Methane Leakage from Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells

Alana Miller ‘15, EJ Baik ‘16, Daniel Ma ‘17October 3rd, 2014

Summer of Learning Symposium

Project Summary

● Methane is a potent greenhouse gas● A significant amount of methane is leaking

from abandoned oil and gas wells● Our project is to learn more about the

methane leakage● Two field trips to Pennsylvania over the

summer

Data Analysis Overview

● Determining Methane Concentrations/Calibration● Flow Calculations● Statistical Analysis

Determining Concentrations/Calibration

Flame Ionization Gas Chromatography● raw data is the peak area for a specific gas (mVolts.min)● different gases have specific time signatures● use gas standards to determine the time signature and

calibration ratio

Flow Calculations

dc/dt is slope of concentration vs. time plot

Scaled the control flow based on the well chamber area

Methane Flows (June 2014)

Statistical Analysis

Well Drilling History, Pennsylvania

Estimate for total wells: 300,000 – 920,000 Arnold R, Kemnitzer WJ (1931) Petroleum in the United States and Possessions. Harper and Brothers, New York and London

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. (1989). Oil and Gas Developments in Pennsylvania in 1989 (Report No. 203) (J. A. Harper & C. L. Cozart, Authors). Harrisburg, PA.

Average Well Depths (PA)

Estimate for Total Plugging Cost, PA•Factors that influence plugging costs include:

–Depth

–State/Location

–Type (conventional, shale, etc)

–Condition and Accessibility

–Plug length, Age, Complications, Materials used

•Well plugging – high correlated with depth

•Number of wells and average depth by year used

•Estimate: $1.5 billion

•Range: $840 million - $2.4 billion

•Plugging cost of high emitters (16% of wells)- $240 million Andersen, M., & Coupal, R. (2009). Economic Issues and Policies Affecting Reclamation in Wyoming’s Oil and Gas Industry. University of Wyoming.

Mitchell, A., & Casman, E. (2011). Economic Incentives and Regulatory Framework for Shale Gas Well Site Reclamation in Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon University.

Value of Methane from highest-emitting well: $376, $330, and $220

Natural Gas Prices (US)

Alternative Energy Credit Prices

Kang, M. (2014). Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard: A Review of In-State Trends, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mary Kang, Cynthia Kanno, Kenny Campbell, David Pal, Matt Reid, Peter Jaffe, Yuheng Chen,

Joe Vocaturo, Wangyal Tsering, Ryan Edwards, Michael Celia and Denise Mauzerall for all of their help and

guidance in this work