UNCONVENTIONAL GAS, HYDRAULIC FRACTURING AND WATERSHEDS
Photo: Gilles WendlingWhitehorse, January 2014
1
OUTLINE
Access to shale gas - basic principles
Groundwater - presence and movement
Wells 100% sealed? Forever?
Surface water and groundwater interaction
Potential effects - cumulative - delayed
2
Hydrofracking Risk Assessment
Executive Summary
7HULS�VM�L_W
LY[Z
Study concerning the safety and environmental compatibility of
hydrofracking for natural gas production from unconventional reservoirs
C. Ewen, D. Borchardt, S. Richter, R. Hammerbacher
WE ARE NOT ALONE
GERMANY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA
STATE OF THE ART: FRACKING FOR SHALE GAS
EXPLORATION IN SOUTH-AFRICA AND THE IMPACT
ON WATER RESOURCES
Report to the Water Research Commission
by
Prof. G. Steyl1, Prof. G.J. van Tonder2 and Dr. L. Chevallier3
1. University of the Free State, Chemistry Department, Bloemfontein 2. University of the Free State, Institute for Groundwater Studies, Bloemfontein
3. Council for Geoscience, Western Cape branch, Bellville
WRC Report No. KV 294/11
ISBN 978-1-4312-0225-6
February 2012
Feb 2012
3
ECONOMIC WHEN PASSIVE METHOD OF
EXTRACTION
4
19BC Oil and Gas Commission | Montney Formation Play Atlas NEBC | October 2012
Map 14: Montney Formation: Pressure
5
0 30 Km
N
C
C’
BB
BB’
KISKATIN
AW
RIVER WATERSH
ED
LEGEND
Montney pressure
Regional deep cross section
Main Roads
32000
60000
30000
50000
40000
Dawson Creek
6
05698 22002 19817
05691 2321610621
22924
KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED
200
0.00
-200
-400
-600
-800
-1000
-1200
-1400
-1600
-1800
-2000
-2200
-2400
-2600
-2800
-3000
400
600
800
1000KISKATINAW RIVER
Cross section BB-BB'
Cross section CC-CC'
10 Km 15 Km 20 Km 25 Km 30 Km 35 Km 40 Km 45 Km 50 Km 55 Km 60 Km 65 Km 70 Km 73 Km
200
0.00
-200
-400
-600
-800
-1000
-1200
-1400
-1600
-1800
-2000
-2200
-2400
-2600
-2800
-3000
400
600
800
1000
0.0 Km 5 Km
Doig1177 m.a.s.l.Doig
1162 m.a.s.l.
Montney1722 m.a.s.l.
Doig1430 m.a.s.l.
Montney1538 m.a.s.l.
Halfway73 m.a.s.l. DUNVEGAN
SHAFTESBURY
FERNIE
KISKATINAW
DEBOLT
KASKAPAU
CHARLIE LAKE
BALDONEL
GOLATA
BELLOY
Cadomin441 m.a.s.l.
DUNVEGAN
SHAFTESBURY
BASE OF FISH SCALES
FERNIEPARDONET
HALFWAY
CHARLIE LAKE
C C'D
epth
m.a
.s.l.
Ground Profile
East West
Piezometric levelHalfway (m.a.s.l.)
Piezometric levelBaldonnel (m.a.s.l.)
Piezometric levelPaddy Mbr part of PeaceRiver fm (m.a.s.l.)
???
MONTNEY
DOIG
MONTNEY
DOIG
PEACE RIVER
SPIRIT RIVER
BLUESKYGETHING
CADOMIN
NIKANASSIN
BALDONEL
GETHING
BLUESKY
SPIRIT RIVER
PEACE RIVER
CADOMINNIKANASSIN
Piezometric levelCadotte Mbr part ofPeace River (m.a.s.l.)
Water plays
Gas playsGas andwater plays
Legend
09733 OGC WellAuthority Number
OGC WellStratigraphicformation
Pressure of water(m of water)
Pressure of gas(m of water)
Pressure gas andwater (m of water)
Note:Piezometric lines for the differentformations were drawn using datafrom the Montney aquifercharacterization project (2011)
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IDENTIFICATION OF PLAY AND
MAKING THAT PLAY AS PERMEABLE AS POSSIBLE
8
05698 22002 19817
05691 2321610621
22924
KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED
200
0.00
-200
-400
-600
-800
-1000
-1200
-1400
-1600
-1800
-2000
-2200
-2400
-2600
-2800
-3000
400
600
800
1000KISKATINAW RIVER
Cross section BB-BB'
Cross section CC-CC'
10 Km 15 Km 20 Km 25 Km 30 Km 35 Km 40 Km 45 Km 50 Km 55 Km 60 Km 65 Km 70 Km 73 Km
200
0.00
-200
-400
-600
-800
-1000
-1200
-1400
-1600
-1800
-2000
-2200
-2400
-2600
-2800
-3000
400
600
800
1000
0.0 Km 5 Km
Doig1177 m.a.s.l.Doig
1162 m.a.s.l.
