Applying natural tracer technologies in the environmental monitoring of unconventional gas extraction

自然示踪技术在非常规天然气开采环境监测中的应用

• 批准号: NE/L008475/1
• 负责人: Stuart Gilfillan
• 金额: $ 4.45万
• 依托单位: University of Edinburgh
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2013 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FL008475%2F1
• 关键词: Applying; natural; tracer; technologies; environmental

It is clear from recent media coverage that there is significant public concern surrounding the exploitation of unconventional gas resources (shale gas and coal bed methane) in the UK. Many of these concerns relate to potential methane contamination of drinking water supplies in shallow aquifers. Developing a comprehensive strategy for monitoring any unconventional gas extraction in the UK will be paramount in reassuring the public that the extraction is being undertaken in a responsible and safe manner. This regulation must be based on strong scientific principles which need to be established prior to widespread unconventional gas extraction taking place.This consortium project aims to use natural chemical components in groundwater and gases, to provide legally-defensible evidence in case of future allegations of methane contamination of groundwaters. This will be by obtaining chemical analyses of produced CBM and Shale Gas methane, shallow methane sources, and uncontaminated groundwater. Existing chemical analyses of baseline groundwater samples provide information on methane concentrations and the source of the water that the methane is contained in. However, they do not provide the unique fingerprint required to unequivocally determine the origin of methane.We will collect samples of shale gas, CBM and produced waters and undertake measurements of the C and H stable isotopes, radiocarbon (14C) and noble gases (He Ne Ar Kr Xe) in the produced gases. These will allow the CBM and Shale Gas to be distinguished from other gas sources and provide a clear "fingerprint" for assessing groundwater contamination. We will also collect samples of baseline groundwaters and measure methane concentrations, C stable isotopes in the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC), H and O stable isotopes to provide a simple low-cost screening. Should the methane gas content of these groundwaters be found to be above 2 milligrams per litre we will separate the methane gas and measure the H and C stable isotope signature. This will allow us to determine the separate origins of both the groundwater and of the methane (which may be shallow bacterial or deep thermal source).If sampling and analysis of groundwater during or after CBM or Shale Gas production shows that methane concentrations have increased, then analysis of the H, C, radiocarbon and noble gas components should be made on the groundwaters. This will allow the source of methane to be categorically resolved - is that methane of shallow bacterial origin, or from deep thermal sources which have previously been trapped at shallow depth, or is the increased methane an unambiguous addition of deep thermogenic methane from CBM or Shale Gas exploitation? The proposed laboratory which will be setup by this consortium, along with the extra facilities for noble gas and radiocarbon analysis which will be provided with the match funding secured from the Scottish Government and the University of Edinburgh, will provide a greatly improved approach to high-quality assurance of environmental protection of groundwater. This facility will be unique in Europe and we will pursue application of the techniques at other European sites of unconventional gas extraction.Action needs to be taken now, before widespread Shale Gas and CBM exploration and production activities commence in the UK. There is currently a one-off opportunity to collect and analyse uncontaminated baseline samples. We will publicise this research programme publicised to show the care with which Shale Gas and CBM regulation is being undertaken in the UK. This will provide public reassurance that lessons have been learnt from the negative unconventional gas experiences encountered in the USA and Australia.

从最近的媒体报道中可以明显看出，公众对英国非常规天然气资源(页岩气和煤层气)的开采存在重大担忧。其中许多关切涉及对浅层含水层饮用水供应的潜在甲烷污染。制定一个全面的战略来监控英国的任何非常规天然气开采，对于让公众放心，开采是以负责任和安全的方式进行的，将是至关重要的。这一规定必须以强有力的科学原则为基础，在进行广泛的非常规天然气开采之前需要建立这些原则。该联盟项目旨在利用地下水和天然气中的天然化学成分，在未来指控地下水受到甲烷污染的情况下提供具有法律依据的证据。这将通过获取生产的煤层气和页岩气甲烷、浅层甲烷来源和未受污染的地下水的化学分析来实现。现有的地下水基线样本化学分析提供了有关甲烷浓度和甲烷所在水的来源的信息。我们会采集页岩气、煤层气和采出水的样本，并对采出气中的碳和氢稳定同位素、放射性碳(14C)和惰性气体(He Ne Ar Kr Xe)进行测量。这将使煤层气和页岩气有别于其他天然气来源，并为评估地下水污染提供明确的“指纹”。我们还将收集基线地下水的样本，并测量甲烷浓度、溶解无机碳(DIC)中的C稳定同位素、H和O稳定同位素，以提供简单的低成本筛选。如果发现这些地下水的甲烷气体含量超过每升2毫克，我们将分离甲烷气体，并测量氢和碳的稳定同位素特征。这将使我们能够确定地下水和甲烷(可能是浅层细菌或深层热源)的不同来源。如果在煤层气或页岩气生产期间或之后对地下水的采样和分析表明甲烷浓度增加，则应在地下水中分析H、C、放射性碳和惰性气体成分。这将使甲烷的来源得到明确解决--甲烷是来自浅层细菌来源的甲烷，还是来自以前被困在浅层深处的深层热源，或者增加的甲烷是来自煤层气或页岩气开采的深层热源甲烷的明确添加？拟建的实验室将由该财团建立，以及惰性气体和放射性碳分析的额外设施，这些设施将由苏格兰政府和爱丁堡大学提供Match资金，将大大改善对地下水环境保护的高质量保证。这个设施在欧洲将是独一无二的，我们将继续在欧洲其他非常规天然气开采地点应用这些技术。现在需要采取行动，在英国开始广泛的页岩气和煤层气勘探和生产活动之前。目前只有一次机会收集和分析未受污染的基线样本。我们将宣传这一研究计划，以显示英国对页岩气和煤层气监管的谨慎。这将使公众放心，我们已经从美国和澳大利亚遭遇的负面非常规天然气经验中吸取了教训。

项目成果

Fingerprinting coal-derived gases from the UK

对英国煤成气进行指纹识别

• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.09.016
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Chemical Geology
• 影响因子: 3.9
• 作者: Györe D

The potential of noble gas tracers for CO 2 monitoring and early warning tracers for leakage

惰性气体示踪剂用于 CO 2 监测和泄漏预警示踪剂的潜力

• DOI: 10.1002/ghg.1342
• 发表时间: 2013
• 期刊: Science and Technology
• 作者: Gilfillan S

Tracking the interaction between injected CO2 and reservoir fluids using noble gas isotopes in an analogue of large-scale carbon capture and storage

• DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2016.12.012
• 发表时间: 2017-03
• 期刊: Applied Geochemistry
• 影响因子: 3.4
• 作者: D. Györe;S. Gilfillan;F. Stuart

The application of noble gases and carbon stable isotopes in tracing the fate, migration and storage of CO2

稀有气体和碳稳定同位素在追踪二氧化碳的归宿、迁移和储存中的应用

• DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2014.11.443
• 发表时间: 2014
• 期刊: Energy Procedia
• 作者: Gilfillan S