Sample records for green river shale
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Polar constituents isolated from Green River oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Anders, D.E.; Doolittle, F.G.; Robinson, W.E.
1975-01-01
The mass spectrometric, ir absorption, and NMR data were interpreted for 22 compounds obtained from a polar fraction of Green River shale. The major constituents analyzed are believed to be of the following compositional types: C/sub n/H/sub 2n/O (cyclohexanols and chain isoprenoid ketones), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-10/O (tetralones and indanones), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-7/N (tetrahydroquinolines), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-11/N(quinolines), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-1/NO (alkoxypyrrolines), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-5/NO/sub 2/ (maleimides), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-8/ (tetralins), C/sub n/H/sub 2n-12/ (naphthalenes) and C/sub n/H/sub 2n-14/ (benzylbenzenes). This work expands the present information about nitrogen, oxygen and aromatic constituents indigenous to Green River shale.
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Chemistry which created Green River Formation oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Smith, J.W.
1983-01-01
The genesis pattern presented for Green River Formation oil shale explains the major observation. Deposition of relatively large quantities of hydrogen-rich organic matter in the oil shales is a natural consequence of the chemical conditions (basic water and reducing atmosphere) and the physical limitation of clastic materials developed in the stratified ancient Lake Uinta. Stability of the stratification produced the continuous deposition of the organic matter and its uniformity over the deposit. Authigenic formation of the oil-shale minerals proceeds naturally from the lake stratification, and the varve production stems from the seasonable development of organic matter. The lake's stratification produced uniform deposition over the entire area it covered, making the correlatable lateral persistence of the thin laminations a natural consequence. As the lake developed, the attack on aluminosilicates by sodium carbonate in the lower layer produced a silicate skeleton protected by aluminum trihydroxide. On deposition, this aluminum-rich skeleton formed illite in quantity. As the lake became more basic, the protecting aluminum hydroxide coating dissolved amphoterically and illite production dropped at a specific point. Continual build-up of sodium carbonate and aluminate ion in the water of the lake's lower layer reached conditions which precipitated dawsonite and crystallized nahcolite in the sediment as a result of CO/sub 2/ production from organic matter. (JMT)
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The chemistry which created Green River Formation oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Smith, J.W.
1983-02-01
The genesis pattern presented for Green River Formation oil shale explains the major observation. Deposition of relatively large quantities of hydrogen-rich organic matter in the oil shales is a natural consequence of the chemical conditions (basic water and reducing atmosphere) and the physical limitation of clastic materials developed in the stratified ancient Lake Uinta. Stability of the stratification produced the continuous deposition of the organic matter and its uniformity over the deposit. Authigenic formation of the oil-shale minerals proceeds naturally from the lake stratification, and the varve production stems from the seasonable development of organic matter. The lake's stratification produced uniform deposition over the entire area it covered, making the correlatable lateral persistence of the thin laminations a natural consequence. As the lake developed, the attack on aluminosilicates by sodium carbonate in the lake's lower layer produced a silicate skeleton protected by aluminum trihydroxide. On deposition, this aluminum-rich skeleton formed illite in quantity. As the lake became more basic, the protecting aluminum hydroxide coating dissolved amphoterically and illite production dropped at a specific point. Continual build-up of sodium carbonate and aluminate ion in the water of the lake's lower layer reached conditions which
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Origin and microfossils of the oil shale of the Green River Formation of Colorado and Utah
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bradley, W.H.
1931-01-01
The Green River formation of Colorado and Utah is a series of lakebeds of middle Eocene age that occupy two broad, shallow, simple, structural basins, the Piceance Creek basin in northwestern Colorado and the Uinta basin in northwestern Utah. The ancient lakes apparently were shallow and had a large area, compared with depth. The abundance of organisms and the decaying organic matter produced a strongly reducing environment. Mechanical and chemical action, such as the mastication and digestion of the organic material by bottom-living organisms, caused disintegration of the original organic matter. After most of the oil shale was deposited, the lake reverted nearly to the conditions that prevailed during its early stage, when the marlstone and low-grade oil shale of the basal member were formed. Microgranular calcite and dolomite are the predominant mineral constituents of most of the oil shale. The microflora of the Green River formation consist of two forms that have been referred to as bacteria and many fungi spores. Two kinds of organic matter are seen in thin sections of the oil shale; one is massive and structureless and is the matrix of the other, which has definite form and consists of organisms or fragments of organisms. Most structureless organic matter is isotropic (there are two anisotropic varieties) and makes up the greater part of the total organic material.
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Johnson, Ronald C.; Mercier, Tracy
2011-01-01
The recently completed assessment of in-place resources of the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin, Colorado; the Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado; and the Greater Green River Basin Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah and their accompanying ArcGIS projects will form the foundation for estimating technically-recoverable resources in those areas. Different estimates will be made for each of the various above-ground and in-situ recovery methodologies currently being developed. Information required for these estimates include but are not limited to (1) estimates of the amount of oil shale that exceeds various grades, (2) overburden calculations, (3) a better understanding of oil shale saline facies, and (4) a better understanding of the distribution of various oil shale mineral facies. Estimates for the first two are on-going, and some have been published. The present extent of the saline facies in all three basins is fairly well understood, however, their original extent prior to ground water leaching has not been studied in detail. These leached intervals, which have enhanced porosity and permeability due to vugs and fractures and contain significant ground water resources, are being studied from available core descriptions. A database of all available xray mineralogy data for the oil shale interval is being constructed to better determine the extents of the various mineral facies. Once these studies are finished, the amount of oil shale with various mineralogical and physical properties will be determined.
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Analysis of some aromatic hydrocarbons in a benzene-soluble bitumen from Green River shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Anders, D.E.; Doolittle, F.G.; Robinson, W.E.
1973-01-01
The hydrocarbon content of an aromatic fraction, isolated from the bitumen of Green River shale, was studied by mass spectrometry, infra-red spectrometry, gas chromatography and a dehydrogenation technique. The hydrocarbon types and their distribution in this aromatic fraction, as determined by mass spectrometry, are presented. The carbon-number range, empirical formulas and quantity of each compound in the major types are reported. Mass spectra of several compounds and homologous mixtures of compounds isolated from the aromatic fraction are also given.
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Johnson, Ronald C.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Mercier, Tracey J.
2016-01-01
The results from the recent U.S. Geological Survey assessment of in-place oil shale resources of the Eocene Green River Formation, based primarily on the Fischer assay method, are applied herein to define areas where the oil shale interval is depleted of some of its petroleum-generating potential along the deep structural trough of the basin and to make: (1) a general estimates of the amount of this depletion, and (2) estimate the total volume of petroleum generated. Oil yields (gallons of oil per ton of rock, GPT) and in-place oil (barrels of oil per acre, BPA) decrease toward the structural trough of the basin, which represents an offshore lacustrine area that is believed to have originally contained greater petroleum-generating potential than is currently indicated by measured Fischer assay oil yields. Although this interval is considered to be largely immature for oil generation based on vitrinite reflectance measurements, the oil shale interval is a likely source for the gilsonite deposits and much of the tar sands in the basin. Early expulsion of petroleum may have occurred due to the very high organic carbon content and oil-prone nature of the Type I kerogen present in Green River oil shale. In order to examine the possible sources and migration pathways for the tar sands and gilsonite deposits, we have created paleogeographic reconstructions of several oil shale zones in the basin as part of this study.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lauren P. Birgenheier; Michael D. Vanden Berg,
2011-04-11
An integrated detailed sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and geochemical study of Utah's Green River Formation has found that Lake Uinta evolved in three phases (1) a freshwater rising lake phase below the Mahogany zone, (2) an anoxic deep lake phase above the base of the Mahogany zone and (3) a hypersaline lake phase within the middle and upper R-8. This long term lake evolution was driven by tectonic basin development and the balance of sediment and water fill with the neighboring basins, as postulated by models developed from the Greater Green River Basin by Carroll and Bohacs (1999). Early Eocene abrupt global-warming events may have had significant control on deposition through the amount of sediment production and deposition rates, such that lean zones below the Mahogany zone record hyperthermal events and rich zones record periods between hyperthermals. This type of climatic control on short-term and long-term lake evolution and deposition has been previously overlooked. This geologic history contains key points relevant to oil shale development and engineering design including: (1) Stratigraphic changes in oil shale quality and composition are systematic and can be related to spatial and temporal changes in the depositional environment and basin dynamics. (2) The inorganic mineral matrix of oil shale units changes significantly from clay mineral/dolomite dominated to calcite above the base of the Mahogany zone. This variation may result in significant differences in pyrolysis products and geomechanical properties relevant to development and should be incorporated into engineering experiments. (3) This study includes a region in the Uinta Basin that would be highly prospective for application of in-situ production techniques. Stratigraphic targets for in-situ recovery techniques should extend above and below the Mahogany zone and include the upper R-6 and lower R-8.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1975-05-01
Results are presented of a preliminary study of the oil shales of the Green River formation in the tri-state area of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming to investigate their utility for possible disposal of radioactive waste material. The objective of this study was to make a preliminary investigation and to obtain a broad overview of the physical and economic factors which would have an effect on the suitability of the oil shale formations for possible disposal of radioactive waste material. These physical and economic factors are discussed in sections on magnitude of the oil shales, waste disposal relations with oil mining, cavities requirements, hydrological aspects, and study requirements
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Tuttle, M.L.; Dean, W.E.; Parduhn, N.L.
1983-01-01
The Parachute Creek Member of the lacustrine Green River Formation contains thick sequences of rich oil-shale. The richest sequence and the richest oil-shale bed occurring in the member are called the Mahogany zone and the Mahogany bed, respectively, and were deposited in ancient Lake Uinta. The name "Mahogany" is derived from the red-brown color imparted to the rock by its rich-kerogen content. Geochemical abundance and distribution of eight major and 18 trace elements were determined in the Mahogany zone sampled from two cores, U. S. Geological Survey core hole CR-2 and U. S. Bureau of Mines core hole O1-A (Figure 1). The oil shale from core hole CR-2 was deposited nearer the margin of Lake Uinta than oil shale from core hole O1-A. The major- and trace-element chemistry of the Mahogany zone from each of these two cores is compared using elemental abundances and Q-mode factor modeling. The results of chemical analyses of 44 CR-2 Mahogany samples and 76 O1-A Mahogany samples are summarized in Figure 2. The average geochemical abundances for shale (1) and black shale (2) are also plotted on Figure 2 for comparison. The elemental abundances in the samples from the two cores are similar for the majority of elements. Differences at the 95% probability level are higher concentrations of Ca, Cu, La, Ni, Sc and Zr in the samples from core hole CR-2 compared to samples from core hole O1-A and higher concentrations of As and Sr in samples from core hole O1-A compared to samples from core hole CR-2. These differences presumably reflect slight differences in depositional conditions or source material at the two sites. The Mahogany oil shale from the two cores has lower concentrations of most trace metals and higher concentrations of carbonate-related elements (Ca, Mg, Sr and Na) compared to the average shale and black shale. During deposition of the Mahogany oil shale, large quantities of carbonates were precipitated resulting in the enrichment of carbonate-related elements
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Linker, S
1924-01-01
Samples of oil shale from the Green River formation and from Elko (Nev.), Brazil, Austria, and South Africa were examined, and several varieties of shale were found. Green River oil shale represents three of the more common types plus one less common type. These were: contorted shale with a velvety appearance, thin paper shale resembling the curled-up leaves of a book, massive black shale resembling a piece of rubber, and a less common type, which showed the bedding planes very clearly. The Elko (Nev.) shale was a light buff color; the shale from Brazil resembled a piece of petrified peat. When the shales were cut very thin, their colors ranged from yellow to reddish-brown. The composition, as seen under the microscope, was of well-preserved plant material such as spores, pollen grains, fragments of cell tissues, algae, fungi, bacteria, macerated organic residue, small pieces of resin, animal fossils, and translucent bodies. Oil shale was produced from organic material that accumulated in peat bogs, marshes, or swamps in fresh or salt waters. The organic matter was decomposed by bacterial action. Certain parts of the plants decayed more readily than others. Before lithification occurred, a chemical action took place that changed the softer tissues of the plant debris into a gel. This collodial matter penetrated and surrounded the more resistant fragments and preserved them from further decay. Certain bog waters contain a high percentage of humic acids in solution or collodial suspension and produce insoluble humates when neutralized. These humates are probably the so-called kerogen bodies.
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Sorption of cesium, strontium, and technetium onto organic-extracted shales
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ho, P.C.
1992-01-01
The sorption of Cs(I), Sr(II), and Tc(VII) onto organic-extracted shales from synthetic brine groundwaters and from 0.03-M NaHCO 3 solution under oxid conditions at room temperature has been studied. The shale samples used in this study were Pumpkin Valley, Upper Dowelltown, Pierre and Green River Formation Shales. The organic content of these shales ranges from less than 2 wt% to 13 wt%. Soxhlet extraction with chloroform and a mixture of chloroform and methanol removed 0.07 to 5.9 wt% of the total organic matter from these shales. In comparison with the results of sorption of these three metal ions onto the corresponding untreated shales, it was observed that there were moderate to significant sorption decreases of Cs(I) and Sr(II) on all four organic-extracted shale samples and moderate sorption decrease of Tc(VII) on the organic-extracted Pumpkin Valley, Pierre, and Green River Shale samples, but only moderate sorption increases of Tc(VII) on the organic-extracted Upper Dowelltown Shale samples from the brine groundwaters. Nevertheless, sorption of Cs(I), Sr(II), and Tc(VII) on all four organic-extracted shale samples from the bicarbonate solution in most cases did not show a consistent pattern. (orig.)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1988-07-01
The inactive Green River uranium mill tailings site is one mile southeast of Green River, Utah. The existing tailings pile is within the floodplain boundaries of the 100-year and 500-year flood events. The 48-acre designated site contains eight acres of tailings, the mill yard and ore storage area, four main buildings, a water tower, and several small buildings. Dispersion of the tailings has contaminated an additional 24 acres surrounding the designated site. Elevated concentrations of molybdenum, nitrate, selenium, uranium, and gross alpha activity exceed background levels and the proposed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum concentration limits in the groundwater in the unconsolidated alluvium and in the shallow shales and limestones beneath the alluvium at the mill tailings site. The contamination is localized beneath, and slightly downgradient of, the tailings pile. The proposed action is to relocate the tailings and associated contaminated materials to an area 600 feet south of the existing tailings pile where they would be consolidated into one, below-grade disposal cell. A radon/infiltration barrier would be constructed to cover the stabilized pile and various erosion control measures would be taken to ensure the long-term stability of the stabilized pile. 88 refs., 12 figs., 20 tabs
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Organic geochemistry: Effects of organic components of shales on adsorption: Progress report
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ho, P.C.
1988-11-01
The Sedimentary Rock Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is investigating shale to determine its potential suitability as a host rock for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW). The selected shales are Upper Dowelltown, Pierre, Green River Formation, and two Conasauga (Nolichucky and Pumpkin Valley) Shales, which represent mineralogical and compositional extremes of shales in the United States. According to mineralogical studies, the first three shales contain 5 to 13 wt % of organic matter, and the two Conasauga Shales only contain trace amounts (2 wt %) of organic matter. Soxhlet extraction with chloroform and a mixture of chloroform and methanol can remove 0.07 to 5.9 wt % of the total organic matter from these shales. Preliminary analysis if these organic extracts reveals the existence of organic carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons in these samples. Adsorption of elements such as Cs(I), Sr(II) and Tc(VII) on the organic-extracted Upper Dowelltown, Pierre, green River Formation and Pumpkin Valley Shales in synthetic groundwaters (simulating groundwaters in the Conasauga Shales) and in 0.03-M NaHCO 3 solution indicates interaction between each of the three elements and the organic-extractable bitumen. 28 refs., 8 figs., 10 tabs
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Origin and microfossils of the oil shale of the Green River formation of Colorado and Utah
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bradley, W.H.
1931-01-01
The Green River formation of Colorado and Utah is a series of lakebeds of middle Eocene age that occupy two broad, shallow, simple, structural basins--the Piceance Creek basin in northwestern Colorado and the Uinta basin in northeastern Utah. The ancient lakes served as a basin for the accumulation of tremendous quantities of aquatic organisms. The predominance of microscopic fresh-water algae and protozoa over the remains of land plants, pollens and spores suggests that the greater part of the organic matter was derived from microorganisms that grew in the lakes. The pollens and spores were carried into the lakes by wind. Fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic insect larvae were also plentiful; and turtles, crocodiles, birds, small camels, and insects may have contributed to the organic matter. The ancient lakes apparently were shallow and had a large area, compared with depth. The abundance of organisms and the decaying organic matter produced a strongly reducing environment. Mechanical and chemical action, such as the mastication and digestion of the organic material by bottom-living organisms, caused disintegration of the original organic matter. When the residue was reduced to a gelatinous condition, it apparently resisted further bacterial decay, and other organisms accidently entombed in the gel were protected from disintegration. An accumulation of inorganic material occurred simultaneously with the disintegration of the organic ooze, and the entire mass became lithified. After most of the oil shale was deposited, the lake reverted nearly to the conditions that prevailed during its early stage, when the marlstone and low-grade oil shale of the basal member were formed. The streams in the vicinity of the lake were rejuvenated and carried great quantities of medium- to coarse-grained sand into the basin and formed a thick layer over the lakebeds.
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Laboratory weathering of combusted oil shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Essington, M.E.
1991-01-01
The objective of this study was to examine the mineralogy and leachate chemistry of three combusted oil shales (two Green River Formation and one New Albany) in a laboratory weathering environment using the humidity cell technique. The mineralogy of the combusted western oil shales (Green River Formation) is process dependent. In general, processing resulted in the formation of anhydrite, lime, periclase, and hematite. During the initial stages of weathering, lime, periclase, and hematite. During the initial stages of weathering, lime, periclase, and anhydrite dissolve and ettringite precipitates. The initial leachates are highly alkaline, saline, and dominated by Na, hydroxide, and SO 4 . As weathering continues, ettringite precipitates. The initial leachates are highly alkaline, saline, and dominated by Na, hydroxide, and SO 4 . As weathering continues, ettringite dissolves, gypsum and calcite precipitate, and the leachates are dominated by Mg, SO 4 , and CO 3 . Leachate pH is rapidly reduced to between 8.5 and 9 with leaching. The combusted eastern oil shale (New Albany) is composed of quartz, illite, hematite, and orthoclase. Weathering results in the precipitation of gypsum. The combusted eastern oil shale did not display a potential to produce acid drainage. Leachate chemistry was dominated by Ca and SO 4 . Element concentrations continually decreased with weathering. IN a western disposal environment receiving minimal atmospheric precipitation, spent oil shale will remain in the initial stages of weathering, and highly alkaline and saline conditions will dominate leachate chemistry. In an eastern disposal environment, soluble salts will be rapidly removed from the spent oil shale to potentially affect the surrounding environment
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A review of the organic geochemistry of shales
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ho, P.C.; Meyer, R.E.
1987-06-01
Shale formations have been suggested as a potential site for a high level nuclear waste repository. As a first step in the study of the possible interaction of nuclides with the organic components of the shales, literature on the identification of organic compounds from various shales of the continent of the United States has been reviewed. The Green River shale of the Cenozoic era is the most studied shale followed by the Pierre shale of the Mesozoic era and the Devonian black shale of the Paleozoic era. Organic compounds that have been identified from these shales are hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty alcohols, steranes, terpanes, carotenes, carbohydrates, amino acids, and porphyrins. However, these organic compounds constitute only a small fraction of the organics in shales and the majority of the organic compounds in shales are still unidentified
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ho, P.C.
1990-01-01
Shale formations have been suggested as potential host rocks for high level nuclear waste repositories. Several studies have demonstrated the interactions of nuclides with organic compounds found in shales. In order to understand the possibility of interaction between organic components of shales and trace elements, literature on the identification of organic compounds from various shales of the continental United States and evidences of interactions have been reviewed first. The Green River Formation of the Cenozoic era is the most studied shale followed by the Pierre Shale of the Mesozoic era and the Devonian Black Shale of the Paleozoic era. Organic compounds that have been identified from these shales are mainly hydrocarbons and carboxylates along with small amounts of other compounds. These organic compounds, however, constitute only a small fraction of the organic matter in shales; the majority of the organic compounds in shales are still unidentified. Interaction between organics and trace elements are found mostly due to the formation of complexes between carboxylates of shales and the elements. (orig.)
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Impact of oil shale mine water discharges on phytoplankton community of Purtse catchment rivers
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raetsep, A.; Rull, E.; Liblik, V.
2002-01-01
The multivariate relationship between phytoplankton abundance and different factors both natural and generated by oil shale mining in the Purtse catchment rivers (Purtse, Kohtla, and Ojamaa) in Augusts 1996-2000 was studied. Impact of oil shale mine water discharges, causing the input of sulfates and chlorides into the rivers, on phytoplankton abundance in river water was characterized by significant negative linear correlation. The amount of annual precipitation influenced positively the characteristics of phytoplankton abundance in river water. The complex of linear regression formulas was derived for characterising phytoplankton abundance in the lower course of the Purtse River using meteorological, hydrological and hydrogeological as well as geochemical data of water circulation. Closing the Sompa, Tammiku and Kohtla mines in 2000-2001 decreased essentially anthropogenic stress on ecological condition of the Purtse catchment rivers. (author)
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Mo, Cheol Hoon; Lee, Gwang H.; Jeoung, Taek Ju; Ko, Kyung Nam; Kim, Ki Soo; Park, Kyung-sick; Shin, Chang Hoon
2018-04-01
Prospective shale plays require a combination of good reservoir and completion qualities. Total organic carbon (TOC) is an important reservoir quality and brittleness is the most critical condition for completion quality. We analyzed seismically-derived brittleness and TOC to investigate the prospectivity of the Horn River Group shale (the Muskwa, Otter Park, Evie shales) of a shale-gas field in the western Horn River Basin, British Columbia, Canada. We used the λρ-μρ brittleness template, constructed from the mineralogy-based brittleness index (MBI) and elastic logs from two wells, to convert the λρ and μρ volumes from prestack seismic inversion to the volume for the brittleness petrotypes (most brittle, intermediate, and least brittle). The probability maps of the most brittle petrotype for the three shales were generated from Bayesian classification, based on the λρ-μρ template. The relationship between TOC and P-wave and S-wave velocity ratio (VP/VS) at the wells allowed the conversion of the VP/VS volume from prestack inversion to the TOC volume, which in turn was used to construct the TOC maps for the three shales. Increased TOC is correlated with high brittleness, contrasting with the commonly-held understanding. Therefore, the prospectivity of the shales in the study area can be represented by high brittleness and increased TOC. We propose a shale prospectivity index (SPI), computed by the arithmetic average of the normalized probability of the most brittle petrotype and the normalized TOC. The higher SPI corresponds to higher production rates in the Muskwa and Evie shales. The areas of the highest SPI have not been fully tested. The future drilling should be focused on these areas to increase the economic viability of the field.
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Engineering assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings, Green River Site, Green River, Utah
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1981-08-01
Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah Inc. has reevaluated the Green River site in order to revise the December 1977 engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings at Green River, Utah. This evaluation has included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative remedial actions. Radon gas released from the 123,000 tons of tailings at the Green River site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation also are factors
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, S.Y.; Hyder, L.K.; Alley, P.D.
1988-01-01
Five shales were examined as part of the Sedimentary Rock Program evaluation of this medium as a potential host for a US civilian nuclear waste repository. The units selected for characterization were the Chattanooga Shale from Fentress County, Tennessee; the Pierre Shale from Gregory County, South Dakota; the Green River Formation from Garfield County, Colorado; and the Nolichucky Shale and Pumpkin Valley Shale from Roane County, Tennessee. The micromorphology and structure of the shales were examined by petrographic, scanning electron, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Chemical and mineralogical compositions were studied through the use of energy-dispersive x-ray, neutron activation, atomic absorption, thermal, and x-ray diffraction analysis techniques. 18 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs
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Yoon, Seok-Hoon; Koh, Chang-Seong; Joe, Young-Jin; Woo, Ju-Hwan; Lee, Hyun-Suk
2017-04-01
The Horn River Basin in the northeastern British Columbia, Canada, is one of the largest unconventional gas accumulations in North America. It consists mainly of Devonian shales (Horn River Formation) and is stratigraphically divided into three members, the Muskwa, Otterpark and Evie in descending order. This study focuses on sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River shale based on sedimentary facies analysis aided by well-log mineralogy (ECS) and total organic carbon (TOC) data. The shale formation consists dominantly of siliceous minerals (quartz, feldspar and mica) and subordinate clay mineral and carbonate materials, and TOC ranging from 1.0 to 7.6%. Based on sedimentary structures and micro texture, three sedimentary facies were classified: homogeneous mudstone (HM), indistinctly laminated mudstone (ILM), and planar laminated mudstone (PLM). Integrated interpretation of the sedimentary facies, lithology and TOC suggests that depositional environment of the Horn River shale was an anoxic quiescent basin plain and base-of-slope off carbonate platform or reef. In this deeper marine setting, organic-rich facies HM and ILM, dominant in the Muskwa (the upper part of the Horn River Formation) and Evie (the lower part of the Horn River Formation) members, may have been emplaced by pelagic to hemipelagic sedimentation on the anoxic sea floor with infrequent effects of low-density gravity flows (turbidity currents or nepheloid flows). In the other hand, facies PLM typifying the Otterpark Member (the middle part of the Horn River Formation) suggests more frequent inflow of bottom-hugging turbidity currents punctuating the hemipelagic settling of the background sedimentation process. The stratigraphic change of sedimentary facies and TOC content in the Horn River Formation is most appropriately interpreted to have been caused by the relative sea-level change, that is, lower TOC and frequent signal of turbidity current during the sea
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Rates and Mechanisms of Oil Shale Pyrolysis: A Chemical Structure Approach
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Fletcher, Thomas; Pugmire, Ronald
2015-01-01
Three pristine Utah Green River oil shale samples were obtained and used for analysis by the combined research groups at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. Oil shale samples were first demineralized and the separated kerogen and extracted bitumen samples were then studied by a host of techniques including high resolution liquid-state carbon-13 NMR, solid-state magic angle sample spinning 13C NMR, GC/MS, FTIR, and pyrolysis. Bitumen was extracted from the shale using methanol/dichloromethane and analyzed using high resolution 13C NMR liquid state spectroscopy, showing carbon aromaticities of 7 to 11%. The three parent shales and the demineralized kerogens were each analyzed with solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy. Carbon aromaticity of the kerogen was 23-24%, with 10-12 aromatic carbons per cluster. Crushed samples of Green River oil shale and its kerogen extract were pyrolyzed at heating rates from 1 to 10 K/min at pressures of 1 and 40 bar and temperatures up to 1000°C. The transient pyrolysis data were fit with a first-order model and a Distributed Activation Energy Model (DAEM). The demineralized kerogen was pyrolyzed at 10 K/min in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure at temperatures up to 525°C, and the pyrolysis products (light gas, tar, and char) were analyzed using 13C NMR, GC/MS, and FTIR. Details of the kerogen pyrolysis have been modeled by a modified version of the chemical percolation devolatilization (CPD) model that has been widely used to model coal combustion/pyrolysis. This refined CPD model has been successful in predicting the char, tar, and gas yields of the three shale samples during pyrolysis. This set of experiments and associated modeling represents the most sophisticated and complete analysis available for a given set of oil shale samples.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Meyer, R.E.; Arnold, W.D.; Case, F.I.; O'Kelley, G.D.
1988-11-01
This report concerns an extension of the first series of experiments on the sorption properties of shales and their clay mineral components reported earlier. Studies on the sorption of cesium and strontium were carried out on samples of Chattanooga (Upper Dowelltown), Pierre, Green River Formation, Nolichucky, and Pumpkin Valley Shales that had been heated to 120/degree/C in a 0.1-mol/L NaCl solution for periods up to several months and on samples of the same shales which had been heated to 250/degree/C in air for six months, to simulate limiting scenarios in a HLW repository. To investigate the kinetics of the sorption process in shale/groundwater systems, strontium sorption experiments were done on unheated Pierre, Green River Formation, Nolichucky, and Pumpkin Valley Shales in a diluted, saline groundwater and in 0.03-mol/L NaHCO 3 , for periods of 0.25 to 28 days. Cesium sorption kinetics tests were performed on the same shales in a concentrated brine for the same time periods. The effect of the water/rock (W/R) ratio on sorption for the same combinations of unheated shales, nuclides, and groundwaters used in the kinetics experiments was investigated for a range of W/R ratios of 3 to 20 mL/g. Because of the complexity of the shale/groundwater interaction, a series of tests was conducted on the effects of contact time and W/R ratio on the pH of a 0.03-mol/L NaHCO 3 simulated groundwater in contact with shales. 8 refs., 12 figs., 15 tabs
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Haunch, Simon; MacDonald, Alan M.; Brown, Neil; McDermott, Christopher I.
