation. Recently, geologists have estimate that the entire Marcellus Shale formation contains between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The Marcellus Shale has been characterized as either the savior or the destroyer of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am not here to pick sides, but my opinion is that the natural gas companies should work with local governments, citizen groups, local Universities and Colleges, and other interested Organizations to review the real concerns and get out the information about the drilling process and fracturing process. In addition, this group should work together to develop intergrated solutions that address the needs of the natural gas companies, support the royality owners rights, and aids the local communities. With this in mind, I would suggest the following alternatives:
a. Aid local communities in improving and implementing construction standards for private wells and help citizens replace older substandard wells with wells that meet the new standard;
b. Consider solving are stormwater management problems by installing the necessary stormwater infrastructure for the community and then using these storage basins as wet detention basins to obtain some or all of the water needed for fracturing wells;
c. Consider siting one or more frac water treatment plants in the area or vicinity of some of the mine drainage outfalls;
d. Use the need to treat mine drainage as an opportunity to facilitate the development of a temporary source for hydrofracturing water and at same time creating a long-term system of acid mine drainage treatment;
e. where possible, intergrate the use of solar, hydro, and wind technologies to aid in off-siting the installation costs for the AMD and stormwater management; and
f. Evaluate the potential for the use of frac water (blended with treated mine water) as a source for irrigation water to help reclaim abandon mine land.
B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc. provides environmental consulting, expert witness, water quality sampling, and education outreach services to landowners and other organizations. The primary focus of our outreach efforts is to aid in evaluating and documenting baseline environmental conditions, evaluate potential for environmental impact, educate citizens on the natural gas development, and assist municipalities in planning related activities. In addition, the company works with local Universities to conduct research related to the Marcellus Shale.
Information on Stormwater Best Management Practices
http://www.bfenvironmental.com/bmps.php
Post prepared by Mr. Brian Oram, BF. Environmental Consultants Inc.
Natural gas occurs within the Marcellus Shale in three ways:
1) within the pore spaces of the shale;
2) within vertical fractures (joints) that break through the shale; and,
3) adsorbed on mineral grains and organic material. Most of the recoverable gas is contained in the pore spaces. However, the gas has difficulty escaping through the pore spaces because they are very tiny and poorly connected.
In 2002 the United States Geological Survey calculated that the Marcellus Shale contained an estimated undiscovered resource of about 1.9 trillion cubic feet of gas. Because of the large surface acreage and depth of the formation, i.e., over 1 mile below the surface, it was initially not anticipated to be a large producing formation. Recently, geologists have estimate that the entire Marcellus Shale formation contains between 168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The Marcellus Shale has been characterized as either the savior or the destroyer of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am not here to pick sides, but my opinion is that the natural gas companies should work with local governments, citizen groups, local Universities and Colleges, and other interested Organizations to review the real concerns and get out the information about the drilling process and fracturing process. In addition, this group should work together to develop intergrated solutions that address the needs of the natural gas companies, support the royality owners rights, and aids the local communities. With this in mind, I would suggest the following alternatives:
a. Aid local communities in improving and implementing construction standards for private wells and help citizens replace older substandard wells with wells that meet the new standard;
b. Consider solving are stormwater management problems by installing the necessary stormwater infrastructure for the community and then using these storage basins as wet detention basins to obtain some or all of the water needed for fracturing wells;
c. Consider siting one or more frac water treatment plants in the area or vicinity of some of the mine drainage outfalls;
d. Use the need to treat mine drainage as an opportunity to facilitate the development of a temporary source for hydrofracturing water and at same time creating a long-term system of acid mine drainage treatment;
e. where possible, intergrate the use of solar, hydro, and wind technologies to aid in off-siting the installation costs for the AMD and stormwater management; and
f. Evaluate the potential for the use of frac water (blended with treated mine water) as a source for irrigation water to help reclaim abandon mine land.
B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc. provides environmental consulting, expert witness, water quality sampling, and education outreach services to landowners and other organizations. The primary focus of our outreach efforts is to aid in evaluating and documenting baseline environmental conditions, evaluate potential for environmental impact, educate citizens on the natural gas development, and assist municipalities in planning related activities. In addition, the company works with local Universities to conduct research related to the Marcellus Shale.
Information on Stormwater Best Management Practices
http://www.bfenvironmental.com/bmps.php
Post prepared by Mr. Brian Oram, BF. Environmental Consultants Inc.
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