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While development of the Utica/Point Pleasant Shale (UPP) is extensive in Ohio (U.S.) and increasing in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, few studies report the chemistry of produced waters from UPP wells. These data have important implications for developing best management practices for handling and waste disposal, or identifying the fluid in the event of accidental spill events. Here, we evaluated the elemental and isotope chemistry of UPP produced waters from 26 wells throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to determine any unique fluid chemistries that could be used for forensic studies. Compared to the Marcellus, UPP produced waters contain higher activities of total radium ( 226 Ra + 228 Ra) and higher 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratios. As with the Marcellus Shale, elemental ratios (Sr/Ca) and isotope ratios ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) can distinguish UPP produced waters from many conventional oil and gas formations. Sr/Ca and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios can fingerprint small fractions (∼0.1%) of UPP produced water in freshwater. However, because Marcellus and UPP produced waters display similar major elemental chemistry ( i.e. , Na, Ca, and Cl) and overlapping ratios of Sr/Ca and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratios may be the best tracer to distinguish these waters.
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Detecting and explaining why aquifers occasionally become degraded near hydraulically fractured shale gas wells
Extensive development of shale gas has generated some concerns about environmental impacts such as the migration of natural gas into water resources. We studied high gas concentrations in waters at a site near Marcellus Shale gas wells to determine the geological explanations and geochemical implications. The local geology may explain why methane has discharged for 7 years into groundwater, a stream, and the atmosphere. Gas may migrate easily near the gas wells in this location where the Marcellus Shale dips significantly, is shallow (∼1 km), and is more fractured. Methane and ethane concentrations in local water wells increased after gas development compared with predrilling concentrations reported in the region. Noble gas and isotopic evidence are consistent with the upward migration of gas from the Marcellus Formation in a free-gas phase. This upflow results in microbially mediated oxidation near the surface. Iron concentrations also increased following the increase of natural gas concentrations in domestic water wells. After several months, both iron and SO42−concentrations dropped. These observations are attributed to iron and SO42−reduction associated with newly elevated concentrations of methane. These temporal trends, as well as data from other areas with reported leaks, document a way to distinguish newly migrated methane from preexisting sources of gas. This study thus documents both geologically risky areas and geochemical signatures of iron and SO42−that could distinguish newly leaked methane from older methane sources in aquifers.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1639150
- PAR ID:
- 10079874
- Publisher / Repository:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Volume:
- 115
- Issue:
- 49
- ISSN:
- 0027-8424
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 12349-12358
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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