Environmental impacts of shale gas development: A shallow aquifer controlled methane release experiment

页岩气开发有可能改变加拿大经济，在未来几十年内创造就业机会，创造大量财富和能源安全。然而，必要的开采技术，即水力压裂法，可能会对环境造成重大影响。页岩气开发产生的天然气泄漏对浅层地下水的污染是人们关注的一个重要方面，但对此知之甚少。特别是，缺乏关于地下水中天然气污染的最有效监测和探测方法以及在适当的时间和空间尺度上对地下水质量的潜在影响的知识。因此，在加拿大广泛开发页岩气之前，必须调查、证明和采用天然气对地下水污染的影响以及最有效的监测和检测战略。这一战略项目旨在通过开展受控天然气释放实验来解决天然气污染的不确定性。在实验期间，天然气将以受控的方式释放到浅层地下水中，并在空间和时间上监测其影响。释放后，将评估地下水恢复到自然条件的潜力。拟议的实验旨在（1）确定天然气对地下水质量的影响;（2）确定检测天然气污染的最有效方法;（3）帮助设计和开发监测和检测策略。总体目标是使页岩气开采成为一种更加环保和可持续的技术。

Shale gas development has the potential to transform the Canadian economy creating jobs, significant wealth and energy security over the coming decades. However the necessary extraction technique, i.e. hydraulic fracturing, could potentially give rise to significant environmental impacts. Contamination of shallow groundwater by leakage of natural gas originating from shale gas development is one aspect of significant concern about which little is known. In particular, knowledge on the most effective monitoring and detection methodologies regarding natural gas contamination in groundwater and the potential impacts on groundwater quality over appropriate temporal and spatial scales is lacking. Thus prior to widespread shale gas development within Canada it is essential that the implications of groundwater contamination by natural gas and the most effective monitoring and detection strategies are investigated, proven and employed. This strategic project aims to address uncertainty regarding natural gas contamination by undertaking a controlled natural gas release experiment. During the experiment natural gas will be released in a controlled manner into shallow groundwater and the effects monitored in space and time. Following release, the recovery potential of the groundwater to natural conditions will be evaluated. The proposed experiment aims to (1) determine the effects of natural gas on groundwater quality; (2) determine the most effective ways to detect natural gas contamination; and (3) aid in the design and development of monitoring and detection strategies. The overall objective is to make shale gas extraction a more environmentally friendly and sustainable technology.