2013-01-01
Highlights: • A GIS map of coal and oil shale mining in the Almond basin was constructed. • Water quality data confirms the continued detrimental impact of historic mining. • Oil shale mining is confirmed as a contributor to poor surface water quality. • Surface water flow affects mine contaminant chemistry, behaviour and transport. • River bed iron precipitate is re-suspended and transported downstream at high flow. - Abstract: The Almond River catchment in Central Scotland has experienced extensive coal mining during the last 300 years and also provides an example of enduring pollution associated with historic unconventional hydrocarbon exploitation from oil shale. Detailed spatial analysis of the catchment has identified over 300 abandoned mine and mine waste sites, comprising a significant potential source of mine related contamination. River water quality data, collected over a 15 year period from 1994 to 2008, indicates that both the coal and oil shale mining areas detrimentally impact surface water quality long after mine abandonment, due to the continued release of Fe and SO 4 2- associated with pyrite oxidation at abandoned mine sites. Once in the surface water environment Fe and SO 4 2- display significant concentration-flow dependence: Fe increases at high flows due to the re-suspension of river bed Fe precipitates (Fe(OH) 3 ); SO 4 2- concentrations decrease with higher flow as a result of dilution. Further examination of Fe and SO 4 loading at low flows indicates a close correlation of Fe and SO 4 2- with mined areas; cumulative low flow load calculations indicate that coal and oil shale mining regions contribute 0.21 and 0.31 g/s of Fe, respectively, to the main Almond tributary. Decreases in Fe loading along some river sections demonstrate the deposition and storage of Fe within the river channel. This river bed Fe is re-suspended with increased flow resulting in significant transport of Fe downstream with load values of up to 50 g/s Fe
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Washburn, Kathryn E.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Foster, Michael; Gutierrez, Fernando
2015-01-01
Mineralogical and geochemical information on reservoir and source rocks is necessary to assess and produce from petroleum systems. The standard methods in the petroleum industry for obtaining these properties are bulk measurements on homogenized, generally crushed, and pulverized rock samples and can take from hours to days to perform. New methods using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have been developed to more rapidly obtain information on mineralogy and geochemistry. However, these methods are also typically performed on bulk, homogenized samples. We present a new approach to rock sample characterization incorporating multivariate analysis and FTIR microscopy to provide non-destructive, spatially resolved mineralogy and geochemistry on whole rock samples. We are able to predict bulk mineralogy and organic carbon content within the same margin of error as standard characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. Validation of the method was performed using two oil shale samples from the Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin with differing sedimentary structures. One sample represents laminated Green River oil shales, and the other is representative of oil shale breccia. The FTIR microscopy results on the oil shales agree with XRD and LECO TOC data from the homogenized samples but also give additional detail regarding sample heterogeneity by providing information on the distribution of mineral phases and organic content. While measurements for this study were performed on oil shales, the method could also be applied to other geological samples, such as other mudrocks, complex carbonates, and soils.
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Johnson, Ronald C.
2014-01-01
This report presents two detailed cross sections of the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado, constructed from eight detailed measured sections, fourteen core holes, and two rotary holes. The Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin contains the world’s largest known oil shale deposit with more than 1.5 billion barrels of oil in place. It was deposited in Lake Uinta, a long-lived saline lake that once covered much of the Piceance Basin and the Uinta Basin to the west. The cross sections extend across the northern and eastern margins of the Piceance Basin and are intended to aid in correlating between surface sections and the subsurface in the basin.
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Oil shale research related to proposed nuclear projects
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Carpenter, H C; Sohns, H W; Dinneen, G U [Laramie Petroleum Research Center, Bureau of Mines, Department of the Interior, Laramie, WY (United States)
1970-05-15
The Bureau of Mines is conducting research to develop data pertinent to in situ retorting of oil shale fractured by a nuclear explosion or other means. Maximum utilization of the Green River oil shale found in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, at depths ranging from outcrops to several thousand feet, requires development of several methods of processing. Early research was devoted to developing processes for application to oil shale occurring at depths suitable for mining. In present research, the emphasis is on in situ retorting and recovery processes that would be more satisfactory for oil shales occurring at greater depths. Development of an in situ process depends upon finding or establishing sufficient permeability in the oil shale beds for the passage of fluids which serve as a heat carrier in bringing the oil shale to retorting temperature. Use of a nuclear explosive seems to offer the best chance for successfully fracturing the thicker and more deeply buried portions of the deposit to give the required permeability. Processing the very large quantity of broken and fractured oil shale that would be produced presents many problems which require new background data for their solution. This paper describes research the Bureau of Mines is conducting to develop pertinent data. Primarily this research involves laboratory determination of properties of oil shale, pilot scale investigation of retorting characteristics of ungraded broken shale, and underground combustion of shale fractured by pressure and chemical explosives. Application of the research results should aid in designing the oil recovery phase and provide an estimate of the quantity of oil that may be obtained in a nuclear experiment in oil shale. (author)
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Oil shale research related to proposed nuclear projects
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Carpenter, H.C.; Sohns, H.W.; Dinneen, G.U.
1970-01-01
The Bureau of Mines is conducting research to develop data pertinent to in situ retorting of oil shale fractured by a nuclear explosion or other means. Maximum utilization of the Green River oil shale found in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, at depths ranging from outcrops to several thousand feet, requires development of several methods of processing. Early research was devoted to developing processes for application to oil shale occurring at depths suitable for mining. In present research, the emphasis is on in situ retorting and recovery processes that would be more satisfactory for oil shales occurring at greater depths. Development of an in situ process depends upon finding or establishing sufficient permeability in the oil shale beds for the passage of fluids which serve as a heat carrier in bringing the oil shale to retorting temperature. Use of a nuclear explosive seems to offer the best chance for successfully fracturing the thicker and more deeply buried portions of the deposit to give the required permeability. Processing the very large quantity of broken and fractured oil shale that would be produced presents many problems which require new background data for their solution. This paper describes research the Bureau of Mines is conducting to develop pertinent data. Primarily this research involves laboratory determination of properties of oil shale, pilot scale investigation of retorting characteristics of ungraded broken shale, and underground combustion of shale fractured by pressure and chemical explosives. Application of the research results should aid in designing the oil recovery phase and provide an estimate of the quantity of oil that may be obtained in a nuclear experiment in oil shale. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Prensky, S.E.
1986-01-01
Well-log response in lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous rocks in the northern Green River basin, Wyoming, is examined. Digitally recorded well-log data for selected wells located throughout the basin were processed by computer and displayed as highly compressed depth-scale plots for examining large-scale geologic trends. Stratigraphic units, formed under similar depositional conditions, are distinguishable by differing patterns on these plots. In particular, a strong lithologic contrast between Tertiary and underlying Upper Cretaceous non-marine clastic rocks is revealed and correlated through the study area. Laboratory analysis combined with gamma-ray spectrometry log data show that potassium feldspars in the arkosic Tertiary sandstones cause the contrast. The nature and extent of overpressuring has been examined. Data shift on shale conductivity and shale acoustic transit-time plots, previously ascribed to changes in pore pressure, correspond to stratigraphic changes and not necessarily with changes in pore pressure as indicated by drilling-mud weights. Gulf Coast well-log techniques for detecting overpressuring are unreliable and ineffectual in this basin, which has experienced significantly different geologic depositional and tectonic conditions
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Validation Results for Core-Scale Oil Shale Pyrolysis
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Staten, Josh; Tiwari, Pankaj
2015-03-01
This report summarizes a study of oil shale pyrolysis at various scales and the subsequent development a model for in situ production of oil from oil shale. Oil shale from the Mahogany zone of the Green River formation was used in all experiments. Pyrolysis experiments were conducted at four scales, powdered samples (100 mesh) and core samples of 0.75”, 1” and 2.5” diameters. The batch, semibatch and continuous flow pyrolysis experiments were designed to study the effect of temperature (300°C to 500°C), heating rate (1°C/min to 10°C/min), pressure (ambient and 500 psig) and size of the sample on product formation. Comprehensive analyses were performed on reactants and products - liquid, gas and spent shale. These experimental studies were designed to understand the relevant coupled phenomena (reaction kinetics, heat transfer, mass transfer, thermodynamics) at multiple scales. A model for oil shale pyrolysis was developed in the COMSOL multiphysics platform. A general kinetic model was integrated with important physical and chemical phenomena that occur during pyrolysis. The secondary reactions of coking and cracking in the product phase were addressed. The multiscale experimental data generated and the models developed provide an understanding of the simultaneous effects of chemical kinetics, and heat and mass transfer on oil quality and yield. The comprehensive data collected in this study will help advance the move to large-scale in situ oil production from the pyrolysis of oil shale.
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Effects of Green River Project on Cassava Farmers Production in ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This paper examined the effects of Green River project on cassava farmers' production in Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni LGA of Rivers State. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select the locations of Green River project, cooperative societies and respondents. Using structured questionnaire, a field ...
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Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales
Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi; Ishibashi, Takuya; Fitts, Jeffrey P.
2017-03-01
There is wide concern that fluid injection in the subsurface, such as for the stimulation of shale reservoirs or for geological CO2 sequestration (GCS), has the potential to induce seismicity that may change reservoir permeability due to fault slip. However, the impact of induced seismicity on fracture permeability evolution remains unclear due to the spectrum of modes of fault reactivation (e.g., stable versus unstable). As seismicity is controlled by the frictional response of fractures, we explore friction-stability-permeability relationships through the concurrent measurement of frictional and hydraulic properties of artificial fractures in Green River shale (GRS) and Opalinus shale (OPS). We observe that carbonate-rich GRS shows higher frictional strength but weak neutral frictional stability. The GRS fracture permeability declines during shearing while an increased sliding velocity reduces the rate of permeability decline. By comparison, the phyllosilicate-rich OPS has lower friction and strong stability while the fracture permeability is reduced due to the swelling behavior that dominates over the shearing induced permeability reduction. Hence, we conclude that the friction-stability-permeability relationship of a fracture is largely controlled by mineral composition and that shale mineral compositions with strong frictional stability may be particularly subject to permanent permeability reduction during fluid infiltration.
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2013-04-12
... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 [Docket No. USCG-2013-0041] RIN 1625-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Green River, Small-house, KY and Black River, Jonesboro, LA... drawbridge operation regulation for the drawbridges across Green River, mile 79.6, Small- house, KY and Black...
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Anvil Points oil shale tailings management in Rifle, Colorado
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rudy, R.; Galli LaBerge, C.; McClurg, J. [Ecology and Environment Inc., Lancaster, NY (United States); Walsh Integrated, Lachine, PQ (Canada)
2009-07-01
This presentation summarized the oil shale tailings management program used at the Anvil Points mining site in Colorado. Decommissioning and reclamation of the site occurred between 1984 and 1986. The geology of the region is comprised of Tertiary bedrock sedimentary formations and Quaternary formations on the surface. Oil shales mined at the facility are from the Eocene Green River formation. While the site lies within big game winter ranges, the areas around the shale pile supports are not a significant nesting or feeding habitat for wildlife. No sensitive plants are located on the waste shale pile. The program currently includes revegetation test plots and the reclamation of an area where heating oil storage tanks were located. The dumping area is currently being monitored, and geophysical surveys are being conducted. Documents produced by mining activities are also being reviewed. Results of the study to date have indicated the presence of asbestos-containing materials, significant physical hazards, and significant cultural resources. An engineering evaluation and cost analysis has demonstrated that arsenic, beryllium, and iron exceed established soil screening levels. It was concluded that off-site removal actions will be conducted to prevent or reduce human exposure to the metals of concern. tabs., figs.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raetsep, A.; Liblik, V.
2004-01-01
The attention is focused on the formation of hydrological and hydrogeological interconnections between the catchment areas of Purtse, Rannapungerja, Puhajoe and Vasavere rivers after closing (in 1997-2002) and flooding the Ahtme, Tammiku, Sompa and Kohtla oil shale underground mines. The multivariate relationship between the changes in mine water amounts directed into the rivers, annual runoff due to mine water inlets, groundwater underground flow, outflow module and other factors (as variables) were studied. A complex of linear regression formulas was derived to calculate the amounts of mine water outputs into the rivers and water distribution in order to regulate the hydrological regime of investigated rivers. (author)
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Technogenic waterflows generated by oil shale mining: impact on Purtse catchment rivers
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raetsep, A.; Liblik, V.
2000-01-01
The correlation between natural (meteorological, hydrological) and technogenic (mining-technological, hydrogeological, hydrochemical) factors caused by oil shale mining in the Purtse catchment region in northeastern Estonia during 1990-1998 has been studied. As a result of a complex effect of these factors (correlation coefficients r = 0. 60-0.86), a so-called hydrogeological circulation of water has been formed in the catchment area. It totals 25-40 % from the whole amount of mine water pumped out at the present, but in the near future it will reach even up to 50-55 %. On the ground of average data, a conceptual balance scheme of water circulation (cycles) for the Purtse catchment landscape has been worked out. It shows that under the influence of technogenic waterflows a new, anthropogenic biogeochemical matter cycling from geological environment into hydrological one has been formed in this catchment area. Transition of the macro- and microelements existing in the composition of oil shale into the aqueous solution and their distribution in mine water are in a good harmony with the so-called arrangement of the elements by the electrode potentials. The technogenic hydrochemical conditions arising in the catchment rivers will not disappear even after finishing oil shale mining. (author)
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Mud Lake, a modern analog of oil shale deposition in Florida
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Burgess, J.D.
1987-01-01
Mud Lake in north-central Florida was identified by Bradley as an analog of oil shale-type kerogen deposition. This lake supports an abundant diatom and algal flora which is unique in that the accumulating algal ooze does not decay as long as it stays oxygenated. This same material does not nutritionally support many invertebrates, owing to its flocculent consistency and apparent indigestibility, although fish are abundant and an occasional crocodile is found in the lake. Accumulation of the algal ooze is very slow at roughly 1 foot per 52,000 years based on radiocarbon dates. An understanding of oil shale depositional conditions could be translated into a predictive model for location and recognition of hydrocarbon generating source rocks. When oil shales are mentioned the first association is likely to be that with the Eocene Green River Formation of the Western US. Conditions leading to deposition and preservation of this massive quantity of organic debris is difficult to comprehend, but recognition of modern analogs provide an available area for study and comparison.
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An in situ FTIR step-scan photoacoustic investigation of kerogen and minerals in oil shale.
Alstadt, Kristin N; Katti, Dinesh R; Katti, Kalpana S
2012-04-01
Step-scan photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy experiments were performed on Green River oil shale samples obtained from the Piceance Basin located in Colorado, USA. We have investigated the molecular nature of light and dark colored areas of the oil shale core using FTIR photoacoustic step-scan spectroscopy. This technique provided us with the means to analyze the oil shale in its original in situ form with the kerogen-mineral interactions intact. All vibrational bands characteristic of kerogen were found in the dark and light colored oil shale samples confirming that kerogen is present throughout the depth of the core. Depth profiling experiments indicated that there are changes between layers in the oil shale molecular structure at a length scale of micron. Comparisons of spectra from the light and dark colored oil shale core samples suggest that the light colored regions have high kerogen content, with spectra similar to that from isolated kerogen, whereas, the dark colored areas contain more mineral components which include clay minerals, dolomite, calcite, and pyrite. The mineral components of the oil shale are important in understanding how the kerogen is "trapped" in the oil shale. Comparing in situ kerogen spectra with spectra from isolated kerogen indicate significant band shifts suggesting important nonbonded molecular interactions between the kerogen and minerals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1981-08-01
Radon gas released from the 123,000 tons of tailings at the Green River site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation also are factors. The five alternative actions range from millsite decontamination with the addition of 3 m of stabilization cover material, to removal of the tailings to remote disposal sites and decontamination of the tailings site. Cost estimates for the five options range from about $4,300,000 for stabilization in-place, to about $9,600,000 for disposal at a distance of about 30 miles. Three principal alternatives for the reprocessing of the Green River tailings were examined: heap leaching, treatment at an existing mill, and reprocessing at a new conventional mill constructed for tailings reprocessing. The cost of the uranium recovered would be about $1,800/lb by heap leach and $1,600/lb by conventional plant processes
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1995-12-31
A study is described on the hydrological and geotechnical behavior of an oil shale solid waste. The objective was to obtain information which can be used to assess the environmental impacts of oil shale solid waste disposal in the Green River Basin. The spent shale used in this study was combusted by the Lurgi-Ruhrgas process by Rio Blanco Oil Shale Company, Inc. Laboratory bench-scale testing included index properties, such as grain size distribution and Atterberg limits, and tests for engineering properties including hydraulic conductivity and shear strength. Large-scale tests were conducted on model spent shale waste embankments to evaluate hydrological response, including infiltration, runoff, and seepage. Large-scale tests were conducted at a field site in western Colorado and in the Environmental Simulation Laboratory (ESL)at the University of Wyoming. The ESL tests allowed the investigators to control rainfall and temperature, providing information on the hydrological response of spent shale under simulated severe climatic conditions. All experimental methods, materials, facilities, and instrumentation are described in detail, and results are given and discussed. 34 refs.
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Multi-scale Multi-dimensional Imaging and Characterization of Oil Shale Pyrolysis
Gao, Y.; Saif, T.; Lin, Q.; Al-Khulaifi, Y.; Blunt, M. J.; Bijeljic, B.
2017-12-01
The microstructural evaluation of fine grained rocks is challenging which demands the use of several complementary methods. Oil shale, a fine-grained organic-rich sedimentary rock, represents a large and mostly untapped unconventional hydrocarbon resource with global reserves estimated at 4.8 trillion barrels. The largest known deposit is the Eocene Green River Formation in Western Colorado, Eastern Utah, and Southern Wyoming. An improved insight into the mineralogy, organic matter distribution and pore network structure before, during and after oil shale pyrolysis is critical to understanding hydrocarbon flow behaviour and improving recovery. In this study, we image Mahogany zone oil shale samples in two dimensions (2-D) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and in three dimensions (3-D) using focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), laboratory-based X-ray micro-tomography (µCT) and synchrotron X-ray µCT to reveal a complex and variable fine grained microstructure dominated by organic-rich parallel laminations which are tightly bound in a highly calcareous and heterogeneous mineral matrix. We report the results of a detailed µCT study of the Mahogany oil shale with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The physical transformation of the internal microstructure and evolution of pore space during the thermal conversion of kerogen in oil shale to produce hydrocarbon products was characterized. The 3-D volumes of pyrolyzed oil shale were reconstructed and image processed to visualize and quantify the volume and connectivity of the pore space. The results show a significant increase in anisotropic porosity associated with pyrolysis between 300-500°C with the formation of micron-scale connected pore channels developing principally along the kerogen-rich lamellar structures.
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Horn river basin (shale gas): A primer of challenges and solutions to development
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Jordan, Colin; Williams-Kovacs, Jesse; Jackson, Rob
2010-09-15
Unconventional sources of fossil fuels The Horn River Basin, a massive unconventional shale gas resource, covers an area of approximately 3 million acres in North East British Columbia stretching from Fort Nelson to the Northwest Territories, will need to be significant part of the Canadian energy mix. Yet, this play is still in the early stages of development despite significant economic and supply potential. This paper will outline the many technical and economic challenges, as well as the possible solutions and strategies being employed to reduce risk and make the play a commercial success.
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Factors impacting manganese transport from soils into rivers using data from Shale Hills CZO
Herndon, E.; Brantley, S. L.
2012-12-01
Many soils are enriched in trace elements due to atmospheric inputs from industrial sources but little is known about how long these contaminants persist in soils or the rates at which they are transferred into rivers. Modeling the movement of contaminants through the environment is complicated by the heterogeneity of soils and the variability of contaminant mobility across spatial scales. In this study, we use soil, water, and vegetation chemistry to compare rates of Mn contaminant mobilization and removal from soils at ridge, hillslope, and catchment-scales in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHCZO). The SSHCZO is a first-order, forested watershed located within the Susquehanna River Basin (SRB) in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Studies from the SSHCZO are compared to trends in long-term water quality measurements for the Susquehanna River to evaluate terrestrial inputs to the river system. At SSHCZO, we find that Mn is being removed ~7x more quickly from soils in swales than soils on convex-upward hillslopes; thus, swales are a large source of dissolved Mn to the stream. Release rates of Mn from all soils are dwarfed by rates of uptake into vegetation, consistent with the hypothesis that trees temporarily slow the removal of atmospherically-deposited Mn from the soil by accumulating Mn in plant biomass. However, elevated levels of dissolved organic carbon in soil pore waters may enhance Mn release in the swales; therefore, vegetation may first decrease then increase rates of Mn removal from soils over the long-term. Unlike the major rock-derived elements which exhibit chemostatic behavior, Mn concentrations in the stream vary widely over a large range of stream discharge rates. High Mn fluxes in the stream occur in short pulses that only weakly respond to precipitation events, suggesting that dissolved Mn loads in rivers are not solely driven by the hydrology but are rather strongly impacted by processes in the soil and stream sediments. Current
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Kobchenko, M.; Pluymakers, A.; Cordonnier, B.; Tairova, A.; Renard, F.
2017-12-01
Time-lapse imaging of fracture network development in organic-rich shales at elevated temperatures while kerogen is retorted allows characterizing the development of microfractures and the onset of primary migration. When the solid organic matter is transformed to hydrocarbons with lower molecular weight, the local pore-pressure increases and drives the propagation of hydro-fractures sub-parallel to the shale lamination. On the scale of samples of several mm size, these fractures can be described as mode I opening, where fracture walls dilate in the direction of minimal compression. However, so far experiments coupled to microtomography in situ imaging have been performed on samples where no load was imposed. Here, an external load was applied perpendicular to the sample laminations and we show that this stress state slows down, but does not stop, the propagation of fracture along bedding. Conversely, microfractures also propagate sub-perpendicular to the shale lamination, creating a percolating network in three dimensions. To monitor this process we have used a uniaxial compaction rig combined with in-situ heating from 50 to 500 deg C, while capturing three-dimensional X-ray microtomography scans at a voxel resolution of 2.2 μm; Data were acquired at beamline ID19 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In total ten time-resolved experiments were performed at different vertical loading conditions, with and without lateral passive confinement and different heating rates. At high external load the sample fails by symmetric bulging, while at lower external load the reaction-induced fracture network develops with the presence of microfractures both sub-parallel and sub-perpendicular to the bedding direction. In addition, the variation of experimental conditions allows the decoupling of the effects of the hydrocarbon decomposition reaction on the deformation process from the influence of thermal stress heating on the weakening and failure mode of immature
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Long-term surveillance plan for the Green River, Utah, disposal site
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1997-06-01
The long-term surveillance plan (LTSP) for the Green River, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal site describes the surveillance activities for the Green River disposal cell. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will carry out these activities to ensure that the disposal cell continues to function as designed. This final LTSP was prepared as a requirement for acceptance under the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) general license for custody and long-term care of residual radioactive materials (RRM). This LTSP documents whether the land and interests are owned by the United States or an Indian tribe and details how the long-term care of the disposal site will be carried out. The Green River, Utah, LTSP is based on the DOE's Guidance for Implementing the UMTRA Project Long-term Surveillance Program (DOE, 1992a)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ferro, A.L.
1982-02-01
The feasibility of using the fission track registration technique in the determination of the uranium and thorium content in shales from the middle Amazon river region is studied. The above technique permits, through the determination of the uranium concentration, to establish a correlation between the uranium content and the organic matter present in the shale. In establishing the ratio between the fission tracks due to 238 U and 235 U, the sample was contaminated with natural uranium and analized, so that no modifications on the analysis conditions might change or distort the results. The experimental results were satisfactory and they may contribute to the study of the industrial exploration of these energy sources as well as to the analysis of problems related to environmental control. (Author) [pt
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78 FR 31454 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Hudson River, Troy and Green Island, NY
2013-05-24
...-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Hudson River, Troy and Green Island, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... that governs the highway bridge (Troy Green Island) across the Hudson River, mile 152.7, between Troy... the regulations for the 112th Street Bridge, mile 155.4, between Troy and Cohoes which has been...
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78 FR 56607 - Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Hudson River, Troy and Green Island, NY
2013-09-13
...-AA09 Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Hudson River, Troy and Green Island, NY AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... operation of the highway bridge across the Hudson River, mile 152.7, between Troy and Green Island, New York... Street Bridge, mile 155.4, between Troy and Cohoes which has been converted to a fixed bridge. It is...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Meyer, R.E.; Arnold, W.D.; Ho, P.C.; Case, F.I.; O'Kelley, G.D.
1987-11-01
The Sedimentary Rock Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is investigating shale to determine its potential suitability as a host rock for the disposal of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW). In support of this program, preliminary studies were carried out on sorption of cesium, strontium, technetium, neptunium, and uranium onto Chattanooga (Upper Dowelltown), Pierre, Green River Formation, Nolichucky, and Pumpkin Valley Shales under oxic conditions (air present). Three simulated groundwaters were used. One of the groundwaters was a synthetic brine made up to simulate highly saline groundwaters in the Pumpkin Valley Shale. The second was a 100/1 dilution of this groundwater and the third was 0.03 M NaHCO 3 . Moderate to significant sorption was observed under most conditions for all of the tested radionuclides except technetium. Moderate technetium sorption occurred on Upper Dowelltown Shale, and although technetium sorption was low on the other shales, it was higher than expected for Tc(VII), present as the anion TcO 4 - . Little sorption of strontium onto the shales was observed from the concentrated saline groundwater. These data can be used in a generic fashion to help assess the sorption characteristics of shales in support of a national survey. 10 refs., 4 figs., 23 tabs
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Simulation of blue and green water resources in the Wei River basin, China
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Z. Xu
2014-09-01
Full Text Available The Wei River is the largest tributary of the Yellow River in China and it is suffering from water scarcity and water pollution. In order to quantify the amount of water resources in the study area, a hydrological modelling approach was applied by using SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool, calibrated and validated with SUFI-2 (Sequential Uncertainty Fitting program based on river discharge in the Wei River basin (WRB. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were also performed to improve the model performance. Water resources components of blue water flow, green water flow and green water storage were estimated at the HRU (Hydrological Response Unit scales. Water resources in HRUs were also aggregated to sub-basins, river catchments, and then city/region scales for further analysis. The results showed that most parts of the WRB experienced a decrease in blue water resources between the 1960s and 2000s, with a minimum value in the 1990s. The decrease is particularly significant in the most southern part of the WRB (Guanzhong Plain, one of the most important grain production basements in China. Variations of green water flow and green water storage were relatively small on the spatial and temporal dimensions. This study provides strategic information for optimal utilization of water resources and planning of cultivating seasons in the Wei River basin.
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Cho, Yunjo; Jin, Jang Mi; Witt, Matthias; Birdwell, Justin E.; Na, Jeong-Geol; Roh, Nam-Sun; Kim, Sunghwan
2013-01-01
Laser desorption ionization (LDI) coupled to Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) was used to analyze shale oils. Previous work showed that LDI is a sensitive ionization technique for assessing aromatic nitrogen compounds, and oils generated from Green River Formation oil shales are well-documented as being rich in nitrogen. The data presented here demonstrate that LDI is effective in ionizing high-double-bond-equivalent (DBE) compounds and, therefore, is a suitable method for characterizing compounds with condensed structures. Additionally, LDI generates radical cations and protonated ions concurrently, the distribution of which depends upon the molecular structures and elemental compositions, and the basicity of compounds is closely related to the generation of protonated ions. This study demonstrates that LDI FT-ICR MS is an effective ionization technique for use in the study of shale oils at the molecular level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that LDI FT-ICR MS has been applied to shale oils.
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Johnson, Ronald C.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Mercier, Tracey J.
2015-01-01
The Eocene Green River Formation was deposited in two large Eocene saline lakes, Lake Uinta in the Uinta and Piceance Basins and Lake Gosiute in the Greater Green River Basin. Here we will discuss mass-movement deposits in just the Piceance Basin part of Lake Uinta.
