EAPSI: Investigating the potential release of trace elements and heavy metal contaminants during drilling for shale oil and gas

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Black shales have recently come to the forefront of the energy portfolio with the realization of the vast natural resources contained within these deeply buried rock formations. The relatively recent application of drilling technologies such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to the black shale system have made accessibility to the natural gas and oil economically viable. However, relatively little is known of the chemical changes occurring during these drilling operations and the potential for heavy metal contaminants (e.g. arsenic) and other trace metals (e.g. rare earth elements (REEs)) to be released. As a step towards understanding the potential chemical changes occurring during shale oil/gas drilling, this project will evaluate the thermal maturity (i.e. potential to produce natural oil/gas) of black shale samples to evaluate the system before drilling occurs. This research will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ji-Hoon Kim at the Korean Institute for Geological and Mineral Resources. Dr. Kim is an expert in characterizing organic carbon content in terms of energy utilization and is also well-versed in REE systematics during diagenesis of deep-sea sediment cores.This project will characterize the organic matter content in ~100 samples of continental black shales which are of interest to the energy industry for shale gas development. Additionally, ~60 samples from marine sediments will be used to provide context and guidance for interpretations of the black shale data. Organic matter content will be analyzed using LECO CHN-900 and LECO SC-132 instruments for total carbon, nitrogen, sulfur contents and using a Rock-Eval 6 instrument for total organic carbon content and organic matter character. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the National Research Foundation of Korea.