Montney1722 m.a.s.l.
Doig1430 m.a.s.l.
Montney1538 m.a.s.l.
Halfway73 m.a.s.l. DUNVEGAN
SHAFTESBURY
FERNIE
KISKATINAW
DEBOLT
KASKAPAU
CHARLIE LAKE
BALDONEL
GOLATA
BELLOY
Cadomin441 m.a.s.l.
DUNVEGAN
SHAFTESBURY
BASE OF FISH SCALES
FERNIEPARDONET
HALFWAY
CHARLIE LAKE
C C'D
epth
m.a
.s.l.
Ground Profile
East West
Piezometric levelHalfway (m.a.s.l.)
Piezometric levelBaldonnel (m.a.s.l.)
Piezometric levelPaddy Mbr part of PeaceRiver fm (m.a.s.l.)
???
MONTNEY
DOIG
MONTNEY
DOIG
PEACE RIVER
SPIRIT RIVER
BLUESKYGETHING
CADOMIN
NIKANASSIN
BALDONEL
GETHING
BLUESKY
SPIRIT RIVER
PEACE RIVER
CADOMINNIKANASSIN
Piezometric levelCadotte Mbr part ofPeace River (m.a.s.l.)
Water plays
Gas playsGas andwater plays
Legend
09733 OGC WellAuthority Number
OGC WellStratigraphicformation
Pressure of water(m of water)
Pressure of gas(m of water)
Pressure gas andwater (m of water)
Note:Piezometric lines for the differentformations were drawn using datafrom the Montney aquifercharacterization project (2011)
9
Source: USGS10
11
HYDROGEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
12
Aquifer 1
Aquifer 2
Aquifer 3
Target Zone
Piezometric levels
Spring
River
Groundwater flow
Not to scale
Poor quality seal or absence of seal
Deep Well
Good seal
Wetland
13
aquifer 1
aquifer 2
aquifer 3
aquitard
aquitard
aquitard
14
aquifer 1
aquifer 2
aquifer 3
aquitard
aquitard
water table of aquifer 1
water table of aquifer 3
15
DRILLING AND SEALING
REGULATIONS TO MAKE IT SAFE
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Model of a well casing after the cement has been poured.
German Hydrofracking Risk Assessment 2013
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REGULATIONS TO MAKE IT SAFE
BUT...
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Source: Alberta Energy Utilities Board19
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Well Integrity and Long-Term Well Performance Assessment
(Insights from work on CO2 Sequestration)
Bill Carey
Earth & Environmental Sciences Division Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, NM USA
EPA April 2013 Workshop21
How Is Wellbore Integrity Achieved? • Operational measures
– Adequate weight drilling mud
– Monitoring pressure for gas intrusion (“gas kick”)
– Blowout preventers • Design measures
– Steel – Portland cement
• Guidelines: API HF1 (hydraulic fracturing),
www.theoildrum.com
Production design
Abandonment
Bill Carey - EPA April 2013 Workshop22
Why do wells leak? • Formation damage during drilling (caving) • Casing centralization (incomplete cementing) • Adequate drilling mud removal • Incomplete cement placement (pockets) • Inadequate cement-formation, cement-casing
bond • Insufficient cement coverage of well length • Cement shrinkage • Contamination of cement by mud or formation
fluids
• Mechanical or thermal stress/strain – Formation of micro-annulus at casing-cement
interface – disruption of cement-formation bond – Fracture formation within cement
• Geochemical attack – Corrosion of steel casing – Degradation of Portland cement
– Carbonation – Hydrogen sulfide – Sulfate attack – Acid attack
Pre- Production
Post-Production
State of Alaska Oil and Gas Division
Bill Carey - EPA April 2013 Workshop23
Wis Historical Record, and Rate Analys
ellbore Integrity: Failure Mechanisms,
Anthony Ingraffea, PhD, PE
Cornell University Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE)
Renee Santoro
Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE)
Seth B. Shonkoff, PhD, MPH Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy (PSE)
University of California, Berkeley
1 Ingraffea et al., EPA April 2013 Workshop24
y-RepstrIndu f olls
orted Data On LossWellbore Integrity: Offshore We
Brufatto et al., Oilfield Review, Schlumberger, Autumn, 2003
SCP=Sustained Casing Pressure. Also called sustained annular pressure, in one or more of the casing annuli.