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Ege, John R.; Leavesley, G.H.; Steele, G.S.; Weeks, J.B.
1978-01-01
The U.S. Geological Survey is cooperating with the U.S. Bureau of Mines in the selection of a site for a shaft and experimental mine to be constructed in the Piceance Creek basin, Rio Blanco County, Colo. The Piceance Creek basin, an asymmetric, northwest-trending large structural downwarp, is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) west of the town of Meeker in Rio Blanco County, Colo. The oil-shale, dawsonite, nahcolite, and halite deposits of the Piceance Creek basin occur in the lacustrine Green River Formation of Eocene age. In the basin the Green River Formation comprises three members. In ascending order, they are the Douglas Creek, the Garden Gulch, and the Parachute Creek Members, Four sites are presented for consideration and evaluated on geology and hydrology with respect to shale-oil economics. Evaluated criteria include: (1) stratigraphy, (2) size of site, (3) oil-shale yield, (4) representative quantities of the saline minerals dawsonite and nahcolite, which must be present with a minimum amount of halite, (5) thickness of a 'leached' saline zone, (6) geologic structure, (7) engineering characteristics of rock, (8) representative surface and ground-water conditions, with emphasis on waste disposal and dewatering, and (9) environmental considerations. Serious construction and support problems are anticipated in sinking a deep shaft in the Piceance Creek basin. The two major concerns will be dealing with incompetent rock and large inflow of saline ground water, particularly in the leached zone. Engineering support problems will include stabilizing and hardening the rock from which a certain amount of ground water has been removed. The relative suitability of the four potential oil-shale experimental shaft sites in the Piceance Creek basin has been considered on the basis of all available geologic, hydrologic, and engineering data; site 2 is preferred to sites 1, 3, and 4, The units in this report are presented in the form: metric (English). Both units of
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1977-12-01
An engineering assessment was performed of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings at the Green River site, Utah. Services included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and other radium-contaminated materials, the evaluation of resulting radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations , the investigation of site hydrology and meteorology and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas release from the 123 thousand tons of tailings at the Green River site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation are also factors. The three alternative actions presented are dike stabilization, fencing, on- and off-site decontamination and maintenance (Option I); improvements in the stabilization cover and diking plus cleanup of the site and Browns Wash, and realignment of Browns Wash (Option II); and addition of stabilization cover to a total of 2 ft, realignment of Browns Wash and placement of additional riprap, on-site cleanup and drainage improvements (Option III). All options include remedial action at off-site structures. Cost estimates for the three options range from $700,000 to $926,000
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Permeability of shale at elevated temperature and pressure: Test methodology and preliminary results
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Myer, L.R.; Christian, T.L.
1987-05-01
A method of measuring the hydraulic conductivity of low permeability shale as a function of pressure and temperature has been developed and successfully demonstrated. Measurements have been performed on samples of Green River Formation up to a temperature of 140 0 C. For flow parallel to bedding hydraulic conductivities increased nonlinearly from 1.75 x 10 -16 m/s (1.6 x 10 -23 m 2 ) at 25 0 C, to 5.6 x 10 -15 m/s (1.4 x 10 -22 m 2 ) at 140 0 C. This increase in permeability with temperature may reflect an increase in microcrack porosity resulting from the heating
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Study of a conceptual nuclear energy center at Green River, Utah: water allocation issues
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Harper, N.J.
1982-04-01
According to preliminary studies, operation of a nine-reactor Nuclear Energy Center near Green River, Utah would require the acquisition of 126,630 acre-feet per year. Groundwater aquifers are a potential source of supply but do not present a viable option at this time due to insufficient data on aquifer characteristics. Surface supplies are available from the nearby Green and San Rafael Rivers, tributaries of the Colorado River, but are subject to important constraints. Because of these constraints, the demand for a dependable water supply for a Nuclear Energy Center could best be met by the acquisition of vested water rights from senior appropriators in either the Green or San Rafael Rivers. The Utah Water Code provides a set of procedures to accomplish such a transfer of water rights
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Hong, Sung Kyung; Shinn, Young Jae; Choi, Jiyoung; Lee, Hyun Suk
2017-04-01
The gas generation and storage potentials of shale has mostly been assessed by original TOC (TOCo) and original kerogen type. However, in the Horn River Formation, organic geochemical tools and analysis are barely sufficient for assessing the TOCo and original kerogen type because residual carbon contents represent up to 90% of TOC in shales. Major and trace elements are used as proxies for the bottom water oxygen level, for terrestrial sediment input and for productivity, which is related with variation of kerogen type. By using the inorganic geochemical proxies, we attempt to assess original kerogen type in shale gas formation and suggest its implication for HIo (original Hydrogen Index) estimation. The estimated HIo in this study allows us to calculate a reliable TOCo. These results provide new insights into the accurate estimation of the hydrocarbon potential of shale gas resources. The inorganic geochemical proxies indicate vertical variations of productivity (EX-SiO2 and Baauth), terrestrial sediment input (Al2O3, Zr, Hf, and Nb) and oxygen content in bottom water during deposition (Moauth, Uauth and Th/U), which represent the temporal changes in the mixing ratio between Type II and III kerogens. The Horn River Formation has different HIo values calculated from EX-SiO2 (biogenic origin) and it is ranked by HIo value in descending order: Evie and Muskwa members (500-700 mgHC/gTOC) > middle Otterpark Member (400-500 mgHC/gTOC) > upper Otterpark Member (300-400 mgHC/gTOC) > lower Otterpark Member (200 mgHC/gTOC). Based on the original kerogen type and TOCo, the gas generation and storage potentials of the Evie, middle Otterpark and Muskwa members are higher than those of other members. The source rock potential is excellent for the Evie Member with a remarkable difference between TOCo and measured TOC.
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Processesof Tamarix invasion and floodplain development along the lower Green River, Utah.
Birken, Adam S; Cooper, David J
2006-06-01
Significant ecological, hydrologic, and geomorphic changes have occurred during the 20th century along many large floodplain rivers in the American Southwest. Native Populus forests have declined, while the exotic Eurasian shrub, Tamarix, has proliferated and now dominates most floodplain ecosystems. Photographs from late 19th and early 20th centuries illustrate wide river channels with largely bare in-channel landforms and shrubby higher channel margin floodplains. However, by the mid-20th century, floodplains supporting dense Tamarix stands had expanded, and river channels had narrowed. Along the lower Green River in eastern Utah, the causal mechanism of channel and floodplain changes remains ambiguous due to the confounding effects of climatically driven reductions in flood magnitude, river regulation by Flaming Gorge Dam, and Tamarix invasion. This study addressed whether Tamarix establishment and spread followed climate- or dam-induced reductions in annual peak flows or whether Tamarix was potentially a driver of floodplain changes. We aged 235 Tamarix and 57 Populus individuals, determined the hydrologic and geomorphic processes that controlled recruitment, identified the spatial relationships of germination sites within floodplain stratigraphic transects, and mapped woody riparian vegetation cohorts along three segments of the lower Green River. The oldest Tamarix established along several sampling reaches in 1938, and 1.50-2.25 m of alluvium has accreted above their germination surfaces. Nearly 90% of the Tamarix and Populus samples established during flood years that exceeded the 2.5-year recurrence interval. Recruitment was most common when large floods were followed by years with smaller peak flows. The majority of Tamarix establishment and Green River channel narrowing occurred long before river regulation by Flaming Gorge Dam. Tamarix initially colonized bare instream sand deposits (e.g., islands and bars), and most channel and floodplain changes
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78 FR 39608 - Safety Zone; Summer in the City Water Ski Show; Fox River, Green Bay, WI
2013-07-02
...-AA00 Safety Zone; Summer in the City Water Ski Show; Fox River, Green Bay, WI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... River in Green Bay, WI. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Fox River... Waterboard Warrior Ski Team will perform two 30-minute shows on the Fox River between the Hwy 141 Bridge and...
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Long-term surveillance plan for the Green River, Utah disposal site. Revision 1
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1994-08-01
The long-term surveillance plan (LTSP) for the Green River, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal site describes the surveillance activities for the Green River disposal cell. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will carry out these activities to ensure that the disposal cell continues to function as designed. This final LTSP was prepared as a requirement for acceptance under the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) general license for custody and long-term care of residual radioactive materials (RRM). This LTSP documents whether the land and interests are owned by the United States or an Indian tribe and details how the long-term care of the disposal site will be carried out. The Green River, Utah, LTSP is based on the DOE's Guidance for Implementing the UMTRA Project Long-term Surveillance Program (DOE, 1992a)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Over, D.J. (State Univ. of New York, Geneseo, NY (United States). Dept. of Geological Sciences)
1994-04-01
The Frasnian-Famennian (F/F) boundary in the Woodford Shale of the US southern Midcontinent, Sweetland Creek Shale of the Illinois Basin, and the Hanover Shale of the northern Appalachian Basin is recognized to a discrete horizon. In each locality the boundary is marked by evidence of a disconformity: phosphate nodules, concentration of conodonts, or coated and corroded grains. The Woodford Shale consists of finely laminated pyritic organic-rich shale containing interbeds of greenish shale and chert. The F/F boundary horizon is marked by a concentration of conodonts and phosphatic nodules. The boundary lag horizon contains Pa. linguliformis, Pa. subperlobtata, Pa. delicatula delicatula, and Pa. triangularis. Underlying laminations contain Ancyrognathus ubiquitus and Pa. triangularis indicating that the disconformity is within the uppermost MN Zone 13 or Lower triangularis Zone. The upper portion of the Type Sweetland Creek Shale consists of dark organic-rich shales. The F/F boundary is located within an interval containing three green shale interbeds. Palmatolepis triangularis in the absence of Frasnian species first occurs in the middle green shale. In the thick Upper Devonian clastic sequence of the northern Appalachian Basin the F/F boundary is within an interval of interbedded pyritic green and organic-rich silty shales of the Hanover Shale. At Irish Gulf strata containing Pa. triangularis overlie finely laminated dark shales containing Pa. bogartensis, Pa. triangularis, Pa. winchell, Ancyrodella curvata, and Icriodus alternatus. The conodont fauna transition is below a conodont-rich laminae containing a Famennian fauna that marks the boundary horizon.
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Clean and Secure Energy from Domestic Oil Shale and Oil Sands Resources
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Spinti, Jennifer [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Birgenheier, Lauren [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Deo, Milind [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Facelli, Julio [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Hradisky, Michal [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Kelly, Kerry [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Miller, Jan [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); McLennan, John [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Ring, Terry [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Ruple, John [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Uchitel, Kirsten [Inst. for Clean and Secure Energy, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
2015-09-30
(March, 2012); Conjunctive Surface and Groundwater Management in Utah: Implications for Oil Shale and Oil Sands Development (May, 2012); Development of CFD-Based Simulation Tools for In Situ Thermal Processing of Oil Shale/Sands (February, 2012); Core-Based Integrated Sedimentologic, Stratigraphic, and Geochemical Analysis of the Oil Shale Bearing Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah (April, 2011); Atomistic Modeling of Oil Shale Kerogens and Asphaltenes Along with their Interactions with the Inorganic Mineral Matrix (April, 2011); Pore Scale Analysis of Oil Shale/Sands Pyrolysis (March, 2011); Land and Resource Management Issues Relevant to Deploying In-Situ Thermal Technologies (January, 2011); Policy Analysis of Produced Water Issues Associated with In-Situ Thermal Technologies (January, 2011); and Policy Analysis of Water Availability and Use Issues for Domestic Oil Shale and Oil Sands Development (March, 2010)
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75 FR 30299 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Fox River, Green Bay, WI
2010-06-01
... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard 33 CFR Part 117 [Docket No. USCG-2010-0374] Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Fox River, Green Bay, WI AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of temporary... from the regulation governing the operation of the Main Street Bridge at Mile 1.21 over the Fox River...
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Elliott, John G.; Anders, Steven P.
2004-01-01
The water resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin have been extensively developed for water supply, irrigation, and power generation through water storage in upstream reservoirs during spring runoff and subsequent releases during the remainder of the year. The net effect of water-resource development has been to substantially modify the predevelopment annual hydrograph as well as the timing and amount of sediment delivery from the upper Green River and the Yampa River Basins tributaries to the main-stem reaches where endangered native fish populations have been observed. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, began a study to identify sediment source reaches in the Green River main stem and the lower Yampa and Little Snake Rivers and to identify sediment-transport relations that would be useful in assessing the potential effects of hydrograph modification by reservoir operation on sedimentation at identified razorback spawning bars in the Green River. The need for additional data collection is evaluated at each sampling site. Sediment loads were calculated at five key areas within the watershed by using instantaneous measurements of streamflow, suspended-sediment concentration, and bedload. Sediment loads were computed at each site for two modes of transport (suspended load and bedload), as well as for the total-sediment load (suspended load plus bedload) where both modes were sampled. Sediment loads also were calculated for sediment particle-size range (silt-and-clay, and sand-and-gravel sizes) if laboratory size analysis had been performed on the sample, and by hydrograph season. Sediment-transport curves were developed for each type of sediment load by a least-squares regression of logarithmic-transformed data. Transport equations for suspended load and total load had coefficients of determination of at least 0.72 at all of the sampling sites except Little Snake River near
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Oldest new genus of Myrmeleontidae (Neuroptera) from the Eocene Green River Formation.
Makarkin, Vladimir N
2017-10-20
Epignopholeon sophiae gen. et sp. nov. (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) is described from the early Eocene of the Green River Formation (Colorado, U.S.A.). It represents the oldest confident record of the family. The new genus is remarkable in that tergite 7 of the female is much shorter than its long sternite 7. The preserved wing venation shows that the genus belongs to the subfamily Myrmeleontinae, and most probably to the tribe Gnopholeontini. The discovery of this species is consistent with estimations of relatively dry and warm conditions during deposition of the upper Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation.
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Godfrey, Andrew E.; Everitt, Benjamin L.; Duque, José F. Martín
2008-12-01
The Fremont River drains about 1000 km 2 of Mancos Shale badlands, which provide a large percentage of the total sediment load of its middle and lower reaches. Factors controlling sediment movement include: weathering that produces thin paralithic soils, mass movement events that move the soil onto locations susceptible to fluvial transport, intense precipitation events that move the sediment along rills and across local pediments, and finally Fremont River floods that move the sediment to the main-stem Colorado River. A forty-year erosion-pin study has shown that down-slope creep moves the weathered shale crust an average of 5.9 cm/yr. Weather records and our monitoring show that wet winters add large slab failures and mudflows. Recent sediment-trap studies show that about 95% of sediment movement across pediments is accomplished by high-intensity summer convective storms. Between 1890 and 1910, a series of large autumn floods swept down the Fremont River, eroding its floodplain and transforming it from a narrow and meandering channel to a broad, braided one. Beginning about 1940, the Fremont's channel began to narrow. Sequential aerial photos and cross-sections suggest that floodplain construction since about 1966 has stored about 4000 to 8000 m 3 of sediment per kilometer per year. These data suggest that it will take two centuries to restore the floodplain to its pre-1890 condition, which is in line with geologic studies elsewhere on the Colorado Plateau. The various landscape elements of slope, pediment, and floodplain are semi-independent actors in sediment delivery, each with its own style. Accelerated mass movement on the slopes has an approximate 20-year recurrence. Sediment movement from slope across pediments to master stream is episodic and recurs more frequently. The slope-to-pediment portion of the system appears well connected. However, sediment transport through the floodplain is not well connected in the decadal time scale, but increases in the
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Paleontological overview of oil shale and tar sands areas in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Murphey, P. C.; Daitch, D.; Environmental Science Division
2009-02-11
In August 2005, the U.S. Congress enacted the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58. In Section 369 of this Act, also known as the ''Oil Shale, Tar Sands, and Other Strategic Unconventional Fuels Act of 2005,'' Congress declared that oil shale and tar sands (and other unconventional fuels) are strategically important domestic energy resources that should be developed to reduce the nation's growing dependence on oil from politically and economically unstable foreign sources. In addition, Congress declared that both research- and commercial-scale development of oil shale and tar sands should (1) be conducted in an environmentally sound manner using management practices that will minimize potential impacts, (2) occur with an emphasis on sustainability, and (3) benefit the United States while taking into account concerns of the affected states and communities. To support this declaration of policy, Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior to undertake a series of steps, several of which are directly related to the development of a commercial leasing program for oil shale and tar sands. One of these steps was the completion of a programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) to analyze the impacts of a commercial leasing program for oil shale and tar sands resources on public lands, with an emphasis on the most geologically prospective lands in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. For oil shale, the scope of the PEIS analysis includes public lands within the Green River, Washakie, Uinta, and Piceance Creek Basins. For tar sands, the scope includes Special Tar Sand Areas (STSAs) located in Utah. This paleontological resources overview report was prepared in support of the Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resource Management Plan Amendments to Address Land Use Allocations in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming and PEIS, and it is intended to be used by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regional paleontologists and field office staff to support future
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1977-12-01
An engineering assessment was performed of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings at the Green River site, Utah. The services include the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and other radium-contaminated materials, the evaluation of resulting radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigation of site hydrology and meteorology and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas release from the 123 thousand tons of tailings at the Green River site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation are also factors. The three alternative actions presented are dike stabilization, fencing, on- and off-site decontamination and maintenance; improvements in the stabilization cover and diking plus cleanup of the site and Browns Wash, and realignment of Browns Wash; and addition of stabilization cover to a total of 2 ft, realignment of Browns Wash and placement of additional riprap, on-site cleanup and drainage improvements. All options include remedial action at off-site structures. Cost estimates for the three options range from $700,000 to $926,000
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Nganje, T. N.; Hursthouse, A. S.; Edet, Aniekan; Stirling, D.; Adamu, C. I.
2017-05-01
Water chemistry in the shale bedrock of the Cretaceous-Tertiary of the Cross River and Niger Delta hydrological basins has been investigated using major ions. To carry out a characterization of the water bearing units, 30 and 16 representatives surface and groundwater samples were collected. The evolution of the water is characterized by enhanced content of sodium, calcium and sulphate as a result of leaching of shale rock. The spatial changes in groundwater quality of the area shows an anomalous concentrations of ions in the central parts, while lower values characterize the eastern part of the basin covering Ogoja, Ikom and Odukpani areas. The values of total dissolved solids (TDS) and ions increases down gradient in the direction of groundwater flow. The dissolution of halite and gypsum explains part of the contained Na+, Ca2+, Cl- and SO4 2-, but other processes such as ion exchange, silicate weathering and pyrite oxidation also contribute to water composition. The assessment with contamination indicators such as TDS, hardness, chloride, nitrate and sulphate indicates that the water in area is suitable for human consumption in some locations. Modelling using MINTEQA2 program shows that the water from all the shale water bearing units are under saturated with respect to gypsum.
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Clark, Melanie L.; Davidson, Seth L.
2009-01-01
Southwestern Wyoming is an area of diverse scenery, wildlife, and natural resources that is actively undergoing energy development. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative is a long-term science-based effort to assess and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats at a landscape scale, while facilitating responsible energy development through local collaboration and partnerships. Water-quality monitoring has been conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey on the Green River near Green River, Wyoming, and Muddy Creek near Baggs, Wyoming. This monitoring, which is being conducted in cooperation with State and other Federal agencies and as part of the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, is in response to concerns about potentially increased dissolved solids in the Colorado River Basin as a result of energy development. Because of the need to provide real-time dissolved-solids concentrations for the Green River and Muddy Creek on the World Wide Web, the U.S. Geological Survey developed regression equations to estimate dissolved-solids concentrations on the basis of continuous specific conductance using relations between measured specific conductance and dissolved-solids concentrations. Specific conductance and dissolved-solids concentrations were less varied and generally lower for the Green River than for Muddy Creek. The median dissolved-solids concentration for the site on the Green River was 318 milligrams per liter, and the median concentration for the site on Muddy Creek was 943 milligrams per liter. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 187 to 594 milligrams per liter in samples collected from the Green River during water years 1999-2008. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 293 to 2,485 milligrams per liter in samples collected from Muddy Creek during water years 2006-08. The differences in dissolved-solids concentrations in samples collected from the Green River compared to samples collected from Muddy
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2013-06-03
..., Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1100, or via email at bronson.smart@ut.usda.gov . Information may also be... publicly available at any time during the EIS process. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bronson Smart... held on November 15, 2012 at Green River City Hall in Green River, Utah. Through additional...
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UMTRA water sampling and analysis plan, Green River, Utah
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Papusch, R.
1993-12-01
The purpose of this water sampling and analysis plan (WSAP) is to provide a basis for groundwater and surface water sampling at the Green River Uranium Mill Tailing Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site. This WSAP identifies and justifies the sampling locations, analytical parameters, detection limits, and sampling frequency for the monitoring locations
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Geology of the Devonian black shales of the Appalachian Basin
Roen, J.B.
1984-01-01
Black shales of Devonian age in the Appalachian Basin are a unique rock sequence. The high content of organic matter, which imparts the characteristic lithology, has for years attracted considerable interest in the shales as a possible source of energy. The recent energy shortage prompted the U.S. Department of Energy through the Eastern Gas Shales Project of the Morgantown Energy Technology Center to underwrite a research program to determine the geologic, geochemical, and structural characteristics of the Devonian black shales in order to enhance the recovery of gas from the shales. Geologic studies by Federal and State agencies and academic institutions produced a regional stratigraphic network that correlates the 15 ft black shale sequence in Tennessee with 3000 ft of interbedded black and gray shales in central New York. These studies correlate the classic Devonian black shale sequence in New York with the Ohio Shale of Ohio and Kentucky and the Chattanooga Shale of Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. Biostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic markers in conjunction with gamma-ray logs facilitated long-range correlations within the Appalachian Basin. Basinwide correlations, including the subsurface rocks, provided a basis for determining the areal distribution and thickness of the important black shale units. The organic carbon content of the dark shales generally increases from east to west across the basin and is sufficient to qualify as a hydrocarbon source rock. Significant structural features that involve the black shale and their hydrocarbon potential are the Rome trough, Kentucky River and Irvine-Paint Creek fault zone, and regional decollements and ramp zones. ?? 1984.
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2012 Reassessment of Floodplain Wetland Connections in the Middle Green River, Utah
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
LaGory, Kirk E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Walston, Leroy J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Weber, Cory C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
2016-12-01
This report presents the results of floodplain wetland connection surveys conducted in 2012 at eight priority floodplain wetlands along the middle Green River between Jensen and Ouray, Utah. Surveys were conducted at levee breaches and within channels leading from the breaches to the wetlands (referred to here as connection channels) to characterize the flows needed to connect the river's main channel with the floodplain wetlands.
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Duvernay shale lithofacies distribution analysis in the West Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Zhu, Houqin; Kong, Xiangwen; Long, Huashan; Huai, Yinchao
2018-02-01
In the West Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB), Duvernay shale is considered to contribute most of the Canadian shale gas reserve and production. According to global shale gas exploration and development practice, reservoir property and well completion quality are the two key factors determining the shale gas economics. The two key factors are strongly depending on shale lithofacies. On the basis of inorganic mineralogy theory, all available thin section, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) data were used to assist lithofacies analysis. Gamma ray (GR), acoustic (AC), bulk density (RHOB), neutron porosity (NPHI) and photoelectric absorption cross-section index (PE) were selected for log response analysis of various minerals. Reservoir representative equation was created constrained by quantitative core analysis results, and matrix mineral percentage of quartz, carbonate, feldspar and pyrite were calculated to classify shale lithofacies. Considering the horizontal continuity of seismic data, rock physics model was built, and acoustic impedance integrated with core data and log data was used to predict the horizontal distribution of different lithofacies. The results indicate that: (1) nine lithofacies can be categorized in Duvernay shale, (2) the horizontal distribution of different lithofacies is quite diversified, siliceous shale mainly occurs in Simonette area, calcareous shale is prone to develop in the vicinity of reef, while calcareous-siliceous shale dominates in Willesdon Green area.
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Effect of organic-matter type and thermal maturity on methane adsorption in shale-gas systems
Zhang, Tongwei; Ellis, Geoffrey S.; Ruppel, Stephen C.; Milliken, Kitty; Yang, Rongsheng
2012-01-01
A series of methane (CH4) adsorption experiments on bulk organic rich shales and their isolated kerogens were conducted at 35 °C, 50 °C and 65 °C and CH4 pressure of up to 15 MPa under dry conditions. Samples from the Eocene Green River Formation, Devonian–Mississippian Woodford Shale and Upper Cretaceous Cameo coal were studied to examine how differences in organic matter type affect natural gas adsorption. Vitrinite reflectance values of these samples ranged from 0.56–0.58 %Ro. In addition, thermal maturity effects were determined on three Mississippian Barnett Shale samples with measured vitrinite reflectance values of 0.58, 0.81 and 2.01 %Ro. For all bulk and isolated kerogen samples, the total amount of methane adsorbed was directly proportional to the total organic carbon (TOC) content of the sample and the average maximum amount of gas sorption was 1.36 mmol of methane per gram of TOC. These results indicate that sorption on organic matter plays a critical role in shale-gas storage. Under the experimental conditions, differences in thermal maturity showed no significant effect on the total amount of gas sorbed. Experimental sorption isotherms could be fitted with good accuracy by the Langmuir function by adjusting the Langmuir pressure (PL) and maximum sorption capacity (Γmax). The lowest maturity sample (%Ro = 0.56) displayed a Langmuir pressure (PL) of 5.15 MPa, significantly larger than the 2.33 MPa observed for the highest maturity (%Ro > 2.01) sample at 50 °C. The value of the Langmuir pressure (PL) changes with kerogen type in the following sequence: type I > type II > type III. The thermodynamic parameters of CH4 adsorption on organic rich shales were determined based on the experimental CH4 isotherms. For the adsorption of CH4 on organic rich shales and their isolated kerogen, the heat of adsorption (q) and the standard entropy (Δs0) range from 7.3–28.0 kJ/mol and from −36.2 to −92.2 J/mol/K, respectively.
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Long-term surveillance plan for the Green River, Utah disposal site. Revision 2
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1998-07-01
The long-term surveillance plan (LTSP) for the Green River, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal site describes the surveillance activities for the Green River disposal cell. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will carry out these activities to ensure that the disposal cell continues to function as designed. This final LTSP was prepared as a requirement for acceptance under the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) general license for custody and long-term care of residual radioactive materials (RRM). This LTSP documents whether the land and interests are owned by the United States or an Indian tribe and details how the long-term care of the disposal site will be carried out
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The effect of maturation on the configuration of pristane in sediments and petroleum
Patience, R. L.; Rowland, S. J.; Maxwell, J. R.
1978-01-01
The absolute stereochemistry of pristane in a sample of contemporary marine zooplankton, Messel shale (Germany) and Djatibarang (Java) crude has been determined by gas chromatographic methods. The relative stereochemistry in Irati shale (Brazil), Green River (U.S.) crude, Halibut (Australia) crude has also been determined, and confirmed for a sample of the Green River shale. The stereoisomer distributions indicate a loss of stereospecificity of the phytol-derived 6(R), 10(S) pristane with increasing geological maturation. For example, the least mature geological sample, the Eocene Messel shale, contains solely the 6(R), 10(S) isomer, whereas a mature sample, Djatibarange crude, contains 50% of the 6(R), 10(S) isomer and 25% of each of the 6(R), 10(R) and 6(S), 10(S) isomers.
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Snowmelt runoff in the Green River basin derived from MODIS snow extent
Barton, J. S.; Hall, D. K.
