SusChEM: Geochemical Characterization and Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids

SusChEM：水力压裂液的地球化学表征和环境影响评价

• 批准号: 1441497
• 负责人: Avner Vengosh
• 金额: $ 31.41万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-09-01 至 2018-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1441497&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SusChEM; Geochemical; Characterization; Evaluation; Environmental

Broader significance.The development of unconventional oil and gas resources through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling has increased energy production in the USA and is expanding globally. Yet, this rapid development has triggered an intensive public debate over the environmental implications of this technology. One of the environmental risks associated with unconventional shale gas development is the contamination of water resources. Hydraulic fracturing fluids (HFFs) are highly saline and contain elevated levels of toxic elements such as barium along with high levels of naturally occurring radioactive materials. Yet the ability to directly identify hydraulic fracturing fluids and their release in the environment is not known. This NSF project seeks to develop novel and diagnostic geochemical tracers that are inherently connected to the hydraulic fracturing process. The environmental forensic approach will enable us to distinguish hydraulic fracturing fluids from other forms of contamination, including naturally occurring saline groundwater and the legacy of past conventional oil and gas exploration that can mask attempts to delineate water contamination sources and evaluate the net impact of shale gas development. The methodology developed in this NSF project could be applied universally to other unconventional reservoirs as hydraulic fracturing expands globally.Technical description.This study will use an extensive collection of flowback and produced waters from shale gas and conventional oil and gas exploration (total 80 samples) to establish a comprehensive geochemical database that includes major and trace elements, combined with multiple isotopic fingerprints (d18O,d2H, d13C-DIC, d11B, 87Sr/86Sr, d7Li, 206Pb/208Pb) and radionuclides (228Ra/226Ra, 210Pb/226Ra). Based on preliminary data, it is hypothesized that the novel multi-isotopes tracers will enable us to characterize and identify the geochemical fingerprints of HFFs, providing the basis for evaluation of their origin and possible impacts on the environment. It is proposed to investigate already collected HFFs? samples in addition to new collection of water resources in areas of shale gas development in WV and PA. In particular, the study aims to (1) integrate geochemical and isotopic data for reconstruction the origin and evolution of produced and flowback waters in shale formations as compared to produced waters from conventional oil and gas wells; (2) evaluate possible contamination of surface water by HFFs upon disposal of inadequately treated wastewater, spills, or leakage from HFFs? ponds; (3) simulate reactions of HFF with sediments and mixing with other water types through laboratory experiments and thermo-kinetic modeling; and (4) evaluate groundwater contamination in areas associated with shale gas development in WV.This project is being jointly supported by the NSF Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry program, the NSF Sustainable Chemistry, Engineering and Materials (SusChEM) initiative, and the NSF Environmental Sustainability program.

更广泛的意义。通过水力压裂和水平钻井开发非常规油气资源，增加了美国的能源产量，并正在向全球扩张。然而，这种快速发展引发了公众对这项技术对环境影响的激烈辩论。与非常规页岩气开发相关的环境风险之一是水资源污染。水力压裂液（HFFs）含盐量高，含有高浓度的有毒元素，如钡，以及高水平的天然放射性物质。然而，直接识别水力压裂液及其在环境中的释放的能力尚不清楚。这个NSF项目旨在开发与水力压裂过程内在联系的新型诊断地球化学示踪剂。环境法医方法将使我们能够将水力压裂液与其他形式的污染区分开来，包括自然产生的含盐地下水，以及过去传统油气勘探遗留下来的污染，这些污染可能掩盖了划定水污染来源和评估页岩气开发净影响的尝试。随着水力压裂技术在全球范围内的发展，该NSF项目开发的方法可以普遍应用于其他非常规储层。技术描述。本研究将广泛收集页岩气和常规油气勘探的反排水和产出水（共80个样品），结合多种同位素指纹图谱（d18O、d2H、d13C-DIC、d11B、87Sr/86Sr、d7Li、206Pb/208Pb）和放射性核素（228Ra/226Ra、210Pb/226Ra），建立包括主元素和微量元素在内的综合地球化学数据库。基于初步数据，假设新型多同位素示踪剂将使我们能够表征和识别HFFs的地球化学指纹，为评价其来源和可能对环境的影响提供依据。建议对已收集的HFFs进行调查。样本，以及在西弗吉尼亚州和宾夕法尼亚州页岩气开发地区新收集的水资源。具体而言，该研究旨在(1)整合地球化学和同位素数据，与常规油气井产出水相比，重建页岩地层产出水和返排水的起源和演化；(2)在处理不当的废水、溢出物或HFFs泄漏时，评估HFFs对地表水可能造成的污染？池塘;(3)通过室内实验和热力学模型模拟HFF与沉积物的反应以及与其他类型水的混合；(4)评价西部页岩气开发相关地区地下水污染情况。该项目由NSF地球生物学和低温地球化学项目、NSF可持续化学、工程和材料项目（SusChEM）以及NSF环境可持续性项目共同支持。