3
• About 5% of wells fail soon • More fail with age • Most fail by maturity
Ingraffea et al., EPA April 2013 Workshop
25
Marcellus Play: Results of Survey
Recent Operator Performance in the Pennsylvania
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1,609 wells drilled in 2010. 97 well failures.
6% rate of failure.
1,972 wells drilled in 2011.
140 well failures. 7.1% rate of failure.
1,346 wells drilled in 2012
120 well failures. 8.9% rate of failure.
Consistent with previous industry
data, and not improving.
Ingraffea et al., EPA April 2013 Workshop(GWS note: well failure = leaky well )26
!
MEASURES IN PLACE..BUT THINGS CAN GO WRONG
“Ten casing failures occurred at the enhanced heavy oil recovery operations in northeast Alberta, resulting in cross flow from the producing zone into another formation.” Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB),”Field Surveillance and Operations Branch Provincial Summary 2009” (2010)
GW Solutions report for Minnie Lake Conservation Society, Feb 2011
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Modeling of Leakage in Potential Failure Scenarios in Shale Gas Systems
Matt Freeman, LBNL
Technical Workshop Series: Well Construction/Operation and Subsurface Modeling
EPA-Research Triangle Park • April 17, 2013
Freeman - EPA April 2013 Workshop
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Conceptual Model Building: Scenarios: Fault/Fractures Pathway
5
Annotated view of the various zones of the simulated system. Colors denote different material types.
Freeman - EPA April 2013 Workshop29
Work in progress - More studies required
EPA report release scheduled in 2014
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS(2013 WORK)
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100% OF WELLS ARE SEALED
FOREVER
???
31
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
32
High river level
Low river level
Aquifers provide flow and temperature control!
33
05698 22002 19817
05691 2321610621
22924
KISKATINAW RIVER WATERSHED
200
0.00
-200
-400
-600
-800
-1000
-1200
-1400
-1600
-1800
-2000
-2200
-2400
-2600
-2800
-3000
400
600
800
1000KISKATINAW RIVER
Cross section BB-BB'
Cross section CC-CC'
10 Km 15 Km 20 Km 25 Km 30 Km 35 Km 40 Km 45 Km 50 Km 55 Km 60 Km 65 Km 70 Km 73 Km
200
0.00
-200
-400
-600
-800
-1000
-1200
-1400
-1600
-1800
-2000
-2200
-2400
-2600
-2800
-3000
400
600
800
1000
0.0 Km 5 Km
Doig1177 m.a.s.l.Doig
1162 m.a.s.l.
Montney1722 m.a.s.l.
Doig1430 m.a.s.l.
Montney1538 m.a.s.l.
Halfway73 m.a.s.l. DUNVEGAN
SHAFTESBURY
FERNIE
KISKATINAW
DEBOLT
KASKAPAU
CHARLIE LAKE
BALDONEL
GOLATA
BELLOY
Cadomin441 m.a.s.l.
DUNVEGAN
SHAFTESBURY
BASE OF FISH SCALES
FERNIEPARDONET
HALFWAY
CHARLIE LAKE
C C'D
epth
m.a
.s.l.
Ground Profile
East West
Piezometric levelHalfway (m.a.s.l.)
Piezometric levelBaldonnel (m.a.s.l.)
Piezometric levelPaddy Mbr part of PeaceRiver fm (m.a.s.l.)
???
MONTNEY
DOIG
MONTNEY
DOIG
PEACE RIVER
SPIRIT RIVER
BLUESKYGETHING
CADOMIN
NIKANASSIN
BALDONEL
GETHING
BLUESKY
SPIRIT RIVER
PEACE RIVER
CADOMINNIKANASSIN
Piezometric levelCadotte Mbr part ofPeace River (m.a.s.l.)
Water plays
Gas playsGas andwater plays
Legend
09733 OGC WellAuthority Number
OGC WellStratigraphicformation
Pressure of water(m of water)
Pressure of gas(m of water)
Pressure gas andwater (m of water)
Note:Piezometric lines for the differentformations were drawn using datafrom the Montney aquifercharacterization project (2011)
34
Cadotte (g+w)
500 m-bgl
35
fracked zone
network of natural fractures
(permeability increased resulting from fracking + drop of piezometric levels resulting from years of gas extraction + interconnection between aquifers)
Surficial aquifer
What is the potential flow along all these pathways?