2011-12-01
The Green River represents a vital water supply for southwestern Wyoming, northern Colorado, eastern Utah, and the Lower Colorado River Compact states (Arizona, Nevada, and California). Rapid development in the southwestern United States combined with the recent drought has greatly stressed the water supply of the Colorado River system, and concurrently increased the interest in long-term variations in stream flow. Modeling of snowmelt runoff represents a means to predict flows and reservoir storage, which is useful for water resource planning. An investigation is made into the accuracy of the Snowmelt Runoff Model of Martinec and Rango, driven by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow maps for predicting stream flow within the Green River basin. While the moderate resolution of the MODIS snow maps limits the spatial detail that can be captured, the daily coverage is an important advantage of the MODIS imagery. The daily MODIS snow extent is measured using the most recent clear observation for each 500-meter pixel. Auxiliary data used include temperature and precipitation time series from the Snow Telemetry (SNOTEL) and Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) networks as well as from National Weather Service records. Also from the SNOTEL network, snow-water equivalence data are obtained to calibrate the conversion between snow extent and runoff potential.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
C. F. Zang
2012-08-01
Full Text Available In arid and semi-arid regions freshwater resources have become scarcer with increasing demands from socio-economic development and population growth. Until recently, water research and management has mainly focused on blue water but ignored green water. Furthermore, in data poor regions hydrological flows under natural conditions are poorly characterised but are a prerequisite to inform future water resources management. Here we report on spatial and temporal patterns of both blue and green water flows that can be expected under natural conditions as simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT for the Heihe river basin, the second largest inland river basin in Northwest China. Calibration and validation at two hydrological stations show good performance of the SWAT model in modelling hydrological processes. The total green and blue water flows were 22.05–25.51 billion m3 in the 2000s for the Heihe river basin. Blue water flows are larger in upstream sub-basins than in downstream sub-basins mainly due to high precipitation and a large amount of snow and melting water in upstream. Green water flows are distributed more homogeneously among different sub-basins. The green water coefficient was 87%–89% in the 2000s for the entire river basin, varying from around 80%–90% in up- and mid-stream sub-basins to above 90% in downstream sub-basins. This is much higher than reported green water coefficients in many other river basins. The spatial patterns of green water coefficients were closely linked to dominant land covers (e.g. snow cover upstream and desert downstream and climate conditions (e.g. high precipitation upstream and low precipitation downstream. There are no clear consistent historical trends of change in green and blue water flows and the green water coefficient at both the river basin and sub-basin levels. This study provides insights into green and blue water endowments under natural conditions for the entire
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kopp, O.C.; Mulligan, P.J.; Reeves, D.K.
1988-11-01
A primary purpose of this study was to develop reproducible, quantitative methods to determine the bulk mineral composition and diagenetic history of argillaceous rocks and to attempt, in a preliminary way, to explain the thermomechanical behavior of several formations that were being measured by others. This report presents the results of several methods of analysis [specific-gravity determinations, water contents, chemical analyses by x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, quantitative mineralogical analyses by x-ray diffraction (QXRD), preferred orientation analyses by x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of fractured samples] that were used to study selected samples from the Conasauga Group, the Rhinestreet Shale, the Pierre Shale, and the Green River Formation to determine their mineralogical character and the effects of diagenesis on these materials. The results were then related to thermochemical test data that were obtained on samples from the same cores. Specific-gravity determinations on ''as-received'' samples ranged from 2.00 for the Green River Formation to 2.75 for the Rhinestreet Shale. Exposure to the atmosphere resulted in a small net gain (+0.5) in specific gravity for the Conasauga Group samples and a net loss (-0.11) for the Pierre Shale samples. Water contents, determined by heating to 105/degree/C for 1 h, averaged 0.8% by weight for the Conasauga Shale, Rhinestreet Shale, and Green River Formation samples. The water content determined for the Pierre Shale samples was 12.1 wt %
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Oil Recovery Increases by Low-Salinity Flooding: Minnelusa and Green River Formations
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Eric P. Robertson
2010-09-01
Waterflooding is by far the most widely used method in the world to increase oil recovery. Historically, little consideration has been given in reservoir engineering practice to the effect of injection brine composition on waterflood displacement efficiency or to the possibility of increased oil recovery through manipulation of the composition of the injected water. However, recent work has shown that oil recovery can be significantly increased by modifying the injection brine chemistry or by injecting diluted or low salinity brine. This paper reports on laboratory work done to increase the understanding of improved oil recovery by waterflooding with low salinity injection water. Porous media used in the studies included outcrop Berea sandstone (Ohio, U.S.A.) and reservoir cores from the Green River formation of the Uinta basin (Utah, U.S.A.). Crude oils used in the experimental protocols were taken from the Minnelusa formation of the Powder River basin (Wyoming, U.S.A.) and from the Green River formation, Monument Butte field in the Uinta basin. Laboratory corefloods using Berea sandstone, Minnelusa crude oil, and simulated Minnelusa formation water found a significant relationship between the temperature at which the oil- and water-saturated cores were aged and the oil recovery resulting from low salinity waterflooding. Lower aging temperatures resulted in very little to no additional oil recovery, while cores aged at higher temperatures resulted in significantly higher recoveries from dilute-water floods. Waterflood studies using reservoir cores and fluids from the Green River formation of the Monument Butte field also showed significantly higher oil recoveries from low salinity waterfloods with cores flooded with fresher water recovering 12.4% more oil on average than those flooded with undiluted formation brine.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Niu, Mengting; Wang, Sha; Han, Xiangxin; Jiang, Xiumin
2013-01-01
Highlights: • The whole formation process of shale oil might be divided into four stages. • Higher ash/shale mass ratio intensified the cracking and coking of shale oil. • Ash/shale ratio of 1:2 was recommended for oil shale fluidized bed retort with fine oil-shale ash as solid heat carrier. - Abstract: For exploring and optimizing the oil shale fluidized bed retort with fine oil-shale ash as a solid heat carrier, retorting experiments of oil shale and fine oil-shale ash mixtures were conducted in a lab-scale retorting reactor to investigate the effects of fine oil-shale ash on shale oil. Oil shale samples were obtained from Dachengzi Mine, China, and mixed with fine oil-shale ash in the ash/shale mass ratios of 0:1, 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 and 4:1. The experimental retorting temperature was enhanced from room temperature to 520 °C and the average heating rate was 12 °C min −1 . It was found that, with the increase of the oil-shale ash fraction, the shale oil yield first increased and then decreased obviously, whereas the gas yield appeared conversely. Shale oil was analyzed for the elemental analysis, presenting its atomic H/C ratio of 1.78–1.87. Further, extraction and simulated distillation of shale oil were also conducted to explore the quality of shale oil. As a result, the ash/shale mixing mass ratio of 1:2 was recommended only for the consideration of increasing the yield and quality of shale oil
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Mast, M. Alisa; Mills, Taylor J.; Paschke, Suzanne S.; Keith, Gabrielle; Linard, Joshua I.
2014-01-01
This study investigates processes controlling mobilization of selenium in the lower part of the Uncompahgre River Basin in western Colorado. Selenium occurs naturally in the underlying Mancos Shale and is leached to groundwater and surface water by limited natural runoff, agricultural and domestic irrigation, and leakage from irrigation canals. Soil and sediment samples from the study area were tested using sequential extractions to identify the forms of selenium present in solid phases. Selenium speciation was characterized for nonirrigated and irrigated soils from an agricultural site and sediments from a wetland formed by a leaking canal. In nonirrigated areas, selenium was present in highly soluble sodium salts and gypsum. In irrigated soils, soluble forms of selenium were depleted and most selenium was associated with organic matter that was stable under near-surface weathering conditions. Laboratory leaching experiments and geochemical modeling confirm that selenium primarily is released to groundwater and surface water by dissolution of highly soluble selenium-bearing salts and gypsum present in soils and bedrock. Rates of selenium dissolution determined from column leachate experiments indicate that selenium is released most rapidly when water is applied to previously nonirrigated soils and sediment. High concentrations of extractable nitrate also were found in nonirrigated soils and bedrock that appear to be partially derived from weathered organic matter from the shale rather than from agricultural sources. Once selenium is mobilized, dissolved nitrate derived from natural sources appears to inhibit the reduction of dissolved selenium leading to elevated concentrations of selenium in groundwater. A conceptual model of selenium weathering is presented and used to explain seasonal variations in the surface-water chemistry of Loutzenhizer Arroyo, a major tributary contributor of selenium to the lower Uncompahgre River.
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Tuttle, Michele L.W.; Fahy, Juli W.; Elliott, John G.; Grauch, Richard I.; Stillings, Lisa L.
2013-01-01
Soils derived from black shale can accumulate high concentrations of elements of environmental concern, especially in regions with semiarid to arid climates. One such region is the Colorado River basin in the southwestern United States where contaminants pose a threat to agriculture, municipal water supplies, endangered aquatic species, and water-quality commitments to Mexico. Exposures of Cretaceous Mancos Shale (MS) in the upper basin are a major contributor of salinity and selenium in the Colorado River. Here, we examine the roles of geology, climate, and alluviation on contaminant cycling (emphasis on salinity and Se) during weathering of MS in a Colorado River tributary watershed. Stage I (incipient weathering) began perhaps as long ago as 20 ka when lowering of groundwater resulted in oxidation of pyrite and organic matter. This process formed gypsum and soluble organic matter that persist in the unsaturated, weathered shale today. Enrichment of Se observed in laterally persistent ferric oxide layers likely is due to selenite adsorption onto the oxides that formed during fluctuating redox conditions at the water table. Stage II weathering (pedogenesis) is marked by a significant decrease in bulk density and increase in porosity as shale disaggregates to soil. Rainfall dissolves calcite and thenardite (Na2SO4) at the surface, infiltrates to about 1 m, and precipitates gypsum during evaporation. Gypsum formation (estimated 390 kg m−2) enriches soil moisture in Na and residual SO4. Transpiration of this moisture to the surface or exposure of subsurface soil (slumping) produces more thenardite. Most Se remains in the soil as selenite adsorbed to ferric oxides, however, some oxidizes to selenate and, during wetter conditions is transported with soil moisture to depths below 3 m. Coupled with little rainfall, relatively insoluble gypsum, and the translocation of soluble Se downward, MS landscapes will be a significant nonpoint source of salinity and Se to the
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Blanding, F H
1946-08-29
A continuous method of distilling shale to produce valuable hydrocarbon oils is described which comprises providing a fluidized mass of the shale in a distillation zone, withdrawing hydrocarbon vapors from the zone, mixing fresh cold shale with the hydrocarbon vapors to quench the same, whereby the fresh shale is preheated, recovering hydrocarbon vapors and product vapors from the mixture and withdrawing preheated shale from the mixture and charging it to a shale distillation zone.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Blanding, F H
1948-08-03
A continuous method of distilling shale to produce valuable hydrocarbon oils is described, which comprises providing a fluidized mass of the shale in a distillation zone, withdrawing hydrocarbon vapors containing shale fines from the zone, mixing sufficient fresh cold shale with the hydrocarbon vapors to quench the same and to cause condensation of the higher boiling constituents thereof, charging the mixture of vapors, condensate, and cold shale to a separation zone where the shale is maintained in a fluidized condition by the upward movement of the hydrocarbon vapors, withdrawing condensate from the separation zone and recycling a portion of the condensate to the top of the separation zone where it flows countercurrent to the vapors passing therethrough and causes shale fines to be removed from the vapors by the scrubbing action of the condensate, recovering hydrocarbon vapors and product vapors from the separation zone, withdrawing preheated shale from the separation zone and charging it to a shale distillation zone.
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Dietrich, John D.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Johnson, Ronald C.; Mercier, Tracey J.
2014-01-01
Recent studies indicate that the Piceance Basin in northwestern Colorado contains over 1.5 trillion barrels of oil in place, making the basin the largest known oil-shale deposit in the world. Previously published histograms display oil-yield variations with depth and widely correlate rich and lean oil-shale beds and zones throughout the basin. Histograms in this report display oil-yield data plotted alongside either water-yield or oil specific-gravity data. Fischer assay analyses of core and cutting samples collected from exploration drill holes penetrating the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin can aid in determining the origins of those deposits, as well as estimating the amount of organic matter, halite, nahcolite, and water-bearing minerals. This report focuses only on the oil yield plotted against water yield and oil specific gravity.
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Shale gas. Shale gas formation and extraction
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Renard, Francois; Artru, Philippe
2015-10-01
A first article recalls the origin of shale gases and technological breakthroughs which allowed their exploitation, describes the development of shale gas exploitation in the USA during the 2000's and the consequences for the gas and electricity markets, and discusses the various environmental impacts (risks of pollution of aquifers, risks of induced seismicity, use and processing of drilling and production waters). The second article describes the formation of shale gas: presence of organic matter in sediments, early evolution with the biogenic gas, burrowing, diagenesis and oil formation, thermal generation of gas (condensates and methane). The author indicates the location of gas within the rock, and the main sites of shale oils and shale gases in the World. In the next part, the author describes the various phases of shale gas extraction: exploration, oriented drillings, well preparation for hydraulic fracturing, fracturing, processing of fracturing fluids, flow-back, gas production and transport, aquifer protection. He finally gives a brief overview of technical evolution and of shale gas economy
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.
1994-01-01
The Department of the Interior (DOI) irrigation drainwater investigation of the middle Green River of Utah reported that concentrations of boron, selenium, and zinc in water, bottom sediment, and biological tissues were sufficiently elevated to be potentially harmful to fish and wildlife. The major focus of the DOI study was in the Ashley Creek-Stewart Lake area near Jensen, utah. The middle Green River provides sensitive habitat for the endangered Colorado squawfish, razorback sucker, and bonytail. The authors conducted two 90-day chronic toxicity studies, one with razorback sucker, and the other with bonytail. Swimup larvae were exposed in a reconstituted water simulating the middle Green River. The toxicant mixture simulated the environmental ratio and concentrations of inorganics reported in the DOI study for the mouth of Ashley Creek-Stewart Lake outflow on the Green River, and was composed of arsenic, boron, copper, molybdenum, uranium, vanadium, selenate, selenite, and zinc. The mixture was tested at 1X, 2X, 4X, 8X, and 16X where X was the average expected environmental concentration. Razorback suckers had reduced survival after 40 days exposure to the inorganic mixture at 16X and after 60 days at 8X; whereas growth was reduced after 30 days at 8X and after 60 days at 4X. Bonytail had reduced survival after 20 days exposure at 16X, whereas growth was reduced after 60 days at 8X. These studies show that at environmentally realistic concentrations, the inorganic mixture simulating Ashley Creek-Stewart Lake outfall adversely affects larval endangered fish
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dillman, S.B.
1980-01-01
The Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippi black-shale sequence is an important source of natural gas in eastern Kentucky and with technological advances may be an important source of synthetic oil and uranium on the flanks of the Cincinnati arch. To enhance the understanding and development of these resources in the black-shale sequence, eight isopach maps, eight structure-contour maps and nine isopach maps of highly radioactive black shale were constructed. Structural features including the Rome trough, Rockcastle River uplift, Pine Mountain thrust fault, Kentucky River and Paint Creek fault zones and unnamed basinal areas in Greenup, Pike, and Knott counties were identified on the maps. Faults bounding the Rome trough and other structures were active intermittently throughout Late Devonian time. Other structures show only post-Devonian activity, whereas some show both Devonian and post-Devonian activity. Comparison of structure-contour and isopach maps allow the differentiation of syn- and post-sedimentray structural activity relative to the black-shale sequence. A north-south trending hinge line separates a broad platform area from an area of rapid eastward thickening into the Appalachian basin. Units 7 through 1 progressively onlap the Cincinnati arch; units 4 through 1 cover the arch
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Bartos, Timothy T.; Hallberg, Laura L.; Eddy-Miller, Cheryl
2015-07-14
In cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, groundwater levels in wells located in the northern Green River Basin in Wyoming, an area of ongoing energy development, were measured by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2010 to 2014. The wells were completed in the uppermost aquifers of the Green River Basin lower Tertiary aquifer system, which is a complex regional aquifer system that provides water to most wells in the area. Except for near perennial streams, groundwater-level altitudes in most aquifers generally decreased with increasing depth, indicating a general downward potential for groundwater movement in the study area. Drilled depth of the wells was observed as a useful indicator of depth to groundwater such that deeper wells typically had a greater depth to groundwater. Comparison of a subset of wells included in this study that had historical groundwater levels that were measured during the 1960s and 1970s and again between 2012 and 2014 indicated that, overall, most of the wells showed a net decline in groundwater levels.
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The Devonian Marcellus Shale and Millboro Shale
Soeder, Daniel J.; Enomoto, Catherine B.; Chermak, John A.
2014-01-01
The recent development of unconventional oil and natural gas resources in the United States builds upon many decades of research, which included resource assessment and the development of well completion and extraction technology. The Eastern Gas Shales Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy in the 1980s, investigated the gas potential of organic-rich, Devonian black shales in the Appalachian, Michigan, and Illinois basins. One of these eastern shales is the Middle Devonian Marcellus Shale, which has been extensively developed for natural gas and natural gas liquids since 2007. The Marcellus is one of the basal units in a thick Devonian shale sedimentary sequence in the Appalachian basin. The Marcellus rests on the Onondaga Limestone throughout most of the basin, or on the time-equivalent Needmore Shale in the southeastern parts of the basin. Another basal unit, the Huntersville Chert, underlies the Marcellus in the southern part of the basin. The Devonian section is compressed to the south, and the Marcellus Shale, along with several overlying units, grades into the age-equivalent Millboro Shale in Virginia. The Marcellus-Millboro interval is far from a uniform slab of black rock. This field trip will examine a number of natural and engineered exposures in the vicinity of the West Virginia–Virginia state line, where participants will have the opportunity to view a variety of sedimentary facies within the shale itself, sedimentary structures, tectonic structures, fossils, overlying and underlying formations, volcaniclastic ash beds, and to view a basaltic intrusion.
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McBeck, J.; Kobchenko, M.; Hall, S.; Tudisco, E.; Cordonnier, B.; Renard, F.
2017-12-01
Previous studies have identified compaction bands primarily within sandstones, and in fewer instances, within other porous rocks and sediments. Using Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) of X-ray microtomography scans, we find evidence of localized zones of high axial contraction that form tabular structures sub-perpendicular to maximum compression, σ1, in Green River shale. To capture in situ strain localization throughout loading, two shale cores were deformed in the HADES triaxial deformation apparatus installed on the X-ray microtomography beamline ID19 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. In these experiments, we increase σ1 in increments of two MPa, with constant confining pressure (20 MPa), until the sample fails in macroscopic shear. After each stress step, a 3D image of the sample inside the rig is acquired at a voxel resolution of 6.5 μm. The evolution of lower density regions within 3D reconstructions of linear attenuation coefficients reveal the development of fractures that fail with some opening. If a fracture produces negligible dilation, it may remain undetected in image segmentation of the reconstructions. We use the DVC software TomoWarp2 to identify undetected fractures and capture the 3D incremental displacement field between each successive pair of microtomography scans acquired in each experiment. The corresponding strain fields reveal localized bands of high axial contraction that host minimal shear strain, and thus match the kinematic definition of compaction bands. The bands develop sub-perpendicular to σ1 in the two samples in which pre-existing bedding laminations were oriented parallel and perpendicular to σ1. As the shales deform plastically toward macroscopic shear failure, the number of bands and axial contraction within the bands increase, while the spacing between the bands decreases. Compaction band development accelerates the rate of overall axial contraction, increasing the mean axial contraction throughout the sample
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Radioactive contamination of filamentous green algae in the Hungarian reach of the river Danube
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Holland, E.; Sztanyik, L.B.; Vanicsek, L.
1982-01-01
In accordance with the Hungarian nuclear power program, river water monitoring techniques should be developed. From among algae of various species of river Danube the localized and well-propagating filamentous green algae (Cladophora sp.; Vaucheria sp.) were investigated. The activity concentration of gamma-radiating nuclides absorbed by algae was determined with a Canberra 8100 type Ge(Li)-spectrometer. This apparatus facilitated radioactivity measurements on wet samples or samples subjected to simple physical preparation. The metabolic character and accumulative abilities of filamentous green algae showed that they are suitable indicators of radionuclide contamination of the water ecosystem. 131 I nuclide at min. 72.5 mBq/g to max. 5440.0 mBq/g, and other fission products from 55 mBq/g to 929 mBq/g were observed. (author)
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Radioactive contamination of filamentous green algae in the Hungarian reach of the river Danube
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Holland, E.; Sztanyik, L.B.; Vanicsek, L. (Orszagos Frederic Joliot-Curie Sugarbiologiai es Sugaregeszseguegyi Kutato Intezet, Budapest (Hungary))
1982-01-01
In accordance with the Hungarian nuclear power program, river water monitoring techniques should be developed. From among algae of various species of river Danube the localized and well-propagating filamentous green algae (Cladophora sp.; Vaucheria sp.) were investigated. The activity concentration of gamma-radiating nuclides absorbed by algae was determined with a Canberra 8100 type Ge(Li)-spectrometer. This apparatus facilitated radioactivity measurements on wet samples or samples subjected to simple physical preparation. The metabolic character and accumulative abilities of filamentous green algae showed that they are suitable indicators of radionuclide contamination of the water ecosystem. /sup 131/I nuclide at min. 72.5 mBq/g to max. 5440.0 mBq/g, and other fission products from 55 mBq/g to 929 mBq/g were observed.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Snider, M.A.; Hayse, J.W.; Hlohowskyj, I.; LaGory, K.E.
1996-01-01
The 500-mile long Green River is the largest tributary of the Colorado River. From its origin in the Wind River Range mountains of western Wyoming to its confluence with the Colorado River in southeastern Utah, the Green River is vital to the arid region through which it flows. Large portions of the area remain near-wilderness with the river providing a source of recreation in the form of fishing and rafting, irrigation for farming and ranching, and hydroelectric power. In the late 1950's and early 1960's hydroelectric facilities were built on the river. One of these, Flaming Gorge Dam, is located just south of the Utah-Wyoming border near the town of Dutch John, Utah. Hydropower operations result in hourly and daily fluctuations in the releases of water from the dam that alter the natural stream flow below the dam and affect natural resources in and along the river corridor. In the present study, the authors were interested in evaluating the potential impacts of hydropower operations at Flaming Gorge Dam on the downstream natural resources. Considering the size of the area affected by the daily pattern of water release at the dam as well as the difficult terrain and limited accessibility of many reaches of the river, evaluating these impacts using standard field study methods was virtually impossible. Instead an approach was developed that used multispectral aerial videography to determine changes in the affected parameters at different flows, hydrologic modeling to predict flow conditions for various hydropower operating scenarios, and ecological information on the biological resources of concern to assign impacts
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Investigating Rare Earth Element Systematics in the Marcellus Shale
Yang, J.; Torres, M. E.; Kim, J. H.; Verba, C.
2014-12-01
The lanthanide series of elements (the 14 rare earth elements, REEs) have similar chemical properties and respond to different chemical and physical processes in the natural environment by developing unique patterns in their concentration distribution when normalized to an average shale REE content. The interpretation of the REE content in a gas-bearing black shale deposited in a marine environment must therefore take into account the paleoredox conditions of deposition as well as any diagenetic remobilization and authigenic mineral formation. We analyzed 15 samples from a core of the Marcellus Shale (Whipkey ST1, Greene Co., PA) for REEs, TOC, gas-producing potential, trace metal content, and carbon isotopes of organic matter in order to determine the REE systematics of a black shale currently undergoing shale gas development. We also conducted a series of sequential leaching experiments targeting the phosphatic fractions in order to evaluate the dominant host phase of REEs in a black shale. Knowledge of the REE system in the Marcellus black shale will allow us to evaluate potential REE release and behavior during hydraulic fracturing operations. Total REE content of the Whipkey ST1 core ranged from 65-185 μg/g and we observed three distinct REE shale-normalized patterns: middle-REE enrichment (MREE/MREE* ~2) with heavy-REE enrichment (HREE/LREE ~1.8-2), flat patterns, and a linear enrichment towards the heavy-REE (HREE/LREE ~1.5-2.5). The MREE enrichment occurred in the high carbonate samples of the Stafford Member overlying the Marcellus Formation. The HREE enrichment occurred in the Union Springs Member of the Marcellus Formation, corresponding to a high TOC peak (TOC ~4.6-6.2 wt%) and moderate carbonate levels (CaCO3 ~4-53 wt%). Results from the sequential leaching experiments suggest that the dominant host of the REEs is the organic fraction of the black shale and that the detrital and authigenic fractions have characteristic MREE enrichments. We present our
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Parker, Kimberly M; Zeng, Teng; Harkness, Jennifer; Vengosh, Avner; Mitch, William A
2014-10-07
The disposal and leaks of hydraulic fracturing wastewater (HFW) to the environment pose human health risks. Since HFW is typically characterized by elevated salinity, concerns have been raised whether the high bromide and iodide in HFW may promote the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and alter their speciation to more toxic brominated and iodinated analogues. This study evaluated the minimum volume percentage of two Marcellus Shale and one Fayetteville Shale HFWs diluted by fresh water collected from the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers that would generate and/or alter the formation and speciation of DBPs following chlorination, chloramination, and ozonation treatments of the blended solutions. During chlorination, dilutions as low as 0.01% HFW altered the speciation toward formation of brominated and iodinated trihalomethanes (THMs) and brominated haloacetonitriles (HANs), and dilutions as low as 0.03% increased the overall formation of both compound classes. The increase in bromide concentration associated with 0.01-0.03% contribution of Marcellus HFW (a range of 70-200 μg/L for HFW with bromide = 600 mg/L) mimics the increased bromide levels observed in western Pennsylvanian surface waters following the Marcellus Shale gas production boom. Chloramination reduced HAN and regulated THM formation; however, iodinated trihalomethane formation was observed at lower pH. For municipal wastewater-impacted river water, the presence of 0.1% HFW increased the formation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) during chloramination, particularly for the high iodide (54 ppm) Fayetteville Shale HFW. Finally, ozonation of 0.01-0.03% HFW-impacted river water resulted in significant increases in bromate formation. The results suggest that total elimination of HFW discharge and/or installation of halide-specific removal techniques in centralized brine treatment facilities may be a better strategy to mitigate impacts on downstream drinking water treatment plants than altering
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Socioeconomic impacts: study of a conceptual nuclear energy center at Green River, Utah
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weaver, R.; Taylor, J.; Burnett, K.; Greenberg, B.
1982-02-01
This document constitutes a segment of a feasibility study investigating the ramifications of constructing a nuclear energy center (NEC) in an arid western region. In this phase of the study, the impacts on socioeconomic conditions in the surrounding communities and possible ways of financing and mitigating these impacts were examined. The general conclusion reached is that the socioeconomic impacts of a nuclear energy center in the Green River area of Southeastern Utah would not impose an absolute bar to NEC development. The economy of the NEC impact area would be substantially transformed by the NEC. In particular, Green River city itself would change from its current status as a relatively stable rural economy with an agricultural, mining, and recreation base to a major city with over 20,000 permanent relatively high income residents. The NEC, by itself, would provide a tax base more than adequate to finance required expansion of public facilities and public human service provisions
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Socioeconomic impacts: study of a conceptual nuclear energy center at Green River, Utah
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Weaver, R.; Taylor, J.; Burnett, K.; Greenberg, B.
1982-02-01
This document constitutes a segment of a feasibility study investigating the ramifications of constructing a nuclear energy center (NEC) in an arid western region. In this phase of the study, the impacts on socioeconomic conditions in the surrounding communities and possible ways of financing and mitigating these impacts were examined. The general conclusion reached is that the socioeconomic impacts of a nuclear energy center in the Green River area of Southeastern Utah would not impose an absolute bar to NEC development. The economy of the NEC impact area would be substantially transformed by the NEC. In particular, Green River city itself would change from its current status as a relatively stable rural economy with an agricultural, mining, and recreation base to a major city with over 20,000 permanent relatively high income residents. The NEC, by itself, would provide a tax base more than adequate to finance required expansion of public facilities and public human service provisions.
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Energy map of southwestern Wyoming, Part B: oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, and solar
Biewick, Laura R.H.; Wilson, Anna B.
2014-01-01
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled Part B of the Energy Map of Southwestern Wyoming for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI). Part B consists of oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, and solar energy resource information in support of the WLCI. The WLCI represents the USGS partnership with other Department of the Interior Bureaus, State and local agencies, industry, academia, and private landowners, all of whom collaborate to maintain healthy landscapes, sustain wildlife, and preserve recreational and grazing uses while developing energy resources in southwestern Wyoming. This product is the second and final part of the Energy Map of Southwestern Wyoming series (also see USGS Data Series 683, http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/683/), and encompasses all of Carbon, Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, and Uinta Counties, as well as areas in Fremont County that are in the Great Divide and Green River Basins.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Vanden Berg, Michael [Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Morgan, Craig [Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Chidsey, Thomas [Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); McLennan, John [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Energy & Geoscience Inst.; Eby, David [Eby Petrography & Consulting, Littleton, CO (United States); Machel, Hans [Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (Canada); Schamel, Steve [GeoX Consulting, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Birdwell, Justin [U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO (United States); Johnson, Ron [U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO (United States); Sarg, Rick [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
2017-08-31
The enclosed report is the culmination of a multi-year and multi-faceted research project investigating Utah’s unconventional tight oil potential. From the beginning, the project team focused efforts on two different plays: (1) the basal Green River Formation’s (GRF) Uteland Butte unconventional play in the Uinta Basin and (2) the more established but understudied Cane Creek shale play in the Paradox Basin. The 2009-2014 high price of crude oil, coupled with lower natural gas prices, generated renewed interest in exploration and development of liquid hydrocarbon reserves. Following the success of the mid-2000s shale gas boom and employing many of the same well completion techniques, petroleum companies started exploring for liquid petroleum in shale formations. In fact, many shales targeted for natural gas include areas in which the shale is more prone to liquid production. In Utah, organic-rich shales in the Uinta and Paradox Basins have been the source of significant hydrocarbon generation, with companies traditionally targeting the interbedded sands or carbonates for their conventional resource recovery. Because of the advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques, operators in these basins started to explore the petroleum production potential of the shale units themselves. The GRF in the Uinta Basin has been studied for over 50 years, since the first hydrocarbon discoveries. However, those studies focused on the many conventional sandstone reservoirs currently producing oil and gas. In contrast, less information was available about the more unconventional crude oil production potential of thinner carbonate/shale units, most notably the basal Uteland Butte member. The Cane Creek shale of the Paradox Basin has been a target for exploration periodically since the 1960s and produces oil from several small fields. The play generated much interest in the early 1990s with the successful use of horizontal drilling. Recently, the USGS assessed
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bhawna Srivastava
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Introduction: Green Leafy Vegetables (GLVs are the treasure trove of many micronutrients.Objective: The aim of the study is to find out the commonly growing vegetables in river side and local areas of Allahabad district and to access the bioavailability of iron and zinc in selected green leafy vegetables of river side and local areas of Allahabad district.Methods: Five to four commonly grown green leafy vegetables were selected from the Arailghat, Baluaghat, Gaughat, Mahewa, Muirabad, Rajapur, Rasullabad for the study. Total iron and zinc in sample were estimated by AOAC (2005 and bioavailability of zinc and iron from various food samples was determined in vitro method described by Luten (1996. Appropriate statistical technique was adopted for analysis of study.Result: Soya leaves, Radish leaves, Amaranth, Spinach were grown in both the areas except Kulpha and Karamwa, which are commonly grown in river side area. There was a significant difference between the bioavailability of iron and zinc in GLV grown in local and river side area.Conclusion: Hence it can be concluded that there is a contamination of heavy metals which binds with the iron and zinc and make them less bioavailable in the selected GLV.
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Integration of Water Resource Models with Fayetteville Shale Decision Support and Information System
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cothren, Jackson; Thoma, Greg; DiLuzio, Mauro; Limp, Fred
2013-06-30
Significant issues can arise with the timing, location, and volume of surface water withdrawals associated with hydraulic fracturing of gas shale reservoirs as impacted watersheds may be sensitive, especially in drought years, during low flow periods, or during periods of the year when activities such as irrigation place additional demands on the surface supply of water. Significant energy production and associated water withdrawals may have a cumulative impact to watersheds over the short-term. Hence, hydraulic fracturing based on water withdrawal could potentially create shifts in the timing and magnitude of low or high flow events or change the magnitude of river flow at daily, monthly, seasonal, or yearly time scales. These changes in flow regimes can result in dramatically altered river systems. Currently little is known about the impact of fracturing on stream flow behavior. Within this context the objective of this study is to assess the impact of the hydraulic fracturing on the water balance of the Fayetteville Shale play area and examine the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on river flow regime at subbasin scale. This project addressed that need with four unique but integrated research and development efforts: 1) Evaluate the predictive reliability of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model based at a variety of scales (Task/Section 3.5). The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to simulate the across-scale water balance and the respective impact of hydraulic fracturing. A second hypothetical scenario was designed to assess the current and future impacts of water withdrawals for hydraulic fracturing on the flow regime and on the environmental flow components (EFCs) of the river. The shifting of these components, which present critical elements to water supply and water quality, could influence the ecological dynamics of river systems. For this purpose, we combined the use of SWAT model and Richter et al.’s (1996
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Introduction to special section: China shale gas and shale oil plays
Jiang, Shu; Zeng, Hongliu; Zhang, Jinchuan; Fishman, Neil; Bai, Baojun; Xiao, Xianming; Zhang, Tongwei; Ellis, Geoffrey S.; Li, Xinjing; Richards-McClung, Bryony; Cai, Dongsheng; Ma, Yongsheng
2015-01-01
In the last 10 years, the success of shale gas and shale oil productions as a result of technological advances in horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing and nanoscale reservoir characterization have revolutionized the energy landscape in the United States. Resource assessment by the China Ministry of Land and Resources in 2010 and 2012 and by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2011 and 2013 indicates China’s shale gas resource is the largest in the world and shale oil resource in China is also potentially significant. Inspired by the success in the United States, China looks forward to replicating the U.S. experience to produce shale gas to power its economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By 2014, China had drilled 400 wells targeting marine, lacustrine, and coastal swamp transitional shales spanning in age from the Precambrian to Cenozoic in the last five years. So far, China is the leading country outside of North America in the viable production of shale gas, with very promising prospects for shale gas and shale oil development, from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi marine shale in Fuling in the southeastern Sichuan Basin. Geological investigations by government and academic institutions as well as exploration and production activities from industry indicate that the tectonic framework, depositional settings, and geomechanical properties of most of the Chinese shales are more complex than many of the producing marine shales in the United States. These differences limit the applicability of geologic analogues from North America for use in Chinese shale oil and gas resource assessments, exploration strategies, reservoir characterization, and determination of optimal hydraulic fracturing techniques. Understanding the unique features of the geology, shale oil and gas resource potential, and reservoir characteristics is crucial for sweet spot identification, hydraulic fracturing optimization, and reservoir performance prediction.
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De Vleeschauwer, K; Weustenraad, J; Nolf, C; Wolfs, V; De Meulder, B; Shannon, K; Willems, P
2014-01-01
Urbanization and climate change trends put strong pressures on urban water systems. Temporal variations in rainfall, runoff and water availability increase, and need to be compensated for by innovative adaptation strategies. One of these is stormwater retention and infiltration in open and/or green spaces in the city (blue-green water integration). This study evaluated the efficiency of three adaptation strategies for the city of Turnhout in Belgium, namely source control as a result of blue-green water integration, retention basins located downstream of the stormwater sewers, and end-of-pipe solutions based on river flood control reservoirs. The efficiency of these options is quantified by the reduction in sewer and river flood frequencies and volumes, and sewer overflow volumes. This is done by means of long-term simulations (100-year rainfall simulations) using an integrated conceptual sewer-river model calibrated to full hydrodynamic sewer and river models. Results show that combining open, green zones in the city with stormwater retention and infiltration for only 1% of the total city runoff area would lead to a 30 to 50% reduction in sewer flood volumes for return periods in the range 10-100 years. This is due to the additional surface storage and infiltration and consequent reduction in urban runoff. However, the impact of this source control option on downstream river floods is limited. Stormwater retention downstream of the sewer system gives a strong reduction in peak discharges to the receiving river. However due to the difference in response time between the sewer and river systems, this does not lead to a strong reduction in river flood frequency. The paper shows the importance of improving the interface between urban design and water management, and between sewer and river flood management.
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Hansel, Hal C.; Romine, Jason G.; Perry, Russell W.
2017-11-08
The Columbia River, in Washington and Oregon, and Coos Bay, in Oregon, are economically important shipping channels that are inhabited by several fishes protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Maintenance of shipping channels involves dredge operations to maintain sufficient in-channel depths to allow large ships to navigate the waterways safely. Fishes entrained by dredge equipment often die or experience delayed mortality. Other potential negative effects of dredging include increased turbidity, reductions in prey resources, and the release of harmful contaminants from the dredged sediments. One species of concern is the ESA-listed green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris; Southern Distinct Population Segment). In this study, we used acoustic telemetry to identify habitat use, arrival and departure timing, and the extent of upstream migration of green sturgeon in the Columbia River and Coos Bay to help inform dredge operations to minimize potential take of green sturgeon. Autonomous acoustic receivers were deployed in Coos Bay from the mouth to river kilometer (rkm) 21.6 from October 2009 through October 2010. In the Columbia River Estuary, receivers were deployed between the mouth and rkm 37.8 from April to November in 2010 and 2011. A total of 29 subadult and adult green sturgeon were tagged with temperature and pressure sensor tags and released during the study, primarily in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, Washington, and the Klamath River, Oregon. Green sturgeon detected during the study but released by other researchers also were included in the study.The number of tagged green sturgeon detected in the two estuaries differed markedly. In Coos Bay, only one green sturgeon was detected for about 2 hours near the estuary mouth. In the Columbia River Estuary, 9 green sturgeon were detected in 2010 and 10 fish were detected in 2011. Green sturgeon entered the Columbia River from May through October during both years, with the greatest numbers of fish being
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Liberation play : technology and prices help release shale gas from unconventional status
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roche, P.
2006-01-01
Shale gas production is set to increase in Canada. The British Columbia (BC) Oil and Gas Commission has approved more than 20 blocks of potential shale lands as experimental scheme areas targeting Cretaceous-age and Devonian-age shales. The BC government is currently working on a royalty scheme to benefit shale gas producers by allowing them to defer the bulk of the royalty collection until projects have reached a certain economic payout point. Interest in unconventional gas has spawned activity in previously unexplored areas of BC. Coals and shales are currently being evaluated near the community of Hudson's Hope, which has an estimated 1.8 tcf of shale gas. Canadian Spirit Resources Inc., who have leased the land, are now focusing on optimizing production processes to improve the economics of shale gas recovery. In Saskatchewan, shale gas exploration is occurring in the central region of the province, far from existing oil and gas production. PanTerra Resources Corp. has recently drilled 16 wells on its Foam Lake project, and detailed core and log analyses are being conducted to improve the understanding of the lithology and rock fabric and allow the company to design completion and stimulation programs. Stealth Ventures Ltd. is concentrating on developing the tight, biogenic Colorado Shale, which extends from Manitoba to the foothills of Alberta. Because of the shallow depths, the initial drilling costs are lower for biogenic gas than for thermogenic gas. Success will depend on the right drilling and completion methods. Junior explorers are also exploring for shale gas in an area straddling the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Montreal. Several large companies are examining the economic potential of shale gas production throughout North America. It was concluded that oil and gas operators are becoming more confident that domestic shale gas resources will be cheaper in future than imported liquefied natural gas (LNG), which requires special ships
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Study of a conceptual nuclear energy center at Green River, Utah: licensing considerations
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dowdle, M.; Russell, R.; Zillman, D.
1982-04-01
This report examines the laws governing the location of a 9-unit nuclear energy center (NEC) near Green River, Utah. The time frame being considered for development of the conceptual NEC is from 1995 to 2013. Accordingly, the report is forced to speculate about some aspects of the plant, its site and its construction. Most of the report examines existing legal requirements for constructing an NEC. Where pertinent, changes in the law are discussed that would affect an NEC that is to be licensed in one or two decades. In general, no insurmountable legal problems exist that would prevent an NEC from being licensed at the Green River location. Several legal requirements pose significant concerns and would have to be faced before an NEC could be built. Among the major legal constraints are radiation protection, regulatory approval of financing, access to water, and local zoning restrictions. Two other constraints that involve legal matters are the wisdom of standardization of the units and the responsibility of the NEC builder to correct socio-economic impacts on the local area
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2014 Reassessment of Floodplain Wetland Connections in the Middle Green River, Utah
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
LaGory, K. E. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Walston, L. J. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Weber, C. C. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
2016-12-01
This report presents the results of floodplain wetland connection surveys conducted in 2014 at six priority floodplain wetland sites along the middle Green River between Jensen and Ouray, Utah. Surveys were conducted at levee breaches and within channels leading from the breaches to the wetlands (referred to here as connection channels) to characterize the flows needed to connect the river’s main channel with the floodplain wetlands.
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Near-Infrared Imaging for Spatial Mapping of Organic Content in Petroleum Source Rocks
Mehmani, Y.; Burnham, A. K.; Vanden Berg, M. D.; Tchelepi, H.
2017-12-01
Natural gas from unconventional petroleum source rocks (shales) plays a key role in our transition towards sustainable low-carbon energy production. The potential for carbon storage (in adsorbed state) in these formations further aligns with efforts to mitigate climate change. Optimizing production and development from these resources requires knowledge of the hydro-thermo-mechanical properties of the rock, which are often strong functions of organic content. This work demonstrates the potential of near-infrared (NIR) spectral imaging in mapping the spatial distribution of organic content with O(100µm) resolution on cores that can span several hundred feet in depth (Mehmani et al., 2017). We validate our approach for the immature oil shale of the Green River Formation (GRF), USA, and show its applicability potential in other formations. The method is a generalization of a previously developed optical approach specialized to the GRF (Mehmani et al., 2016a). The implications of this work for spatial mapping of hydro-thermo-mechanical properties of excavated cores, in particular thermal conductivity, are discussed (Mehmani et al., 2016b). References:Mehmani, Y., A.K. Burnham, M.D. Vanden Berg, H. Tchelepi, "Quantification of organic content in shales via near-infrared imaging: Green River Formation." Fuel, (2017). Mehmani, Y., A.K. Burnham, M.D. Vanden Berg, F. Gelin, and H. Tchelepi. "Quantification of kerogen content in organic-rich shales from optical photographs." Fuel, (2016a). Mehmani, Y., A.K. Burnham, H. Tchelepi, "From optics to upscaled thermal conductivity: Green River oil shale." Fuel, (2016b).
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, S.
1991-01-01
Oil shale is undoubtedly an excellent energy source that has great abundance and world-wide distribution. Oil shale industries have seen ups and downs over more than 100 years, depending on the availability and price of conventional petroleum crudes. Market forces as well as environmental factors will greatly affect the interest in development of oil shale. Besides competing with conventional crude oil and natural gas, shale oil will have to compete favorably with coal-derived fuels for similar markets. Crude shale oil is obtained from oil shale by a relatively simple process called retorting. However, the process economics are greatly affected by the thermal efficiencies, the richness of shale, the mass transfer effectiveness, the conversion efficiency, the design of retort, the environmental post-treatment, etc. A great many process ideas and patents related to the oil shale pyrolysis have been developed; however, relatively few field and engineering data have been published. Due to the vast heterogeneity of oil shale and to the complexities of physicochemical process mechanisms, scientific or technological generalization of oil shale retorting is difficult to achieve. Dwindling supplied of worldwide petroleum reserves, as well as the unprecedented appetite of mankind for clean liquid fuel, has made the public concern for future energy market grow rapidly. the clean coal technology and the alternate fuel technology are currently of great significance not only to policy makers, but also to process and chemical researchers. In this book, efforts have been made to make a comprehensive text for the science and technology of oil shale utilization. Therefore, subjects dealing with the terminological definitions, geology and petrology, chemistry, characterization, process engineering, mathematical modeling, chemical reaction engineering, experimental methods, and statistical experimental design, etc. are covered in detail
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Depositional Environment of the Sangkarewang Oil Shale, Ombilin Basin, Indonesia
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Komang Anggayana
2014-12-01
Full Text Available Five samples from 56 m long drill core of lacustrine Sangkarewang oil shale have been studied by means of petrography and organic geochemistry to investigate the organic matter composition and depositional environments of the shale. The organic matter consists of abundant lamalginite (30%, v/v and very limited amount of vitrinite, suggesting aquatic depositional environments with minor terrestrial influence. Organic geochemical analysis exhibits the dominance of pristane, phytane, and generally n-alkanes compounds. These compounds might originate mostly from aquatic photosynthetic organisms. The oil shale was likely deposited in anoxic lake environments, suggested by the presence of framboidal pyrite (6%, v/v and preserved organic matter with total organic carbon (TOC about 4.9%. The pristane/phytane ratio is relatively high about 3.9 and thought as source sensitive rather than redox sensitive. Hopanoid and aryl isoprenoid compounds are present in minor amounts. The latter compounds are interpreted to be derived from green sulfur bacteria dwelling in anoxic and the presence of H2S in bottom water.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schein, G. [BJ Services, Dallas, TX (United States)
2006-07-01
Fractured shales yield oil and gas in various basins across the United States. A map indicating these fractured shale source-reservoir systems in the United States was presented along with the numerous similarities and differences that exist among these systems. Hydrocarbons in the organic rich black shale come from the bacterial decomposition of organic matter, primary thermogenic decomposition of organic matter or secondary thermogenic cracking of oil. The shale may be the reservoir or other horizons may be the primary or secondary reservoir. The reservoir has induced micro fractures or tectonic fractures. This paper described the well completions in the Barnett Shale in north Texas with reference to major players, reservoir properties, mineralogy, fluid sensitivity, previous treatments, design criteria and production examples. The Barnett Shale is an organic, black shale with thickness ranging from 100 to 1000 feet. The total organic carbon (TOC) averages 4.5 per cent. The unit has undergone high rate frac treatments. A review of the vertical wells in the Barnett Shale was presented along with the fracture treatment schedule and technology changes. A discussion of refracturing opportunities and proppant settling and transport revealed that additional proppant increases fluid recovery and enhances production. Compatible scale inhibitors and biocides can be beneficial. Horizontal completions in the Barnett Shale have shown better results than vertical wells, as demonstrated in a production comparison of 3 major horizontal wells in the basin. tabs., figs.
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Biological marker compounds as indicators of the depositional history of the Maoming oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Brassell, S.C.; Eglinton, G.; Mo, F.J.
1986-01-01
The Eocene Maoming oil shale from Guangdong Province occurs as a laterally uniform stratigraphic section, typically 20-25 m thick, from which the aliphatic hydrocarbon constituents of six representative samples were investigated using GC and C-GC-MS. The sediments evaluated included the basal lignite, a vitrinite lens from the overlying claystone, and four intervals from the massive oil shale bed. As expected, the lignite and vitrinite differ markedly from the oil shales. The lignite is dominated by bacterial hopanoids and components of higher plant origin, including C/sub 29/ steroids and triterpenoids such as oleanenes. Visually, the oil shale samples show corroded and degraded phytoclasts, spores, wispy particles of fluorescent organic material attributable to dinoflagellates and, especially in the uppermost sample, colonial algal bodies. The distributions of biological markers in the oil shales show many features in common, notably a dominance of dinoflagellate-derived 4-methylsteroids, and a significant proportion of higher-plant derived n-alkanes with marked odd-over-even carbon number predominance. Overall, they exhibit several features that resemble characteristics of the Messel shale. The hydrocarbons of the lowest shale horizon suggest that there may have been a gradual transition between deposition of the original peat and the subsequent oil shales. The aliphatic hydrocarbons of the uppermost shale are dominated by a number of C/sub 31/ and C/sub 33/ botryococcane homologues and other unusual branched alkanes possibly derived from green algae. All of the samples are immature. Overall, molecular and microscopic examination of the stratigraphic succession of the Maoming oil shale suggests a shallow, lacustrine environment within which peats were deposited. This lake subsequently deepened to support abundant algal populations, especially dinoflagellates, culminating in a dominance of botryococcoid algae.
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Environmental baselines: preparing for shale gas in the UK
Bloomfield, John; Manamsa, Katya; Bell, Rachel; Darling, George; Dochartaigh, Brighid O.; Stuart, Marianne; Ward, Rob
2014-05-01
Groundwater is a vital source of freshwater in the UK. It provides almost 30% of public water supply on average, but locally, for example in south-east England, it is constitutes nearly 90% of public supply. In addition to public supply, groundwater has a number of other uses including agriculture, industry, and food and drink production. It is also vital for maintaining river flows especially during dry periods and so is essential for maintaining ecosystem health. Recently, there have been concerns expressed about the potential impacts of shale gas development on groundwater. The UK has abundant shales and clays which are currently the focus of considerable interest and there is active research into their characterisation, resource evaluation and exploitation risks. The British Geological Survey (BGS) is undertaking research to provide information to address some of the environmental concerns related to the potential impacts of shale gas development on groundwater resources and quality. The aim of much of this initial work is to establish environmental baselines, such as a baseline survey of methane occurrence in groundwater (National methane baseline study) and the spatial relationships between potential sources and groundwater receptors (iHydrogeology project), prior to any shale gas exploration and development. The poster describes these two baseline studies and presents preliminary findings. BGS are currently undertaking a national survey of baseline methane concentrations in groundwater across the UK. This work will enable any potential future changes in methane in groundwater associated with shale gas development to be assessed. Measurements of methane in potable water from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic carbonate and sandstone aquifers are variable and reveal methane concentrations of up to 500 micrograms per litre, but the mean value is relatively low at documented in the range 2km. The geological modelling process will be presented and discussed
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Phan, Thai T.; Capo, Rosemary C; Stewart, Brian W.; Macpherson, Gwen; Rowan, Elisabeth L.; Hammack, Richard W.
2015-01-01
In this study, water and whole rock samples from hydraulically fractured wells in the Marcellus Shale (Middle Devonian), and water from conventional wells producing from Upper Devonian sandstones were analyzed for lithium concentrations and isotope ratios (δ7Li). The distribution of lithium concentrations in different mineral groups was determined using sequential extraction. Structurally bound Li, predominantly in clays, accounted for 75-91 wt. % of total Li, whereas exchangeable sites and carbonate cement contain negligible Li (shale in Greene Co., Pennsylvania, and Tioga Co., New York, ranged from -2.3 to + 4.3‰, similar to values reported for other shales in the literature. The δ7Li values in shale rocks with stratigraphic depth record progressive weathering of the source region; the most weathered and clay-rich strata with isotopically light Li are found closest to the top of the stratigraphic section. Diagenetic illite-smectite transition could also have partially affected the bulk Li content and isotope ratios of the Marcellus Shale.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Peng, D.; Jialin, Q.
1991-01-01
China has abundant oil shale resources, of the Early Silurian to Neogene age, the most important being the Tertiary period. The proved oil shale reserves in Fushun amount to 3.6 billion t, in Maoming 4.1 billion t. In Fushun, oil shale is produced by open-pit mining as a byproduct of coal, in Maoming it is also mined in open pits, but without coal. In China, scale oil has been produced from oil shale for 60 years. Annual production of crude shale oil amounts to about 200 000 t. The production costs of shale oil are lower than the price of crude petroleum on the world market. China has accumulated the experience and technologies of oil shale retorting. The Fushun type retort has been elaborated, in which the latent and sensible heat of shale coke is well utilized. But the capacity of such retort is relatively small, therefore it is suitable for use in small or medium oil plants. China has a policy of steadily developing shale oil industry. China is conducting oil shale research and developing oil shale processing technology. Much attention is being pay ed to the comprehensive utilization of oil shale, shale oil, and to environmental problems. In China, oil shale is mostly used for producing shale by retorting, attention will also be paid to direct combustion for power generation. Great achievements in oil shale research have been made in the eighties, and there will be a further development in the nineties. (author), 12 refs., 3 tabs
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Wyman, Megan T.; Thomas, Michael J.; McDonald, Richard R.; Hearn, Alexander R.; Battleson, Ryan D.; Chapman, Eric D.; Kinzel, Paul J.; Minear, J. Tobey; Mora, Ethan A.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Pagel, Matthew D.; Klimley, A. Peter
2018-01-01
Vast sections of the Sacramento River have been listed as critical habitat by the National Marine Fisheries Service for green sturgeon spawning (Acipenser medirostris), yet spawning is known to occur at only a few specific locations. This study reveals the range of physical habitat variables selected by adult green sturgeon during their spawning period. We integrated fine-scale fish positions, physical habitat characteristics, discharge, bathymetry, and simulated velocity and depth using a 2-dimensional hydraulic model (FaSTMECH). The objective was to create habitat suitability curves for depth, velocity, and substrate type within three known spawning locations over two years. An overall cumulative habitat suitability score was calculated that averaged the depth, velocity, and substrate scores over all fish, sites, and years. A weighted usable area (WUA) index was calculated throughout the sampling periods for each of the three sites. Cumulative results indicate that the microhabitat characteristics most preferred by green sturgeon in these three spawning locations were velocities between 1.0-1.1 m/s, depths of 8-9 m, and gravel and sand substrate. This study provides guidance for those who may in the future want to increase spawning habitat for green sturgeon within the Sacramento River.
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Chemical aspects of shale and shale oils
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hackford, J E
1922-01-01
To prove that the kerogen in oil shale is a form of bitumen, several experiments were made with oil shale and a heavy asphaltic oil mixed with fuller's earth. When distilled, both the oil shale and asphalt-impregnated fuller's earth yielded paraffin oil, wax, and hydrogen sulfide (if sulfur was present). Both yielded ammonia if nitrogen was present. The organic material in each was partly isolated by extraction with pyridine and appeared to be the same. Oil shale is a marl that was saturated with oil or through which oil has passed or filtered. The insolubilities of its organic compounds are due to a slightly elevated temperature for a prolonged period and to the retaining effect exerted by the finely divided marl. The marl exerted a selective action on the oil and absorbed the asphaltum, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds from the oil. The class of oil evolved from a shale depended on the nature of the original compounds absorbed. Asphaltenes obtained from crude oil by precipitation with ethyl ether produced distillation products of water, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, oil, wax, and a carbonaceous residue. Water was formed by decomposition of oxyasphaltenes and hydrogen sulfide by decomposition of thioasphaltenes. Ammonia was evolved during decomposition if lime was present, but if there was not sufficient free lime present, pyridine and pyrrole derivatives were redistilled as such. The oil and wax that resulted from the dry distillation were true decomposition products and equaled about 60 weight-percent of the asphaltenes. The oil and wax content of the mixture varied between 8 and 10 percent. The carbonaceous residue, which represented approximately 40 percent of the original asphaltene, was a decomposition product of the asphaltenes. Geologic comparisons of oil-shale deposits and oil-well fields were also made.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mills, Taylor J.; Mast, M. Alisa; Thomas, Judith; Keith, Gabrielle
2016-10-01
Elevated selenium (Se) concentrations in surface water and groundwater have become a concern in areas of the Western United States due to the deleterious effects of Se on aquatic ecosystems. Elevated Se concentrations are most prevalent in irrigated alluvial valleys underlain by Se-bearing marine shales where Se can be leached from geologic materials into the shallow groundwater and surface water systems. This study presents groundwater chemistry and solid-phase geochemical data from the Uncompahgre River Basin in Western Colorado, an irrigated alluvial landscape underlain by Se-rich Cretaceous marine shale. We analyzed Se species, major and trace elements, and stable nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate in groundwater and aquifer sediments to examine processes governing selenium release and transport in the shallow groundwater system. Groundwater Se concentrations ranged from below detection limit (< 0.5 μg L{sup −1}) to 4070 μg L{sup −1}, and primarily are controlled by high groundwater nitrate concentrations that maintain oxidizing conditions in the aquifer despite low dissolved oxygen concentrations. High nitrate concentrations in non-irrigated soils and nitrate isotopes indicate nitrate is largely derived from natural sources in the Mancos Shale and alluvial material. Thus, in contrast to areas that receive substantial NO{sub 3} inputs through inorganic fertilizer application, Se mitigation efforts that involve limiting NO{sub 3} application might have little impact on groundwater Se concentrations in the study area. Soluble salts are the primary source of Se to the groundwater system in the study area at-present, but they constitute a small percentage of the total Se content of core material. Sequential extraction results indicate insoluble Se is likely composed of reduced Se in recalcitrant organic matter or discrete selenide phases. Oxidation of reduced Se species that constitute the majority of the Se pool in the study area could be a potential
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Mills, Taylor J.; Mast, M. Alisa; Thomas, Judith C.; Keith, Gabrielle L.
2016-01-01
Elevated selenium (Se) concentrations in surface water and groundwater have become a concern in areas of the Western United States due to the deleterious effects of Se on aquatic ecosystems. Elevated Se concentrations are most prevalent in irrigated alluvial valleys underlain by Se-bearing marine shales where Se can be leached from geologic materials into the shallow groundwater and surface water systems. This study presents groundwater chemistry and solid-phase geochemical data from the Uncompahgre River Basin in Western Colorado, an irrigated alluvial landscape underlain by Se-rich Cretaceous marine shale. We analyzed Se species, major and trace elements, and stable nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate in groundwater and aquifer sediments to examine processes governing selenium release and transport in the shallow groundwater system. Groundwater Se concentrations ranged from below detection limit (groundwater nitrate concentrations that maintain oxidizing conditions in the aquifer despite low dissolved oxygen concentrations. High nitrate concentrations in non-irrigated soils and nitrate isotopes indicate nitrate is largely derived from natural sources in the Mancos Shale and alluvial material. Thus, in contrast to areas that receive substantial NO3 inputs through inorganic fertilizer application, Se mitigation efforts that involve limiting NO3 application might have little impact on groundwater Se concentrations in the study area. Soluble salts are the primary source of Se to the groundwater system in the study area at-present, but they constitute a small percentage of the total Se content of core material. Sequential extraction results indicate insoluble Se is likely composed of reduced Se in recalcitrant organic matter or discrete selenide phases. Oxidation of reduced Se species that constitute the majority of the Se pool in the study area could be a potential source of Se in the future as soluble salts are progressively depleted.