What will be the resulting drop of piezometric level in
the surficial aquifer?
Wells, 10-20% of them poorly sealed
36
Modeled drawdown range: 0.6 m to 0.9 m after 3 to 5 years
Effects:
permanent and irreversible
could be devastating for watersheds and their ecosystems
Debate needed with more modeling results from academia and industry
37
NATURAL PATHWAYS(SHOWN BY HOT SPRINGS)
38
Estimated recharge zone
Estimated area of potential pathways
Liard Hot Springs
39
0
1 km
-1 km
-2 km
-3 km
50oC
100oC
Shale - low thermal conductivity
Possible Flow Paths Geochemistrytemp. max.: 120 °Capprox. depth: 3.4 km
• (Grasby and al. 2001)1
1
Limestone - high thermal conductivity
Liard Hot Springs
40
Hotsprings and Shale Gas Plays
Kandik
Old Crow
Eagle Plain
Peel Plateau and Plain
Bonnet Plume
Whitehorse Trough
Liard Basin
Beaufort Mackenzie
41
Whitehorse Trough
Liard Basin
Hotsprings, Faults and Shale Gas Plays
42
Whitehorse Trough
Hotsprings, Faults and Shale Gas Plays
43
WHAT IS BEING MONITORED IN THE YUKON?
44
Approximately 50 locations
Surface Water
45
7 groundwater monitoring stations
46
Eagle River
Dalglish Creek
McParlon Creek
Glacier Creek
Eagle Plain Basin
• New water monitoring sites added in August 2013:
• McParlon Creek • Dalglish Creek • Glacier Creek
• To be added this fiscal: • Eagle River
Water Monitoring Network
Presentation to the Select Committee on Hydraulic Fracturing
September 26, 2013 9:00 am
47
WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW
48
WHAT IS COMING?
(I.E. FULL BUILT-OUT PLAN)
49
map with all wellsText
Dawson Creek
Fort St John
NE BCover 31 000 O&G Wells
(source: National Energy Board)
50
> 4000 wells in FNFN
51
Disposal wellDrilling pad Dugouts
Drinking Water Well
Creek
Conceptual image of groundwater dynamic and connection to surface water
Shallow sand aquifer
Deeper sand aquifer
52
0 km 5 km 10 km 15 km 20 km
m-asl
0
1000
-1000
-2000-1000
0-1000
0
-1000
0
-1000
0
-2000
1000
gas-bearing plays
water-bearing plays
Peace River (g+w)
Spirit River (g+w)
Bluesky (g+w)Gething (g+w)Cadomin (g+w)Nikanassin (g+w)
Baldonnel (w)
Halfway (g+w)Doig (g)
Montney (g)
?
gas and water-bearing plays
-2000
-2000
-2000
Montney (g)
2060 m-agl
Doig (g)
650 m-agl Halfway (g+w)
190 m-agl
Cadomin (g+w)
20 m-bgl
Gething (g+w)
600 m-bgl
Bluesky (g+w)
10 m-agl
Falher A (g+w)
580 m-bgl
Cadotte (g+w)
490 m-bgl
formation pressure m hydraulic head
highest recorded
lowest recorded
193 m-agl
Head in BaldonnelHead in Cadotte
Head in Halfway
53
0 km 5 km 10 km 15 km 20 km
m-asl
0
1000
-1000
-2000-1000
0
0
-1000
0
-2000
1000
-3000
-4000
-3000
-3000
-3000
-2000
-1000
0
-4000-3000
-2000
-2000
-1000
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OTHER COMMENTSTAKE HOME MESSAGES
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EFFECTS COULD TAKE TIME TO BE OBSERVED: YEARS, DECADES
56
CUMULATIVE EFFECT
57
O&G WELLS IN WESTERN CANADA
385 000 in Alberta
113 000 in Saskatchewan
31 000 in BC
8 000 in Manitoba
Over 0.5 million wells!!!
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Permafrost
warm gases
59
VERY SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENT
60
100% OF WELLS ARE SEALED
FOREVER
ARE WE SURE ???
61
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO WATER
IF IT IS NOT THE CASE ?
62
T H A N K Y O UPhoto: Gilles Wendling
63