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Shale oil. II. Gases from oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McKee, R H; Manning, P D.V.
1927-01-01
Oil shale (from Colorado) was pyrolyzed, and the gaseous products obtained were studied. The organic material present in oil shale contains carboxyl groups that lose carbon dioxide during pyrolysis before the formation of soluble bitumen. Nitrogen was evolved as ammonia in two stages and was not continuous. The first evolution was from loosely combined nitrogen structures, whereas the second was from more stable forms. No hydrocarbons were present as such in the kerogen. The gaseous products from oil-shale pyrolysis were similar to those obtained by distillation of colophony, amber, coal, and wood. This places the kerogen of the oil shale in the same series of carbonaceous substances as those from which coals are formed. Kerogen appeared to be decomposed in three steps; namely, to insoluble bitumen, to soluble bitumen, and to oil (gas evolution accompanied each step). Its low solubility and the character of its pyrolytic gas indicated that kerogen is largely a resinous residue from vegetation of the past era and may have been formed by the tranportation of coal-forming organic debris to inland salty lakes or carried to the sea by clay-laden waters. The salt water and the natural settling action precipitated the clay and organic matter in an almost homogeneous deposit. Oil shales have existed to the present time because they have not been subjected to high pressures or elevated temperatures that would have changed them to petroleum.
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Oil shale commercialization study
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Warner, M.M.
1981-09-01
Ninety four possible oil shale sections in southern Idaho were located and chemically analyzed. Sixty-two of these shales show good promise of possible oil and probable gas potential. Sixty of the potential oil and gas shales represent the Succor Creek Formation of Miocene age in southwestern Idaho. Two of the shales represent Cretaceous formations in eastern Idaho, which should be further investigated to determine their realistic value and areal extent. Samples of the older Mesozonic and paleozoic sections show promise but have not been chemically analyzed and will need greater attention to determine their potential. Geothermal resources are of high potential in Idaho and are important to oil shale prospects. Geothermal conditions raise the geothermal gradient and act as maturing agents to oil shale. They also might be used in the retorting and refining processes. Oil shales at the surface, which appear to have good oil or gas potential should have much higher potential at depth where the geothermal gradient is high. Samples from deep petroleum exploration wells indicate that the succor Creek shales have undergone considerable maturation with depth of burial and should produce gas and possibly oil. Most of Idaho's shales that have been analyzed have a greater potential for gas than for oil but some oil potential is indicated. The Miocene shales of the Succor Creek Formation should be considered as gas and possibly oil source material for the future when technology has been perfectes. 11 refs.
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Hydrologic-information needs for oil-shale development, northwestern Colorado. [Contains glossary
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Taylor, O.J. (comp.)
1982-04-01
The Piceance basin of northwestern Colorado contains large reserves of oil shale. Expected development of oil shale will affect the regional hydrologic systems because most oil-shale mines will require drainage; industrial requirements for water may be large; and oil-shale mines, wastes, and retorts may affect the quantity and quality of surface water and ground water. In addition, the oil-shale industry may discharge particles and gases to the atmosphere that could alter the quality of high-altitude lakes and surface-water reservoirs. Hydrologic data need to be collected in order to plan for oil-shale development and to estimate the effects of development. Test-well drilling and aquifer testing are needed to provide a better understanding of the local and regional flow system, to furnish additional data for a model that simulates mine drainage, and to explore for water supplies in aquifers of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age. Much of the ground water in the bedrock aquifers discharges through springs, and a systematic study of the springs will help to predict the effects of mine drainage on spring discharge and quality. Surface runoff, dissolved and suspended loads in streams, and the aquatic environment in streams would be highly susceptible to the disruptions in the land surface and will require additional study in order to estimate the effects of development. A water-quality assessment is proposed for the White River basin because it is a possible source of water and a region likely to be affected by development. The effects of emissions to the atmosphere from oil-shale plants require study because these emissions may affect the quality of water in lakes downwind. Spoil piles of retorted oil shale may be very large and require study to anticipate any problems caused by leaching and erosion. Processing wastes resulting from in-situ retorts and other waste materials need to be studied in greater detail. 71 refs., 30 figs., 5 tabs.
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Regional Hydrology of the Green River-Moab Area, Northwestern Paradox Basin, Utah
United States Geological Survey
1982-01-01
The Green River-Moab area encompasses about 7,800 square kilometers or about 25 percent of the Paradox basin. The entire Paradox basin is a part of the Colorado Plateaus that is underlain by a thick sequence of evaporite (salt) beds of Pennsylvanian age. The rock units that underlie the area have been grouped into hydrogeologic units based on their water-transmitting ability. Confining beds consist of evaporite beds of mostly salt, and overlying and underlying thick sequences of rocks with...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1952-03-19
The method of retorting oil shale to recover valuable liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons consists of heating the oil shale in a retorting zone to a temperature sufficient to convert its kerogenic constituents to normally liquid and normally gaseous hydrocarbons by contact with hot gas previously recovered from shale, cooling the gases and vapors effluent from the retorting zone by direct countercurrent contact with fresh shale to condense the normally liquid constituents of the gases and vapors, separating the fixed gas from the liquid product, heating the fixed gas, and returning it to the retorting zone to contact further quantities of shale.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Park W. C.
2006-10-01
Full Text Available Oil shale deposits vary significantly in their geological nature and can represent enormous reserves of low grades ores for various minerals such as alumina, sodium carbonates, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium, and uranium. The treatment of these rocks for mineral values can be economically attractive when coupled with the production of synthetic oil. Mutually shared costs for extractinq the mineral values can be favorably affected by utilizing by-products from the oil shale retorting. These can include the residual char for a carbonaceous reductant or fuel, C02 for acidification, or lime and soda ash for caustic. Conversely, an inappropriate choice of oil shale retorting conditions can substantially lower subsequent recovery of mineral values from the spent shale. The proceeding considerations will be discussed for several oil shale deposits including: 1. The Green River formation in the mid-western United States which is not only oil rich but also represents a nearly inexhaustible domestic supply of alumina and sodium carbonates and 2. The block shale of Julia Creek, Queensland, Australia, the Devonian Chattanooga shale in the United States, the Cambrian Kulm shale in Sweden, the Permian Lodeve shale in southern France, and the Paleozoic shales from Korea and USSR for energy and metal values such as molybdenum, nickel, vanadium, and uranium. La nature géologique des dépôts de schistes à huile est très variée ; ces schistes peuvent représenter des réserves énormes de minerais à faible teneur de métaux tels que l'aluminium, le molybdène, le nickel, le vanadium, l'uranium, sans oublier le carbonate de sodium. Le traitement de ces roches pour leur valeur minérale peut être attractif économiquement s'il est associé à la production d'huile synthétique. La répartition des coûts d'extraction des métaux peut être favorablement affectée en utilisant les sous-produits du traitement des schistes à huile. Ceci peut comprendre le goudron
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Hazard assessment of inorganics to three endangered fish in the Green River, Utah
Hamilton, S.J.
1995-01-01
Acute toxicity tests were conducted with three life stages of Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius), razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), and bonytail (Gila elegans) in a reconstituted water quality simulating the middle part of the Green River of Utah. Tests were conducted with boron, lithium, selenate, selenite, uranium, vanadium, and zinc. The overall rank order of toxicity to all species and life stages combined from most to least toxic was vanadium = zinc > selenite > lithium = uranium > selenate > boron. There was no difference between the three species in their sensitivity to the seven inorganics based on a rank-order evaluation at the species level. Colorado squawfish were 2-5 times more sensitive to selenate and selenite at the swimup life stage than older stages, whereas razorback suckers displayed equal sensitivity among life stages. Bonytail exhibited equal sensitivity to selenite, but were five times more sensitive to selenate at the swimup life stage than the older stages. Comparison of 96-hr LC50 values with a limited number of environmental water concentrations in Ashley Creek, Utah, which receives irrigation drainwater, revealed moderate hazard ratios for boron, selenate, selenite, and zinc, low hazard ratios for uranium and vanadium, but unknown ratios for lithium. These inorganic contaminants in drainwaters may adversely affect endangered fish in the Green River.
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Process for oil shale retorting
Jones, John B.; Kunchal, S. Kumar
1981-10-27
Particulate oil shale is subjected to a pyrolysis with a hot, non-oxygenous gas in a pyrolysis vessel, with the products of the pyrolysis of the shale contained kerogen being withdrawn as an entrained mist of shale oil droplets in a gas for a separation of the liquid from the gas. Hot retorted shale withdrawn from the pyrolysis vessel is treated in a separate container with an oxygenous gas so as to provide combustion of residual carbon retained on the shale, producing a high temperature gas for the production of some steam and for heating the non-oxygenous gas used in the oil shale retorting process in the first vessel. The net energy recovery includes essentially complete recovery of the organic hydrocarbon material in the oil shale as a liquid shale oil, a high BTU gas, and high temperature steam.
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China organic-rich shale geologic features and special shale gas production issues
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yiwen Ju
2014-06-01
Full Text Available The depositional environment of organic-rich shale and the related tectonic evolution in China are rather different from those in North America. In China, organic-rich shale is not only deposited in marine environment, but also in non-marine environment: marine-continental transitional environment and lacustrine environment. Through analyzing large amount of outcrops and well cores, the geologic features of organic-rich shale, including mineral composition, organic matter richness and type, and lithology stratigraphy, were analyzed, indicating very special characteristics. Meanwhile, the more complex and active tectonic movements in China lead to strong deformation and erosion of organic-rich shale, well-development of fractures and faults, and higher thermal maturity and serious heterogeneity. Co-existence of shale gas, tight sand gas, and coal bed methane (CBM proposes a new topic: whether it is possible to co-produce these gases to reduce cost. Based on the geologic features, the primary production issues of shale gas in China were discussed with suggestions.
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Process of recovering shale oil
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1949-01-17
A process is disclosed for recovering oil from shale rock by means of channels cut in the shale deposit, to which heat is carried for warming the shale mass and which are separated from the fume channels formed in the shale by parts of the shale rock, characterized in that heating elements are put down in the heating channels, which occupy less cross section than these channels, and in the so-formed space between the channel wall and the heating element a filling is placed, which facilitates heat transfer between the heating element and the shale and simultaneously prevents a streaming of the oily product gasified out of the shale from working into the heating element and stopping it.
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Regional hydrology of the Green River-Moab area, northwestern Paradox Basin, Utah
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rush, F.E.; Whitfield, M.S.; Hart, I.M.
1982-12-01
The Green River-Moab area encompasses about 7800 square kilometers or about 25% of the Paradox basin. The entire Paradox basin is a part of the Colorado Plateaus that is underlain by a thick sequence of evaporite (salt) beds of Pennsylvanian age. The rock units that underlie the area have been grouped into hydrogeologic units based on their water-transmitting ability. Confining beds consist of evaporite beds of mostly salt, and overlying and underlying thick sequences of rocks with minimal permeability; above and below these confining beds are aquifers. The upper Mesozoic sandstone aquifer, probably is the most permeable hydrogeologic unit of the area and is the subject of this investigation. The principal component of groundwater outflow from this aquifer probably is subsurface flow to regional streams (the Green and Colorado Rivers) and is about 100 million cubic meters per year. All other components of outflow are relatively small. The average annual recharge to the aquifer is about 130 million cubic meters, of which about 20 million cubic meters is from local precipitation. For the lower aquifer, all recharge and discharge probably is by subsurface flow and was not estimated. The aquifers are generally isolated from the evaporite beds by the bounding confining beds; as a result, most ground water has little if any contact with the evaporites. Brines are present in the confining beds, but solution of beds of salt probably is very slow in most parts of the area. No brine discharges have been identified
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
1995-09-01
The Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project consists of the Surface Project (phase 1) and the Ground Water Project (phase 2). For the UMTRA Project site located near Green River, Utah, the Surface Project cleanup occurred from 1988 to 1989. The tailings and radioactively contaminated soils and materials were removed from their original locations and placed into a disposal cell on the site. The disposal cell is designed to minimize radiation emissions and minimize further contamination of ground water beneath the site. The UMTRA Project`s second phase, the Ground Water Project, evaluates the nature and extent of ground water contamination resulting from uranium processing and determines a strategy for ground water compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ground water standards established for the UMTRA Project. For the Green River site, the risk assessment helps determine whether human health risks result from exposure to ground water contaminated by uranium processing. This risk assessment report is the first site-specific document prepared for the UMTRA Ground Water Project at the Green River site. What follows is an evaluation of current and possible future impacts to the public and the environment from exposure to contaminated ground water. The results of this evaluation and further site characterization will be used to determine what is necessary, if anything, to protect human health and the environment while complying with EPA standards.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1995-09-01
The Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project consists of the Surface Project (phase 1) and the Ground Water Project (phase 2). For the UMTRA Project site located near Green River, Utah, the Surface Project cleanup occurred from 1988 to 1989. The tailings and radioactively contaminated soils and materials were removed from their original locations and placed into a disposal cell on the site. The disposal cell is designed to minimize radiation emissions and minimize further contamination of ground water beneath the site. The UMTRA Project's second phase, the Ground Water Project, evaluates the nature and extent of ground water contamination resulting from uranium processing and determines a strategy for ground water compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ground water standards established for the UMTRA Project. For the Green River site, the risk assessment helps determine whether human health risks result from exposure to ground water contaminated by uranium processing. This risk assessment report is the first site-specific document prepared for the UMTRA Ground Water Project at the Green River site. What follows is an evaluation of current and possible future impacts to the public and the environment from exposure to contaminated ground water. The results of this evaluation and further site characterization will be used to determine what is necessary, if anything, to protect human health and the environment while complying with EPA standards
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Oil shale, shale oil, shale gas and non-conventional hydrocarbons
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Clerici A.
2015-01-01
Full Text Available In recent years there has been a world “revolution” in the field of unconventional hydrocarbon reserves, which goes by the name of “shale gas”, gas contained inside clay sediments micropores. Shale gas finds particular development in the United States, which are now independent of imports and see a price reduction to less than one third of that in Europe. With the high oil prices, in addition to the non-conventional gas also “oil shales” (fine-grained sedimentary rocks that contain a large amount of organic material to be used both to be directly burned or to extract liquid fuels which go under the name of shale oil, extra heavy oils and bitumen are becoming an industrial reality. Both unconventional gas and oil reserves far exceed in the world the conventional oil and gas reserves, subverting the theory of fossil fuels scarcity. Values and location of these new fossil reserves in different countries and their production by comparison with conventional resources are presented. In view of the clear advantages of unconventional fossil resources, the potential environmental risks associated with their extraction and processing are also highlighted.
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You, L.; Chen, Q.; Kang, Y.; Cheng, Q.; Sheng, J.
2017-12-01
Black shales contain a large amount of environment-sensitive compositions, e.g., clay minerals, carbonate, siderite, pyrite, and organic matter. There have been numerous studies on the black shales compositional and pore structure changes caused by oxic environments. However, most of the studies did not focus on their ability to facilitate shale fracturing. To test the redox-sensitive aspects of shale fracturing and its potentially favorable effects on hydraulic fracturing in shale gas reservoirs, the induced microfractures of Longmaxi black shales exposed to deionized water, hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen peroxide at room-temperature for 240 hours were imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and CT-scanning in this paper. Mineral composition, acoustic emission, swelling, and zeta potential of the untreated and oxidative treatment shale samples were also recorded to decipher the coupled physical and chemical effects of oxidizing environments on shale fracturing processes. Results show that pervasive microfractures (Fig.1) with apertures ranging from tens of nanometers to tens of microns formed in response to oxidative dissolution by hydrogen peroxide, whereas no new microfracture was observed after the exposure to deionized water and hydrochloric acid. The trajectory of these oxidation-induced microfractures was controlled by the distribution of phyllosilicate framework and flaky or stringy organic matter in shale. The experiments reported in this paper indicate that black shales present the least resistance to crack initiation and subcritical slow propagation in hydrogen peroxide, a process we refer to as oxidation-sensitive fracturing, which are closely related to the expansive stress of clay minerals, dissolution of redox-sensitive compositions, destruction of phyllosilicate framework, and the much lower zeta potential of hydrogen peroxide solution-shale system. It could mean that the injection of fracturing water with strong oxidizing aqueous solution may
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Phan, Thai T.; Capo, Rosemary C; Stewart, Brian W.; Macpherson, Gwen; Rowan, Elisabeth L.; Hammack, Richard W.
2015-01-01
In this study, water and whole rock samples from hydraulically fractured wells in the Marcellus Shale (Middle Devonian), and water from conventional wells producing from Upper Devonian sandstones were analyzed for lithium concentrations and isotope ratios (δ7Li). The distribution of lithium concentrations in different mineral groups was determined using sequential extraction. Structurally bound Li, predominantly in clays, accounted for 75-91 wt. % of total Li, whereas exchangeable sites and carbonate cement contain negligible Li (< 3%). Up to 20% of the Li is present in the oxidizable fraction (organic matter and sulfides). The δ7Li values for whole rock shale in Greene Co., Pennsylvania, and Tioga Co., New York, ranged from -2.3 to + 4.3‰, similar to values reported for other shales in the literature. The δ7Li values in shale rocks with stratigraphic depth record progressive weathering of the source region; the most weathered and clay-rich strata with isotopically light Li are found closest to the top of the stratigraphic section. Diagenetic illite-smectite transition could also have partially affected the bulk Li content and isotope ratios of the Marcellus Shale.
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Evaluating possible industrial applications of combustible shales and shale ash wastes
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Н. К. Кондрашева
2016-08-01
Full Text Available Today energy consumption is constantly growing while explored reserves of easily accessible oil are depleting, which is a reason why most countries tend to diversify their energy mix, develop non-hydrocarbon energy sources and use domestic types of fuel, including the low grade ones. Thereby interest is raised to such a source of hydrocarbons as combustible shales. Combustible shales appear to be one of the highest-potential types of organic raw materials, which may offset and in future even substitute oil products and gas. The paper is investigating behavior and structure of combustible shales during heat treatment in order to identify their possible industrial applications. A synchronous thermal analysis has been held, chemical composition of combustible shales’ mineral fraction and optimal conditions for shale fines briquetting have been determined.
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Shale oil. I. Genesis of oil shales and its relation to petroleum and other fuels
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
McKee, R H; Manning, P D.V.
1927-01-01
Oil-shale kerogen originated from resinous vegetation residues of past eras, whereas well petroleum was formed from oil shales by pressure and mild heat. Petroleum migrated to its present reservoir from neighboring oil-shale deposits, leaving a residue of black bituminous shales. The high carbon dioxide content of gases present in petroleum wells originated from kerogen, as it gives off carbon dioxide gas before producing soluble oil or bitumen.
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Distillation of bituminous shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Seguin, M
1875-02-16
The retort with its accessories constitutes a distillation apparatus for shale composed of a cylindrical, vertical, fixed, tubular, and of ring form metal retort. Also it is comprised of a special hearth of large dimensions in the form of a circular pocket receiving from the retort as heating agent the distilled shale and emitting by radiation the heat that makes the distillation apparatus for the shale act.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jae.v18i1.4 Adoption of Green River Project ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
PROF. MADUKWE
Adoption of Green River Project Fish Farming Technologies by Farmers in Niger. Delta Region of ... Majority of the respondents adopted fish farm management ... is a decision of full use of an innovation as the best course of action available. ... It is also important to develop sustainable financing option, use well trained and.
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Seismically induced shale diapirism: the Mine d'Or section, Vilaine estuary, Southern Brittany
van Vliet-Lanoe, B.; Hibsch, C.; Csontos, L.; Jegouzo, S.; Hallégouët, B.; Laurent, M.; Maygari, A.; Mercier, D.; Voinchet, P.
2009-07-01
The Pénestin section (southern Brittany) presents large regular undulations, commonly interpreted as evidence of periglacial pingos. It is an upper Neogene palaeoestuary of the Vilaine River reactivated during the middle Quaternary (middle terrace). It is incised into a thick kaolinitic saprolite and deformed by saprolite diapirs. This paper presents the arguments leading to a mechanistic interpretation of the deformations at Pénestin. Neither recent transpressive tectonics nor diagnostic evidence of periglacial pingo have been found despite evidence for a late paleo-permafrost. The major deformational process is shale diapirism, initially triggered by co-seismic water supply, with further loading and lateral spreading on an already deformed and deeply weathered basement, which allowed the shale diapirism to develop. Deformations are favoured by the liquefaction of the saprolite and a seaward mass movement and recorded, rather distant, effects of an earthquake (c. 280 ka B.P.) resulting from the progressive subsidence of the southern Armorican margin. These deformations triggered by an earthquake are similar to those induced by classical shale diapirism. They are probably common in tectonically active continental environments with shallow water table.
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The results of gas permeability and leak testing during active soil-gas sampling at Hal’s Chevron LUST Site in Green River, Utah are presented. This study was conducted to support development of a passive soil-gas sampling method. Gas mixtures containing helium and methane were...
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Organic substances of bituminous shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lanin, V A; Pronina, M V
1944-01-01
Samples of Gdov (Estonia) and Volga (Russia) oil shales were oxidized by alkaline permanganate to study the distribution of carbon and the composition of the resulting oxidation products. Gdov shale was rather stable to oxidation and, after 42 hours 61.2 percent of the organic material remained unoxidized. Five hundred hours were required for complete oxidation, and the oxidation products consisted of CO/sub 2/, acetic, oxalic, and succinic acids. The oxidation products from Volga shale consisted of CO/sub 2/, acetic, oxalic, succinic, adipic, phthalic, benzenetricarboxylic, benzenetetracarboxylic, and benzenepentacarboxylic acids. The results indicated that Gdov shale is free of humic substances and is of sapropelic origin, while Volga shale is of sapropelic-humic origin.
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Study of a conceptual nuclear energy center at Green River, Utah: regional considerations
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1982-01-01
This document constitutes one segment of a feasibility study investigating the ramifications of constructing a nuclear energy center in an arid and remote Western region. This phase of the study discusses regional considerations involved in nuclear energy center development at Green River, Utah. Regional support for NEC development is assessed. In addition, possible regulatory constraints to NEC development are identified and analyzed. Possible resource allocation shortages resulting from NEC development are also considered. A comparison with a similar study on NEC development in the Southeastern United States is also included
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Conversion characteristics of 10 selected oil shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Miknis, F.P.
1989-08-01
The conversion behavior of 10 oil shale from seven foreign and three domestic deposits has been studied by combining solid- and liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements with material balance Fischer assay conversion data. The extent of aromatization of aliphatic carbons was determined. Between zero and 42% of the raw shale aliphatic carbon formed aromatic carbon during Fischer assay. For three of the shales, there was more aromatic carbon in the residue after Fisher assay than in the raw shale. Between 10 and 20% of the raw shale aliphatic carbons ended up as aliphatic carbons on the spent shale. Good correlations were found between the raw shale aliphatic carbon and carbon in the oil and between the raw shale aromatic carbon and aromatic carbon on the spent shale. Simulated distillations and molecular weight determinations were performed on the shale oils. Greater than 50% of the oil consisted of the atmospheric and vacuum gas oil boiling fractions. 14 refs., 15 figs., 1 tab.
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Shale gas exploitation: Status, problems and prospect
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shiqian Wang
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Over the past five years, great progress has been made in shale gas exploitation, which has become the most driving force for global gas output growth. Hydrocarbon extraction from shale helps drive the USA on the road to energy independence. Besides, shale oil & gas production has been kept in a sustained growth by continuous improvement in drilling efficiency and well productivity in the case of tumbling oil prices and rig counts. Shale gas reserves and production have been in a rapid growth in China owing to the Lower Paleozoic Wufeng and Longmaxi shale gas exploitation in the Sichuan Basin, which has become an important sector for the future increment of gas reserves and output in China. However, substantial progress has been made neither in non-marine shale gas exploitation as previously expected nor in the broad complicated tectonic areas in South China for which a considerable investment was made. Analysis of the basic situation and issues in domestic shale gas development shows that shale gas exploitation prospects are constrained by many problems in terms of resources endowment, horizontal well fracturing technology, etc. especially in non-marine shale deposits and complicated tectonic areas in South China where hot shales are widely distributed but geological structures are found severely deformed and over matured. Discussion on the prospects shows that the sustained and steady growth in shale gas reserves and production capacity in the coming years lies in the discovery and supersession of new shale plays in addition to Wufeng and Longmaxi shale plays, and that a technological breakthrough in ultra-high-pressure and ultra-deep (over 3500 m buried in the Sichuan Basin marine shale gas exploitation is the key and hope. Keywords: Shale gas, Exploitation, Marine facies, Hot shale, Resource endowment, Sichuan Basin, South China, Complicated tectonic area, Gas play
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Apparatus for treating bituminous shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1942-11-24
A method is given of transforming finely crushed bituminous shale, for instance of maximum particle size of about 5 mm, into balls, nodules, or similar shapes, in which the shale to be treated is passed in the form of lumps through a rotary drum. The finely crushed shale with a higher content of moisture is brought into contact with finely crushed shale of a lower content of moisture, and thereby serves as kernel material during the formation of the nodules or similar shapes.
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Friedman, Jonathan M.
2018-01-01
The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program has requested experimental flow releases from Flaming Gorge Dam for (1) elevated summer base flows to promote larval endangered Colorado pikeminnow, and (2) midsummer spike flows to disadvantage spawning invasive smallmouth bass. This white paper explores the effects of these proposed flow modifications on riparian vegetation and sediment deposition downstream along the Green River. Although modest in magnitude, the elevated base flows and possible associated reductions in magnitude or duration of peak flows would exacerbate a long-term trend of flow stabilization on the Green River that is already leading to proliferation of vegetation including invasive tamarisk along the channel and associated sediment deposition, channel narrowing and channel simplification. Midsummer spike flows could promote establishment of late-flowering plants like tamarisk. Because channel narrowing and simplification threaten persistence and quality of backwater and side channel features needed by endangered fish, the proposed flow modifications could lead to degradation of fish habitat. Channel narrowing and vegetation encroachment could be countered by increases in peak flows or reductions in base flows in some years and by prescription of rapid flow declines following midsummer spike flows. These strategies for reducing vegetation encroachment would need to be balanced with flow
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kern, L
1922-07-21
In the distillation of shale and similar materials the shale is ground and briquetted and the briquettes are placed in a retort so that air passages are left between them, after which they are uniformly and slowly heated to at least 700/sup 0/C, the air passages facilitating the escape of the oil vapors, and the slow heating preventing fusion of the flux forming constituents. After the bitumen has been driven off, air is passed into the retort and heating continued to about 1050/sup 0/C, the result being a porous product suitable for insulating purposes or as a substitute for kieselguhr. The ground shale may be mixed prior to distillation with peat, sawdust, or the like, and with substances which yield acids, such as chlorides, more particularly magnesium chloride, the acids acting on the bitumen.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Heyl, G E
1917-02-06
The yield of oil obtained by distilling shale is increased by first soaking the shale with about 10 percent of its volume of a liquid hydrocarbon for a period of 24 hours or longer. Distillation is carried on up to a temperature of about 220/sup 0/C., and a further 10 percent of hydrocarbon is then added and the distillation continued up to a temperature of about 400/sup 0/C.
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Virta, R.L.
2000-01-01
Part of the 1999 Industrial Minerals Review. The clay and shale market in 1999 is reviewed. In the U.S., sales or use of clay and shale increased from 26.4 million st in 1998 to 27.3 million st in 1999, with an estimated 1999 value of production of $143 million. These materials were used to produce structural clay products, lightweight aggregates, cement, and ceramics and refractories. Production statistics for clays and shales and for their uses in 1999 are presented.
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The Messel oil shale - an algae laminate. [A]. Der Messeler Oelschiefer - ein Algenlaminit
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Goth, K. (Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Palaeontologische Sektion)
1990-12-31
The lacustrine sediment exposed at the former open cast mine 'Grube Messel', the Messel Oil Shale, consists of allochthonous, autochthonous and autigenous components. A low sedimentation rate (0,1-0,2 mm/a) and an increasing content of coarser clastic material towards the edges of the structure indicate that the Messel lake was small and deep, with a limited drainage basin. The high organic content of the oil shale is made up mainly by cell walls of the coccal green alga Tetraedron minimum. This alga bloomed once a year and caused the lamination of the sediment, which was achieved by sinking of the dead cells. Synsedimentary slumping and sliding of the uppermost sediment layers destroyed the varve pattern in several horizons. These turbidite-like layers often yield a higher amount of coarse grains than the laminations above and below. By counting the seasonal laminae, and taking into account of slumped sediments an age of one million years for the deposition of the Messel Oil Shale is suggested. In extant lakes varved sediments are usually deposited below a chemocline. Therefore a meromictic stratification of the Messel lake water column is suggested. Chemical analyses of Tetraedron minimum cell wall material revealed that it is composed of a highly aliphatic biopolymer. In the Messel Oil Shale this biopolymer forms the kerogen which is, in this case, a result of selective preservation, not of abiological random polymerization of monomers during diagnesis. (orig.) With 29 tabs., 27 figs.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1994-11-01
This document presents the US DOE water resources protection strategy for the Green River, Utah mill tailings disposal site. The modifications in the original plan are based on new information, including ground water quality data collected after remedial action was completed, and on a revised assessment of disposal cell design features, surface conditions, and site hydrogeology. All aspects are discussed in this report
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Carbon sequestration in depleted oil shale deposits
Burnham, Alan K; Carroll, Susan A
2014-12-02
A method and apparatus are described for sequestering carbon dioxide underground by mineralizing the carbon dioxide with coinjected fluids and minerals remaining from the extraction shale oil. In one embodiment, the oil shale of an illite-rich oil shale is heated to pyrolyze the shale underground, and carbon dioxide is provided to the remaining depleted oil shale while at an elevated temperature. Conditions are sufficient to mineralize the carbon dioxide.
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Hydrogenation of Estonian oil shale and shale oil
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kogerman, P N; Kopwillem, J
1932-01-01
Kukersite was heated in an atmosphere of hydrogen, nitrogen, or water in three series of experiments. Shale samples were heated at 370/sup 0/ to 410/sup 0/C for 2 to 3/sup 1///sub 2/ hours in the presence of 106 to 287 kg/sq cm pressure of water, nitrogen, or hydrogen. In some experiments 5 percent of iron oxide was added to the shale. The amount of kerogen liquefied by hydrogenation was not greater than the amount of liquid products obtained by ordinary distillation. On hydrogenation, kukersite absorbed 1.8 weight-percent of hydrogen. Almost no hydrogenation took place below the decomposition point of kerogen, and the lighter decomposition products were mainly hydrogenated. Hydrogenation of the shale prevented coke formation. Heating kukersite or its crude oil at temperatures of 400/sup 0/ to 410/sup 0/C under 250 kg/sq cm hydrogen pressure produced paraffinic and naphthenic oils of lower boiling points. At higher temperatures and after long-continued heating, the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons was observed.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Parks, Olivier
2014-01-01
This book aims at exploring all aspects of the shale gas issue: geological data, environmental impacts, financial aspects and economical impacts of shale gas exploitation. It compares the available information with the field reality and defeats the dogmatic mirages. The research and compilation work carried out by the author make this book a reference in the domain of shale gas exploitation
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Process of briquetting fine shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kraemer, J
1943-05-05
A process is described for the preparation of briquetts of fine bituminous shale, so-called Mansfield copper shale, without addition of binding material, characterized in that the fine shale is warmed to about 100/sup 0/C and concurrently briquetted in a high-pressure rolling press or piece press under a pressure of 300 to 800 kg/cm/sup 2/.
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Neutron activation determination of rhenium in shales shales and molybdenites
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zajtsev, E.I.; Radinovich, B.S.
1977-01-01
Described is the technique for neutron activation determination of rhenium in shales and molybdenites with its radiochemical extraction separation by methyl-ethyl ketone. The sensitivity of the analysis is 5x10 -7 %. Experimental checking of the developed technique in reference to the analysis of shales and molybdenites was carried out. Estimated is the possibility of application of X-ray gamma-spectrometer to instrumental determination of rhenium in molybdenites
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Preparation of hydraulic cement from oil-shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1921-08-28
A process for the preparation of hydraulic cement from oil-shale or oil-shale residue is characterized in that, the oil-shale or shale-coke together with a slight amount of marl is burned under sintering conditions and the residue obtained is ground to a fine dust.
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Laboratory characterization of shale pores
Nur Listiyowati, Lina
2018-02-01
To estimate the potential of shale gas reservoir, one needs to understand the characteristics of pore structures. Characterization of shale gas reservoir microstructure is still a challenge due to ultra-fine grained micro-fabric and micro level heterogeneity of these sedimentary rocks. The sample used in the analysis is a small portion of any reservoir. Thus, each measurement technique has a different result. It raises the question which methods are suitable for characterizing pore shale. The goal of this paper is to summarize some of the microstructure analysis tools of shale rock to get near-real results. The two analyzing pore structure methods are indirect measurement (MIP, He, NMR, LTNA) and direct observation (SEM, TEM, Xray CT). Shale rocks have a high heterogeneity; thus, it needs multiscale quantification techniques to understand their pore structures. To describe the complex pore system of shale, several measurement techniques are needed to characterize the surface area and pore size distribution (LTNA, MIP), shapes, size and distribution of pore (FIB-SEM, TEM, Xray CT), and total porosity (He pycnometer, NMR). The choice of techniques and methods should take into account the purpose of the analysis and also the time and budget.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1994-01-01
The low prices of crude oil have continued to retard the commercial development of oil shale and other syn fuels. Although research funds are more difficult to find, some R and D work by industry, academia, and governmental agencies continues in the United States and in other parts of the world. Improvements in retorting technology, upgrading oil-shale feedstock, and developing high-value niche-market products from shale oil are three notable areas of research that have been prominent for the past several years. Although the future prices of conventional crude cannot be predicted, it seems evident that diminishing supplies and a burgeoning world population will force us to turn to alternate fossil fuels as well as to cleaner sources of non-fossil energy. (author)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Linard, Joshua [USDOE Office of Legacy Management, Washington, DC (United States); Price, Jeffrey [Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
2016-10-10
This event included annual sampling of groundwater and surface water locations at the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for US. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lrnldownloads/sampling-and- analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Samples were collected from 15 monitoring wells and two surface locations at the disposal site as specified in the draft 2011 Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. A duplicate sample was collected from location 0179. One equipment blank was collected during this sampling event. Water levels were measured at all monitoring wells that were sampled. See Attachment 2, Trip Reports for additional details. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. No issues were identified during the data validation process that requires additional action or follow-up.
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Improvements in the distillation of shale, etc
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Noad, J
1912-09-20
A process for treating shale and other bituminous substances containing sulfur and obtaining desulfurized products of distillation consisting in the consecutive steps of crushing the shale, mixing a suitable liquid with the shale granules, mixing slaked lime with the liquid coated shale granules, and gradually feeding the lime coated shale granules into a retort presenting a series of ledges or the like and working the shale granules down from ledge to ledge so that they are continuously agitated while being heated, the volatile constituents escaping through the lime coating and being conducted away from the upper part of the retort to suitable condensing apparatus, and the sulfur being arrested by the lime coating and together with the exhausted shale and other impurities being discharged from the lower part of the retort.
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Distribution of K, Na, Th and U in sandstones and shales from western Shikoku, Japan
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ishihara, Shunso; Sakamaki, Yukio; Mochizuki, Tsunekazu; Terashima, Shigeru; Endo, Yuji
1981-01-01
The regional variation of K, Na, Th and U distributions was studied on 58 sandstones, 81 shales and 3 green schists from the sedimentary terrains across western Shikoku. The geological structure of the studied district is explained. The regional characteristics of the sedimentary rocks are best demonstrated in the composition of the sandstones. The sandstones, in the source areas of which granitic and rhyolitic rocks exist and which have been deposited rapidly, were rich in K, whereas those derived mainly from mafic volcanic areas showed high Na content. The sandstones of the Shimanto Supergroup had the intermediate values, and K and K + Na contents became low in the south where the younger Upper Shimanto Group is exposed. Th and U in both sandstones and shales were highest in the Izumi Group, and generally low in the Shimanto Supergroup. The black shales of the Shimanto Supergroup did not show U-anomaly. In each group, highly matured rocks gave slightly higher Th/U ratio. Highly matured polycyclic sediments contained the least amount of radioactive elements. The radioactive anomaly due to the anomalous K contained in sericite, and that due to U in black shale were found in Chichibu and Sambosan belts. Similar anomaly was discovered in the foot wall of Mn deposits in the same zone. The possibility of anomalous U may be the least in the Shimanto Supergroup. (Kako, I.)
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The Assessment of Green Water Based on the SWAT Model: A Case Study in the Hai River Basin, China
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kui Zhu
2018-06-01
Full Text Available Green water accounts for two-thirds of precipitation, and the proportion could be even higher in dry years. Conflicts between water supply and demand have gradually become severe in the Hai River Basin (HRB due to the socio-economic development. Thus, the exploitation and the utilization of green water have attracted increasing attention. By gathering the related hydrological, meteorological, and geographic data, the spatiotemporal distribution of green water in HRB and the impacts of land use types on green water are analyzed based on the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool model in this study. Furthermore, three new indices are proposed for evaluation, including the maximum possible storage of green water (MSGW, the consumed green water (CGW, and the utilizable green water (UGW. The results show that (1 the MSGW is relatively low in plain areas and its spatial distribution is significantly associated with the soil type; (2 according to the evaluation results of CGW and UGW in HRB, a further improvement of utilization efficiency of green water could be achieved; (3 in general, the utilization efficiency of precipitation in farmlands is higher than other land use types, which means that the planting of appropriate plants could be helpful to enhance the utilization efficiency of green water. Our results summarize the spatiotemporal distribution of green water resource and provide a reference for water resources management in other water-short agricultural areas.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Smith, M.
2009-11-15
This article discussed Schlumberger's efforts in making shale gas a priority. Shale gas plays require maximum reservoir exposure to be economic. The exploitation of shale gas has been solved through the use of long horizontal wells that are fractured in multiple zones along their length. Companies have invested heavily into research to find increasingly novel ways to reduce costs and extract more molecules of gas from the ultra-low permeability rock. The tools and techniques that Schlumberger has developed for well stimulation and completion were described. Schlumberger was extremely focused on improving its ability to understand the Horn River reservoir and improve completion practices. Openhole logging was discussed as an option. Schlumberger in conjunction with its in-house data and consulting services group, also devised a method to log a lateral well after it had been cased, cemented, and the rig had been released. It was concluded that using such instruments as spectroscopy logging, epithermal neutron porosity logging and multidimensional shear sonic logging tools, Schlumberger could provide all the necessary measurements post-casing. 2 refs., 3 figs.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Weeks, W G
1923-01-01
The theory by Jones was questioned. Oil shales do not contain partly decomposed vegetable matter, and, where particles of vegetation are identified, they do not prove that kerogen was formed in its place. Some shales do contain free oil that can be extracted with solvents.
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The shale gas potential of the Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale in Switzerland - A first assessment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Leu, W.; Gautschi, A.
2014-01-01
There has been recent interest in the shale gas potential of the Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale (Middle and Lower Jurassic) below the Swiss Molasse Basin in the light of the future role of domestic gas production within the expected future energy shift of Switzerland and possible conflicts in underground use. The Opalinus Clay of northern Switzerland is a potential host rock for repositories of both high-level and low-to-intermediate level radioactive waste and the exploitation of shale gas resources within or below this formation would represent a serious conflict of use. Well data from northern Switzerland shows that these two formations are unsuitable for future shale gas recovery. They never reached the gas window during their burial history (maturity values are ≤ 0.6% R o ) and as a consequence never generated significant quantities of thermogenic gas. Geochemical data further shows that the average TOC values are in the range of 0.7%, i.e. clearly below accepted values of more than 1.5% for prospective shales. A review of available exploration data for the Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale in the deeper and western part of the Swiss Molasse Basin indicate that their shale gas potential may be substantial. The gross Posidonia Shale thickness increases from central Switzerland from less than 10 m to over 100 m in the Yverdon-Geneva area and is characterised by numerous bituminous intervals. A simplified shale gas resource calculation results for a geologically likely scenario in a technically recoverable gas volume of ∼120 billions m 3 . The current database for such estimates is small and as a consequence, the uncertainties are large. However, these first encouraging results support a more detailed exploration phase with specific geochemical and petrophysical analysis of existing rock and well log data. (authors)
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The shale gas potential of the Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale in Switzerland - A first assessment
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Leu, W. [Geoform Ltd, Villeneuve (Switzerland); Gautschi, A. [NAGRA, Wettingen (Switzerland)
2014-07-01
There has been recent interest in the shale gas potential of the Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale (Middle and Lower Jurassic) below the Swiss Molasse Basin in the light of the future role of domestic gas production within the expected future energy shift of Switzerland and possible conflicts in underground use. The Opalinus Clay of northern Switzerland is a potential host rock for repositories of both high-level and low-to-intermediate level radioactive waste and the exploitation of shale gas resources within or below this formation would represent a serious conflict of use. Well data from northern Switzerland shows that these two formations are unsuitable for future shale gas recovery. They never reached the gas window during their burial history (maturity values are ≤ 0.6% R{sub o}) and as a consequence never generated significant quantities of thermogenic gas. Geochemical data further shows that the average TOC values are in the range of 0.7%, i.e. clearly below accepted values of more than 1.5% for prospective shales. A review of available exploration data for the Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale in the deeper and western part of the Swiss Molasse Basin indicate that their shale gas potential may be substantial. The gross Posidonia Shale thickness increases from central Switzerland from less than 10 m to over 100 m in the Yverdon-Geneva area and is characterised by numerous bituminous intervals. A simplified shale gas resource calculation results for a geologically likely scenario in a technically recoverable gas volume of ∼120 billions m{sup 3}. The current database for such estimates is small and as a consequence, the uncertainties are large. However, these first encouraging results support a more detailed exploration phase with specific geochemical and petrophysical analysis of existing rock and well log data. (authors)
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Hydrologic alteration affects aquatic plant assemblages in an arid-land river
Vinson, Mark; Hestmark, Bennett; Barkworth, Mary E.
2014-01-01
We evaluated the effects of long-term flow alteration on primary-producer assemblages. In 1962, Flaming Gorge Dam was constructed on the Green River. The Yampa River has remained an unregulated hydrologically variable river that joins the Green River 100 km downstream from Flaming Gorge Dam. In the 1960s before dam construction only sparse occurrences of two macroalgae, Cladophora and Chara, and no submerged vascular plants were recorded in the Green and Yampa rivers. In 2009–2010, aquatic plants were abundant and widespread in the Green River from the dam downstream to the confluence with the Yampa River. The assemblage consisted of six vascular species, Elodea canadensis, Myriophyllum sibiricum, Nasturtium officinale,Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, and Ranunculus aquatilis, the macroalgae Chara and Cladophora, and the bryophyte, Amblystegium riparium. In the Green River downstream from the Yampa River, and in the Yampa River, only sparse patches of Chara and Cladophora growing in the splash zone on boulders were collected. We attribute the observed changes in the Green River to an increase in water transparency and a reduction in suspended and bed-load sediment and high flow disturbances. The lack of hydrophyte colonization downstream from the confluence with the Yampa River has implications for understanding tributary amelioration of dam effects and for designing more natural flow-regime schedules downstream from large dams.
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Taylor, Cliff D.; Johnson, Craig A.
2010-01-01
precious-metal-rich silica-barite-carbonate white ores began at low temperature in a shallow, subaqueous setting, probably a thin carbonate shelf on the flanks of the Alexander landmass. Epigenetic carbonate replacement textures in the footwall dolostones are overlain by stratiform silica-carbonate-barite-rich ores and indicate that early mineralization formed at and just beneath the paleo sea floor by mixing of a reduced, precious-metal-rich, base-metal-poor hydrothermal fluid with oxygenated seawater. As rifting intensified, the shelf was downfaulted and isolated as a graben. Isolation of the basin and onset of starved-basin shale sedimentation was concurrent with emplacement of mafic-ultramafic intrusives at shallow levels in the rift, resulting in an increasingly higher temperature and progressively more anoxic ore-forming environment. The formation of the main stage of massive sulfide ores began as the supply of bacterially reduced sulfur increased in the accumulating shales. As the main-stage mineralization intensified, shale sedimentation inundated the hydrothermal system, eventually forming a cap. Biogenic sulfate reduction supplied reduced sulfur to the base of the shales where mixing occurred with hot, base-metal-rich hydrothermal fluids. Ore deposition continued by destruction and epigenetic replacement of the early white ores in proximal areas and by inflation and diagenetic replacement of unlithified shale at the interface between the white ores and the base of the shale cap. Ore deposition waned as the shales became lithified and as the supply of bacterially reduced sulfur to the site of ore deposition ceased. The final stages of rifting resulted in the emplacement of mafic-ultramafic intrusive rocks into the Greens Creek system and extrusion of voluminous basaltic flows at the top of the Triassic section. Greenschist facies metamorphism during the Jurassic-Cretaceous accretion of the Alexander terrane to the continental margin resulted in recrystalli
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
McKenzie-Brown, P.
2010-01-01
The growing interest in shale gas is largely due to rapid innovation in down-hole technologies such as horizontal drilling, better bit design, coil tubing, down-hole motors, geosteering, microseismic, measurement while drilling tools and more powerful fracing systems. Despite these advances in shale gas technology, price will be the deciding factor in the competition between liquefied natural gas (LNG) and shale gas. This article discussed the 3 sources of gas that are of interest to North American producers. The first is the great success of shale gas production in the United States and Canada. The second is the evolution of a global market for LNG. This development has eliminated the need for pipelines to tie stranded gas into the world's industrial markets. For example, Qatar is developing liquefaction facilities for an offshore reservoir with more than a quadrillion cubic feet of proved reserves. The gas industry's third area of interest lies in the huge conventional gas reserves in Alaska and the Northwest Territories. However, there is doubt that any proposed pipelines to deliver the resources to southern markets will be built, particularly since shale gas formations like the Montney and Horn River have great potential and are located right next to existing infrastructure. 2 figs.
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Reducing the greenhouse gas footprint of shale gas
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Jinsheng; Ryan, David; Anthony, Edward J.
2011-01-01
Shale gas is viewed by many as a global energy game-changer. However, serious concerns exist that shale gas generates more greenhouse gas emissions than does coal. In this work the related published data are reviewed and a reassessment is made. It is shown that the greenhouse gas effect of shale gas is less than that of coal over long term if the higher power generation efficiency of shale gas is taken into account. In short term, the greenhouse gas effect of shale gas can be lowered to the level of that of coal if methane emissions are kept low using existing technologies. Further reducing the greenhouse gas effect of shale gas by storing CO 2 in depleted shale gas reservoirs is also discussed, with the conclusion that more CO 2 than the equivalent CO 2 emitted by the extracted shale gas could be stored in the reservoirs at significantly reduced cost. - Highlights: ► The long-term greenhouse gas footprint of shale gas is smaller than that of coal. ► Carbon capture and storage should be considered for fossil fuels including shale gas. ► Depleted shale gas fields could store more CO 2 than the equivalent emissions. ► Linking shale gas development with CO 2 storage could largely reduce the total cost.
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Electronic tagging of green sturgeon reveals population structure and movement among estuaries
Lindley, S.T.; Erickson, D.L.; Moser, M.L.; Williams, G.; Langness, O.P.; McCovey, B.W.; Belchik, M.; Vogel, D.; Pinnix, W.; Kelly, J.T.; Heublein, J.C.; Klimley, A.P.
2011-01-01
Green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris spend much of their lives outside of their natal rivers, but the details of their migrations and habitat use are poorly known, which limits our understanding of how this species might be affected by human activities and habitat degradation.We tagged 355 green sturgeon with acoustic transmitters on their spawning grounds and in known nonspawning aggregation sites and examined their movement among these sites and other potentially important locations using automated data-logging hydrophones. We found that green sturgeon inhabit a number of estuarine and coastal sites over the summer, including the Columbia River estuary, Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and the estuaries of certain smaller rivers in Oregon, especially the Umpqua River estuary. Green sturgeon from different natal rivers exhibited different patterns of habitat use; most notably, San Francisco Bay was used only by Sacramento River fish, while the Umpqua River estuary was used mostly by fish from the Klamath and Rogue rivers. Earlier work, based on analysis of microsatellite markers, suggested that the Columbia River mixed stock was mainly composed of fish from the Sacramento River, but our results indicate that fish from the Rogue and Klamath River populations frequently use the Columbia River as well. We also found evidence for the existence of migratory contingentswithin spawning populations.Our findings have significant implications for the management of the threatened Sacramento River population of green sturgeon, which migrates to inland waters outside of California where anthropogenic impacts, including fisheries bycatch and water pollution, may be a concern. Our results also illustrate the utility of acoustic tracking to elucidate the migratory behavior of animals that are otherwise difficult to observe. ?? American Fisheries Society 2011.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Jacomini, V V
1938-06-07
To produce valuable oils from shale by continuous distillation it is preheated by a heated fluid and introduced into a distilling retort from which the oil vapours and spent material are separately removed and the vapours condensed to recover the oil. The shale is preheated to 400 to 500/sup 0/F in the hopper by combustion gases from a flue and is fed in measured quantities to a surge drum, a loading chamber and surge drum, the latter two being connected to a steam pipe which equalises the pressure thereon. The material passes by two screw conveyors to a retort with deflector bars to scatter the material so that lean hot cycling gas flowing through a pipe is spread out as it makes its way upwardly through the shale and heats the oil so that it is driven off as vapour, collected in the lean gas and carried off through an outlet pipe. A measuring valve is provided at the bottom of a retort and cutter knives cut the spent shale and distribute cooling water thereto. The gases travel through heat exchangers and a condenser to an accumulator where the cycling gas is separated from the vapours, passed to compression, and preheated in a gas exchanger and spiral coils before it is returned to the retort. The oil passes to a storage tank by way of a unit tank in which oil vapours are recovered. Water is collected by a pipe in the tank bottom and returned by shaft to a retort.
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Johnson, Ronald C.
2014-01-01
The Uinta Basin of northeast Utah has produced large amounts of hydrocarbons from lower Tertiary strata since the 1960s. Recent advances in drilling technologies, in particular the development of efficient methods to drill and hydraulically fracture horizontal wells, has spurred renewed interest in producing hydrocarbons from unconventional low-permeability dolomite and shale reservoirs in the lacustrine, Eocene Green River Formation. The Eocene Green River Formation was deposited in Lake Uinta, a long-lived saline lake that occupied the Uinta Basin, the Piceance Basin to the east, and the intervening Douglas Creek arch. The focus of recent drilling activity has been the informal Uteland Butte member of the Green River Formation and to a much lesser extent the overlying R-0 oil shale zone of the Green River Formation. Initial production rates ranging from 500 to 1,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day have been reported from the Uteland Butte member from horizontal well logs that are as long as 4,000 feet (ft);. The cross section presented here extends northward from outcrop on the southern margin of the basin into the basin’s deep trough, located just south of the Uinta Mountains, and transects the area where this unconventional oil play is developing. The Monument Butte field, which is one of the fields located along this line of section, has produced hydrocarbons from conventional sandstone reservoirs in the lower part of the Green River Formation and underlying Wasatch Formation since 1981. A major fluvial-deltaic system entered Lake Uinta from the south, and this new line of section is ideal for studying the effect of the sediments delivered by this drainage on hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Green River Formation. The cross section also transects the Greater Altamont-Bluebell field in the deepest part of the basin, where hydrocarbons have been produced from fractured, highly overpressured marginal lacustrine and fluvial reservoirs in the Green River, Wasatch
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Al-dabbas, M.A.
1992-05-01
A 'coutant' carbon steel combustion chamber cooled by water jacket was conslructed to burn diesel fuel and mixlure of shale oil and diesel fuels. During experimental work nir fuel ratio was determined, temperaturces were measured using Chromel/ Almel thermocouple, finally the gasous combustion product analysis was carricd out using gas chromatograph technique. The constructed combustion chamber was operating salisfactory for several hours of continous work. According to the measurements it was found that: the flame temperature of a mixture of diesel and shale oil fuels was greater than the flame temperature of diesel fuel. and the sulfer emissious of a mixture of diesel and shale oil fuels was higher than that of diesel fuel. Calculation indicated that the dry gas energy loss was very high and the incomplete combustion energy loss very small. (author). 23 refs., 35 figs
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Al-dabbas, M A
1992-05-01
A `coutant` carbon steel combustion chamber cooled by water jacket was conslructed to burn diesel fuel and mixlure of shale oil and diesel fuels. During experimental work nir fuel ratio was determined, temperaturces were measured using Chromel/ Almel thermocouple, finally the gasous combustion product analysis was carricd out using gas chromatograph technique. The constructed combustion chamber was operating salisfactory for several hours of continous work. According to the measurements it was found that: the flame temperature of a mixture of diesel and shale oil fuels was greater than the flame temperature of diesel fuel. and the sulfer emissious of a mixture of diesel and shale oil fuels was higher than that of diesel fuel. Calculation indicated that the dry gas energy loss was very high and the incomplete combustion energy loss very small. (author). 23 refs., 35 figs.
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Baseline groundwater chemistry characterization in an area of future Marcellus shale gas development
Eisenhauer, P.; Zegre, N.; Edwards, P. J.; Strager, M.
2012-12-01
The recent increase in development of the Marcellus shale formation for natural gas in the mid-Atlantic can be attributed to advances in unconventional extraction methods, namely hydraulic fracturing, a process that uses water to pressurize and fracture relatively impermeable shale layers to release natural gas. In West Virginia, the Department of Energy estimates 95 to 105 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of expected ultimately recovery (EUR) of natural gas for this formation. With increased development of the Marcellus shale formation comes concerns for the potential of contamination to groundwater resources that serve as primary potable water sources for many rural communities. However, the impacts of this practice on water resources are poorly understood because of the lack of controlled pre versus post-drilling experiments attributed to the rapid development of this resource. To address the knowledge gaps of the potential impacts of Marcellus shale development on groundwater resources, a pre versus post-drilling study has been initiated by the USFS Fernow Experimental Forest in the Monongahela National Forest. Drilling is expected to start at three locations within the next year. Pre-drilling water samples were collected and analyzed from two groundwater wells, a shallow spring, a nearby lake, and river to characterize background water chemistry and identify potential end-members. Geochemical analysis includes major ions, methane, δ13C-CH4, δ2H-CH4, 226Radium, and δ13C-DIC. In addition, a GIS-based conceptual ground water flow model was developed to identify possible interactions between shallow groundwater and natural gas wells given gas well construction failure. This model is used to guide management decisions regarding groundwater resources in an area of increasing shale gas development.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
de Ganahl, C F
1922-07-04
To distill buried shale or other carbon containing compounds in situ, a portion of the shale bed is rendered permeable to gases, and the temperature is raised to the point of distillation. An area in a shale bed is shattered by explosives, so that it is in a relatively finely divided form, and the tunnel is then blocked by a wall, and fuel and air are admitted through pipes until the temperature of the shale is raised to such a point that a portion of the released hydrocarbons will burn. When distillation of the shattered area takes place and the lighter products pass upwardly through uptakes to condensers and scrubbers, liquid oil passes to a tank and gas to a gasometer while heavy unvaporized products in the distillation zone collect in a drain, flow into a sump, and are drawn off through a pipe to a storage tank. In two modifications, methods of working are set out in cases where the shale lies beneath a substantially level surface.
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Agricultural implications of reduced water supplies in the Green and Upper Yellowstone River Basins
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lansford, R. R.; Roach, F.; Gollehon, N. R.; Creel, B. J.
1982-02-01
The growth of the energy sector in the energy-rich but water-restricted Western US has presented a potential conflict with the irrigated agricultural sector. This study measures the direct impacts on farm income and employment resulting from the transfer of water from agriculture to energy in two specific geographical areas - the Green and Upper Yellowstone River Basins. We used a linear programming model to evaluate the impacts of reduced water supplies. Through the use of regional multipliers, we expanded our analysis to include regional impacts. Volume I provides the major analysis of these impacts. Volume II provides further technical data.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1992-06-01
This report provides the basis for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) request to discontinue neutron moisture monitoring (NMM) at the Green River, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) disposal cell and decommission the neutron access holes. After 3 years of monitoring the disposal cell, the DOE has determined that the NMM method is not suitable for determining changes in moisture content in the disposal cell. Existing tailings moisture contents in the disposal cell result in a low seepage flux. The combination of a low seepage flux and geochemical retardation by foundation materials underneath the disposal cell ensures that the proposed US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groundwater protection standards will not be exceeded within the design life of the disposal cell. To assess the effectiveness of the NMM method for monitoring moisture contents In the disposal cell at Green River, the DOE subsequently conducted a field study and a review of historical and new literature. The literature review allowed the DOE to identify performance criteria for the NMM method. Findings of these studies suggest that: The NMM method is not sensitive to the low moisture contents found in the disposal cell.; there is an insufficient range of moisture contents in the disposal cell to develop a field calibration curve relating moisture content to neutron counts; it is not possible to collect NMM data from the disposal cell that meet data quality objectives for precision and accuracy developed from performance criteria described in the literature
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Obtaining shale distillate free from sulphur
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Heyl, G E
1917-09-14
A process whereby, from sulfur-containing shale, products free from sulfur may be obtained, consisting of mixing with the finely ground shale a portion of iron salts containing sufficient metal to unite with all the sulfur in the shale and form sulfide therewith, grinding the mixture to a fine state of subdivision and subsequently subjecting it to destructive distillation.
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2010-07-16
... and 22 East (Salt Lake Meridian) in Uintah County, Utah. The Draft EIS analyzes a proposal by KMG to... drilled as infill to productive formations, including but not limited to, the Green River Formation, Wasatch Formation, Mesaverde Group (including the Blackhawk Formation), Mancos Shale, and Dakota Sandstone...
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A perspective on Canadian shale gas
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Johnson, Mike; Davidson, Jim; Mortensen, Paul
2010-09-15
In a relatively new development over just the past few years, shale formations are being targeted for natural gas production. Based on initial results, there may be significant potential for shale gas in various regions of Canada, not only in traditional areas of conventional production but also non-traditional areas. However, there is much uncertainty because most Canadian shale gas production is currently in experimental or early developmental stages. Thus, its full potential will not be known for some time. If exploitation proves to be successful, Canadian shale gas may partially offset projected long-term declines in Canadian conventional natural gas production.
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Oil shale utilization in Israel
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kaiser, A.
1993-01-01
Geological surveys have confirmed the existence of substantial Israeli oil shale reserves. The proven reserves contain approximately 12 billion tons of available ores, and the potential is deemed to be much higher. Economic studies conducted by PAMA indicate promising potential for power generation via Israel oil shale combustion. Electric power from oil shale appears competitive with power generated from coal fired power plants located along the coast. PAMA's demonstration power plant has been in operation since the end of 1989. Based on the successful results of the first year of operation, PAMA and IEC are now engaged in the pre-project program for a 1000 MW commercial oil shale fired power plant, based on eight 120 MW units; the first unit is scheduled to begin operation in 1996
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Is Estonian oil shale beneficial in the future?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Reinsalu, Enno
1998-01-01
Oil shale mining production reached its maximum level of 31.35·10 6 tonnes per year in 1980. After the eighties there was a steady decline in mining. The first scientific prognoses of the inescapable decrease in oil shale mining were published in 1988. According to this, the Estonian oil shale industry would vanish in the third decade of the next century. From the beginning of the nineties, the consumption and export of electricity have dropped in Estonia. The minimum level of oil shale mining was 13.5·10 6 tonnes per year. This occurred in 1994/1995. Some increase in consumption of electric power and oil shale began at the end of 1995. Oil shale processing began to increase gradually in 1993. Oil shale is the most important fuel in Estonia today. In 1997, oil shale provided 76% of Estonia's primary energy supply and accounted for 57% of its economic value. Oil shale is the cheapest fuel in Estonia. Nowadays, oil shale provides an essential part of the fuel supply in Estonia because it is considerably cheaper than other fuels. Oil shale costs EEK 12.16 per G J. At the same time, coal costs EEK 23.41 per G J and peat costs EEK 14.80 per G J (year 1997). There are three important customers of oil shale: the electric power company Eesti Energia, the oil processing company Kiviter and the factory Kunda Nordic Cement. In 1995, the power company utilised 81% of the oil shale mass and 77% of its heating value. The state energy policy inhibits increases in the oil shale price even though the mining infrastructure is decaying. Government price policies subside oil shale processing. The energy of oil shale processing is 1.9 times cheaper than the heating value of raw oil shale for power stations. It could be considered as a state subsidisation of oil and cement export at the expense of electricity. The subsidy assigned to oil processing was of EEK 124·10 6 and to the cement industry of EEK 8.4·10 6 in year 1997 (based on heating value). State regulation of prices and
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RUSSIA DOESN’T SUPPORT «SHALE REVOLUTION»
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
S. S. Zhiltsov
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Growth of volumes of production of shale gas in the USA compelled Russia to pay attention to this type of resourses. The interest to shale gas in Russia was limited to discussions at the level of experts and reflection of importance of this problem in statements of politicians. In the next years in Russia don't plan production of shale gas commercially. It is connected with existence in Russia of considerable reserves of traditional natural gas, absence of exact data of reserves of shale gas, high costs of production, and also environmental risks which accompany development of fields of shale gas.
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Makarkin, Vladimir N
2017-01-30
Xenoberotha angustialata gen. et sp. nov. (Neuroptera: Berothidae) is described from the early Eocene of the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation (U.S.A., Colorado). It is assigned to Berothinae as an oldest known member of the subfamily based on the presence of scale-like setae on the foreleg coxae. Distal crossveins of the fourth (outer) gradate series which are located very close to the wing margin in Xenoberotha gen. nov. is a character state previously unknown in Berothinae.
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Utica Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (USEEL)
Cole, D. R.
2017-12-01
Despite the rapid growth of the UOG industry in the Appalachian Basin of Pennsylvania and neighboring states, there are still fundamental concerns regarding the environmentally sound and cost efficient extraction of this unique asset. To address these concerns, Ohio State University has established the Department of Energy-funded Utica Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory, a dedicated research program where scientists from the university will work with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), academia, industry, and regulatory partners, to measure and monitor reservoir response to UOG development and any associated environmental concerns. The USEEL site will be located in Greene County, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the deep Utica-Pt. Pleasant Shale play of the Appalachian Basin. The USEEL project team will characterize and quantify the gas-producing attributes of one of the deepest portions of the Utica-Pt. Pleasant formations in the Appalachian Basin via a multi-disciplinary collaboration that leverages state-of-the-art capabilities in geochemistry, core assessment, well design and logging, 3-D and micro-seismic, DTS and DAS fiber optics, and reservoir modelling. Fracture and rock strength analyses will be complemented by a comprehensive suite of geophysical and geochemical logs, water and chip samples, and cores (pressure sidewall and whole core) to evaluate fluids, mineral alteration, microbes, pore structure, and hydrocarbon formation and alteration in the shale pore space. Located on an existing Marcellus drill pads in southwestern Pennsylvania, USEEL will provide an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate the economic and environmental effects of Marcellus pad expansion on the integrity of near-by existing production wells, ground disruption and slope stability, and ultimate efforts to conduct site reclamation. Combined with the overall goal of an improved understanding of the Utica-Pt. Pleasant system, USEEL
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GRI's Devonian Shales Research Program
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guidry, F.K.
1991-01-01
This paper presents a summary of the key observations and conclusions from the Gas Research Institute's (GRI's) Comprehensive Study Well (CSW) research program conducted in the Devonian Shales of the Appalachian Basin. Initiated in 1987, the CSW program was a series of highly instrumented study wells drilled in cooperation with industry partners. Seven wells were drilled as part of the program. Extensive data sets were collected and special experiments were run on the CSW's in addition to the operator's normal operations, with the objectives of identifying geologic production controls, refining formation evaluation tools, and improving reservoir description and stimulation practices in the Devonian Shales. This paper highlights the key results from the research conducted in the CSW program in the areas of geologic production controls, formation evaluation, stimulation and reservoir engineering, and field operations. The development of geologic, log analysis, and reservoir models for the Shales from the data gathered and analysis, and reservoir models for the Shales from the data gathered and analyzed during the research is discussed. In addition, on the basis of what was learned in the CSW program, GRI's plans for new research in the Devonian Shales are described
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Conn, Kathleen E.; Black, Robert W.; Peterson, Norman T.; Senter, Craig A.; Chapman, Elena A.
2018-01-05
From August 2016 to March 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected representative samples of filtered and unfiltered water and suspended sediment (including the colloidal fraction) at USGS streamgage 12113390 (Duwamish River at Golf Course, at Tukwila, Washington) during 13 periods of differing flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories for a large suite of compounds, including metals, dioxins/furans, semivolatile compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, butyltins, the 209 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and total and dissolved organic carbon. Concurrent with the chemistry sampling, water-quality field parameters were measured, and representative water samples were collected and analyzed for river suspended-sediment concentration and particle-size distribution. The results provide new data that can be used to estimate sediment and chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway.
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Shale-brine-CO2 interactions and the long-term stability of carbonate-rich shale caprock
Ilgen, A.; Aman, M.; Espinoza, D. N.; Rodriguez, M. A.; Griego, J.; Dewers, T. A.; Feldman, J.; Stewart, T.; Choens, R. C., II
2017-12-01
Geological carbon storage (GCS) requires an impermeable caprock (e.g., shale) that prevents the upward migration and escape of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the subsurface. Geochemical alteration can occur at the caprock-reservoir rock interface, which could lead to the altering of the rock's mechanical properties, compromising the seal. We performed laboratory experiments on Mancos shale to quantify the coupled chemical-mechanical response of carbonate-rich shale in CO2-brine mixtures at conditions typical to GCS. We constructed geochemical models, calibrated them using laboratory results, and extended to time scales required for GCS. We observed the dissolution of calcite and kaolinite and the precipitation of gypsum and amorphous aluminum (hydr)oxide following the introduction of CO2. To address whether this mineral alteration causes changes in micro-mechanical properties, we examined altered Mancos shale using micro-mechanical (scratch) testing, measuring the scratch toughness of mm-scale shale lithofacies. The quartz-rich regions of the Mancos shale did not show significant changes in scratch toughness following 1-week alteration in a CO2-brine mixture. However, the scratch toughness of the calcite-rich, originally softer regions decreased by about 50%. These observations illustrate a coupled and localized chemical-mechanical response of carbonate-rich shale to the injection of CO2. This suggests a localized weakening of the caprock may occur, potentially leading to the development of preferential flow paths. The identification of vulnerable lithofacies within caprock and a characterization of mineralogical heterogeneity is imperative at prospective GCS sites. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE
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Process for extracting oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1920-08-22
A process is described for recovering bituminous material from oil shale, characterized in that the oil shale is extracted with wood spirits oil (byproduct of woodspirit rectification), if necessary in admixture with other solvents in the cold or the hot.
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Shale Gas Technology. White Paper
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2011-09-15
Shale gas is extracted using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking'. None of which are particularly new technologies or shale gas specific. In this white paper attention is paid to Horizontal drilling; Hydraulic fracturing or 'frackin'; Other 'unconventionals'; and Costs.
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Schenk, Christopher J.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Pitman, Janet K.; Brownfield, Michael E.
2014-01-01
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed potential technically recoverable mean resources of 53 million barrels of shale oil and 320 billion cubic feet of shale gas in the Phitsanulok Basin, onshore Thailand.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ginet, J H
1921-03-09
Apparatus for the treatment of bituminous shales is described wherein a number of separate compartments are arranged in alignment and communicate with each other near the bottom thereof, each of the compartments being provided with outlets for the gases evolved therein, while agitators are arranged in each of the compartments, each agitator being composed of a number of shovels which sweep up the comminuted shale at their forward end and discharge it at their rearward end into the path of the next adjacent agitator.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Dolbear, S H
1921-01-04
Oil shale is treated for the separation of the valuable organic compounds, with a view to economy in subsequent destructive distillation, by grinding to powder, mixing with water to form a pulp, adding a small quantity of an oil liquid and aerating the mixture to form a froth containing the organic compounds. If the powdered shale contains sufficient free oil, the addition of oil to the pulp may be dispensed with. In some cases an electrolyte such as sulfuric acid may be added to the pulp.
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Brantley, S.; Brazil, L.
2017-12-01
The Shale Network's extensive database of water quality observations enables educational experiences about the potential impacts of resource extraction with real data. Through tools that are open source and free to use, researchers, educators, and citizens can access and analyze the very same data that the Shale Network team has used in peer-reviewed publications about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water. The development of the Shale Network database has been made possible through efforts led by an academic team and involving numerous individuals from government agencies, citizen science organizations, and private industry. Thus far, these tools and data have been used to engage high school students, university undergraduate and graduate students, as well as citizens so that all can discover how energy production impacts the Marcellus Shale region, which includes Pennsylvania and other nearby states. This presentation will describe these data tools, how the Shale Network has used them in developing lesson plans, and the resources available to learn more.
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Experimental Study of Matrix Permeability of Gas Shale: An Application to CO2-Based Shale Fracturing
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chengpeng Zhang
2018-03-01
Full Text Available Because the limitations of water-based fracturing fluids restrict their fracturing efficiency and scope of application, liquid CO2 is regarded as a promising substitute, owing to its unique characteristics, including its greater environmental friendliness, shorter clean-up time, greater adsorption capacity than CH4 and less formation damage. Conversely, the disadvantage of high leak-off rate of CO2 fracturing due to its very low viscosity determines its applicability in gas shales with ultra-low permeability, accurate measurement of shale permeability to CO2 is therefore crucial to evaluate the appropriate injection rate and total consumption of CO2. The main purpose of this study is to accurately measure shale permeability to CO2 flow during hydraulic fracturing, and to compare the leak-off of CO2 and water fracturing. A series of permeability tests was conducted on cylindrical shale samples 38 mm in diameter and 19 mm long using water, CO2 in different phases and N2 considering multiple influencing factors. According to the experimental results, the apparent permeability of shale matrix to gaseous CO2 or N2 is greatly over-estimated compared with intrinsic permeability or that of liquid CO2 due to the Klinkenberg effect. This phenomenon explains that the permeability values measured under steady-state conditions are much higher than those under transient conditions. Supercritical CO2 with higher molecular kinetic energy has slightly higher permeability than liquid CO2. The leak-off rate of CO2 is an order of magnitude higher than that of water under the same injection conditions due to its lower viscosity. The significant decrease of shale permeability to gas after water flooding is due to the water block effect, and much longer clean-up time and deep water imbibition depth greatly impede the gas transport from the shale matrix to the created fractures. Therefore, it is necessary to substitute water-based fracturing fluids with liquid or super
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Nutrient Reduction in Agricultural Green Infrastructure: An Analysis of the Raccoon River Watershed
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James F. Canning
2018-06-01
Full Text Available Agricultural intensification has had the undesirable effect of degrading water quality throughout the United States. Nitrate pollution presents a difficult problem for rural and urban communities, and it contributes to the immense Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Zone. Current U.S. policy prohibits regulation of agricultural runoff because it is a nonpoint source. The Raccoon River Watershed upstream of Des Moines, Iowa, USA has some of the highest nitrate levels in the nation, and the drinking water utility in Des Moines unsuccessfully pursued litigation against drainage districts in the watershed. We propose a cooperative solution between urban residents and upstream rural residents—namely, the installation of agricultural green infrastructure in the form of riparian buffers throughout the watershed enabled by the principles of water quality trading. We compare this distributed, green approach with a centralized, gray approach (i.e., building a new nitrate removal facility at the drinking water utility. Using terrain analysis, we determined that first-order streams are the most fitting location for riparian buffers. We estimate the buffer installation to cost between $155–$185 million; maintenance of the current nitrate removal facility will cost $72 million, while a new facility could cost up to $184 million. Riparian buffer installation offers more indirect, non-quantified benefits than maintaining or building new centralized, gray treatment (e.g., living-wage jobs and in-stream water quality improvement. Our analysis could act as a model for water quality trading and distributed agricultural green infrastructure in other communities facing similar water quality challenges.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Noad, J
1912-09-23
A process is described for the treatment of shale and other bituminous substances containing sulfur and recovering desulfurized distillates. The process consists of first grinding the shale and mixing the granules obtained with a convenient liquid. The shale granules coated or covered with liquid and mixed with slacked lime are fed into a retort with a series of steps or their equivalent, made to descend, step by step, in such manner that they are continually agitated and heated. The volatile constituents escape through the coating or sheath of lime and are carried away at the upper part of the retort to a convenient condensing apparatus, the sulfur being retained by the sheath of lime and is discharged at the bottom of the retort with the spent shale and other impurities.
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Shale Gas Technology. White Paper
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2011-09-15
Shale gas is extracted using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking'. None of which are particularly new technologies or shale gas specific. In this white paper attention is paid to Horizontal drilling; Hydraulic fracturing or 'frackin'; Other 'unconventionals'; and Costs.
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Recovering valuable shale oils, etc
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Engler, C
1922-09-26
A process is described for the recovery of valuable shale oils or tars, characterized in that the oil shale is heated to about 300/sup 0/C or a temperature not exceeding this essentially and then is treated with a solvent with utilization of this heat.
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Preparing hydraulic cement from oil-shale slag
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1921-11-19
A process for the preparation of hydraulic cementing material from oil shale or oil-shale slag according to Patent 411,584 is characterized by the fact that the oil-shale slag is added to burnt marl, blast-furnace slag, and the like, whereupon the mixture is milled to dust in the known way.
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Thermally-driven Coupled THM Processes in Shales
Rutqvist, J.
2017-12-01
Temperature changes can trigger strongly coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical (THM) processes in shales that are important to a number of subsurface energy applications, including geologic nuclear waste disposal and hydrocarbon extraction. These coupled processes include (1) direct pore-volume couplings, by thermal expansion of trapped pore-fluid that triggers instantaneous two-way couplings between pore fluid pressure and mechanical deformation, and (2) indirect couplings in terms of property changes, such as changes in mechanical stiffness, strength, and permeability. Direct pore-volume couplings have been studied in situ during borehole heating experiments in shale (or clay stone) formations at Mont Terri and Bure underground research laboratories in Switzerland and France. Typically, the temperature changes are accompanied with a rapid increase in pore pressure followed by a slower decrease towards initial (pre-heating) pore pressure. Coupled THM modeling of these heater tests shows that the pore pressure increases because the thermal expansion coefficient of the fluid is much higher than that of the porous clay stone. Such thermal pressurization induces fluid flow away from the pressurized area towards areas of lower pressure. The rate of pressure increase and magnitude of peak pressure depends on the rate of heating, pore-compressibility, and permeability of the shale. Modeling as well as laboratory experiments have shown that if the pore pressure increase is sufficiently large it could lead to fracturing of the shale or shear slip along pre-existing bedding planes. Another set of data and observations have been collected associated with studies related to concentrated heating and cooling of oil-shales and shale-gas formations. Heating may be used to enhance production from tight oil-shale, whereas thermal stimulation has been attempted for enhanced shale-gas extraction. Laboratory experiments on shale have shown that strength and elastic deformation
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
O' Shea, Kerry [Dillon Consulting Limited (Canada)
2010-07-01
In recent years, due to the depletion of traditional fossil fuel resources and the rising price of energy, production from unconventional gas activities has increased. Large shale gas plays are available in Quebec but environmental concerns, mainly in terms of water resources, have been raised. The aim of this paper is to provide information on the impact of shale gas exploitation on water resources. It is shown herein that shale gas water use is not significant, the water use of 250 wells represents only 0.3% of the Quebec pulp and paper industry's water use, or 0.0004% of the flow of the St Lawrence. It is also shown that the environmental risk associated with fracking and drilling activities is low. This paper demonstrated that as long as industry practices conform to a well-designed regulatory framework, shale gas development in Quebec will have a low impact on water resources and the environment.
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Nitrogen fixation by legumes in retorted shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hersman, L E; Molitoris, E; Klein, D A
1981-01-01
Although a soil-shale mixture was employed as the growth medium in this experiment, the results presentd are applicable to the proposed method of disposal mentioned earlier. Under field conditions, when covering the retorted shale with topsoil, some mixing of these materials might occur in the plant root region. In addition, it has been demonstrated that buried shale negatively affects enzyme activities in overburden surface soil. The occurrence of either of those events could affect symbiotic N/sub 2/ fixation in a manner similar to that reported in this paper. Researchers conclude that due to the varied effects of retorted shale on the legumes tested, further evaluation of other legumes may be necessary. Additional research would be required to determine which legumes have potential use for reclamation of retorted shale.
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Johnson, Ronald C.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers, Heidi M.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.
2015-09-03
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered resources of 214 million barrels of oil, 329 billion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 14 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the informal Uteland Butte member of the Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah.
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Preparation of cement from oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1922-08-24
A process for preparing cement from oil shale is described. The simultaneous recovery of shale oil by heating the oil shale formed into briquets with finely ground lime or limestone in a stream of hot gases is characterized by the fact that live steam or fine drops of water as preserving and carbonization means is introduced into the furnace, at the place, where the temperature of the briquet reaches about 500 to 600/sup 0/ C.
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Senate hearings whet interest in oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Remirez, R
1967-06-05
Recent oil shale hearings by the U.S. Senate disclosed the proposed leasing rules for federal oil-shale lands. In addition, Oil Shale Corp. announced that the first commercial shale-oil processing plant would be on stream in 1970. Both these announcements are expected to create a stronger interest in what is possibly the greatest untapped natural wealth in the U.S. According to the leasing rules, development leases would involve the following phases: (1) the contractor would have a 10-yr limit to conduct a research and development program on the leased territory; and (2) upon completion of a successful research program, the Interior Department will make available to lease at least enough land to sustain commercial operation. The terms that applicants will have to meet are included in this report. At the Senate hearing, discussions ranged from opinions indicating that development of oil shale recovery was not immediately necessary to opinions urging rapid development. This report is concluded with a state-of-the-art review of some of the oil shale recovery processes.
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Can the US shale revolution be duplicated in Europe?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Saussay, Aurelien
2015-04-01
Over the past decade, the rapid increase in shale gas and shale oil production in the United States has profoundly changed energy markets in North America, and has led to a significant decrease in American natural gas prices. The possible existence of large shale deposits in Europe, mainly in France, Poland and the United Kingdom, has fostered speculation on whether the 'shale revolution', and its accompanying macro-economic impacts, could be duplicated in Europe. However, a number of uncertainties, notably geological, technological and regulatory, make this possibility unclear. We present a techno-economic model, SHERPA (Shale Exploitation and Recovery Projection and Analysis), to analyze the main determinants of the profitability of shale wells and plays. We calibrate our model using production data from the leading American shale plays. We use SHERPA to estimate three shale gas production scenarios exploring different sets of geological and technical hypotheses for the largest potential holder of shale gas deposits in Europe, France. Even considering that the geology of the potential French shale deposits is favorable to commercial extraction, we find that under assumptions calibrated on U.S. production data, natural gas could be produced at a high breakeven price of $8.6 per MMBtu, and over a 45 year time-frame have a net present value of $19.6 billion - less than 1% of 2012 French GDP. However, the specificities of the European context, notably high deposit depth and stricter environmental regulations, could increase drilling costs and further decrease this low profitability. We find that a 40% premium over American drilling costs would make shale gas extraction uneconomical. Absent extreme well productivity, it appears very difficult for shale gas extraction to have an impact on European energy markets comparable to the American shale revolution. (author)
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The influence of shale gas on steamcracking
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rupieper, A. [Linde Engineering Dresden GmbH, Dresden (Germany)
2013-11-01
US shale gas reserves with more than 860 TCF (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration study World Shale Gas Resources) account for 2 of the global largest reserves after China. In 7 areas of the US, these reserves are systematically explored, providing a significant amount of cheap natural gas source for decades. The ethane share, carried by such shale gas, can reach up to 16%. Ethane has been already in the past 2 most important feedstock for Steamcrackers, being the backbone of the Petrochemical Industry. Due to availability of vast shale gas, the US steamcracker industry is facing a shift from naphtha to shale gas ethane, as the margin of Ethylene produced from shale gas ethane is significantly larger than that of naphtha based Ethylene (app. + 630 USD/t Ethylene). As a consequence shale gas is ''the magic bullet'' incinerating investments into Steamcrackers and downstream plants for U.S petrochemical industry. Steamcracker Projects with an additional ethylene production capacity of more than 17 million tons/a by 2020 are announced or already under construction. Investments into downstream plants refining the C2 derivatives will follow or are already in planning/engineering phase. But the US market cannot absorb all related products, causing a significant export exposure, which will influence global trade flows for C2 derivatives and affect prices. This article presents the impact of shale gas ethane cracking on: - Trade flow of C2 derivatives; - By-product deficits; - Alternate C3+ derivative production routes; - Challenges related to engineering requirements and project execution for Steamcracker projects. (orig.)
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Shale gas - the story of a deception
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ambroise, Jacques
2013-01-01
This bibliographical sheet presents a book which aims at informing citizen about the irreversible consequences of shale gas exploitation on the environment, and about the economical and social aspects of an exploitation of this energy on a large scale. The author highlights the technical and environmental problems raised by hydraulic fracturing, outlines the complexity of the regulatory, legal and administrative framework, discusses the arguments which support shale gas exploitation, and outlines the importance of and energy transition without shale gas. The author notably outlines the conflicts of interest which pervert the debate on shale gas, notably within the French National Assembly
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Black shales and naftogenesis. A review
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yudovich, Yu.E.; Ketris, M.P.
1993-01-01
A genetic relation between petroleum plus hydrocarbon gases and bio organic authigenic matter has been well established. As black shales are enriched in organic matter they may serve as potential petroleum beds on the depths suitable for petroleum generation (2-5 km). The calculations made by petroleum geologists showed that hydrocarbon amounts generated by black shales made up to one fifth of the initial organic matter at the end of MK-2 stage of catagenesis. Consequently, black shales may serve as the main oil producers in many sedimentary basins. Petroleum generation in black shales has some peculiarities. Abundant masses of organic matter generate huge amounts of hydrocarbon gases which in turn produce anomalous high bed pressures followed by pulse cavitation effect. Bed pressures 1.5 times higher than normal lithostatic pressure have been detected in oil-bearing black shales of the Cis-Caucasus on the depth of 2.0-2.5 km, along with very high (6 degrees per 100 m) geothermal gradient. According to Stavropol oil geologists, there occurs an effect of rock-by-fluid-destruction after fluid pressure has greatly exceeded the lithostatic pressure. Stress tensions discharge by impulses and cracks may appear with a rate of 0.3-0.7 of the sound speed. Cavitation of gaseous bubbles is produced by sharp crack extension. Such cavitation accounts for impact waves and increased local pressure and temperature. Such an increase, in turn, fastens petroleum generation and new rock cracking. The effect of over-pressed rocks associated with black shales may serve as a process indicator. That is why the geophysical methods detect enhanced specific gravity and decreased porosity zones in such black shales. Cracks and petroleum accumulation occur on the flanks of such zones of rock-by-fluid-destruction. Some black shales may be petroleum-productive due to enhanced uranium content. There exist ideas about uranium-derived heat or radiolytic effects on the petroleum generation. Such
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Different Methods of Predicting Permeability in Shale
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mbia, Ernest Ncha; Fabricius, Ida Lykke; Krogsbøll, Anette
by two to five orders of magnitudes at lower vertical effective stress below 40 MPa as the content of clay minerals increases causing heterogeneity in shale material. Indirect permeability from consolidation can give maximum and minimum values of shale permeability needed in simulating fluid flow......Permeability is often very difficult to measure or predict in shale lithology. In this work we are determining shale permeability from consolidation tests data using Wissa et al., (1971) approach and comparing the results with predicted permeability from Kozeny’s model. Core and cuttings materials...... effective stress to 9 μD at high vertical effective stress of 100 MPa. The indirect permeability calculated from consolidation tests falls in the same magnitude at higher vertical effective stress, above 40 MPa, as that of the Kozeny model for shale samples with high non-clay content ≥ 70% but are higher...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Palmer, M.R.; Edmond, J.M.
1993-01-01
The concentration of dissolved uranium has been determined in over 250 river waters from the Orinoco, Amazon, and Ganges basins. Uranium concentrations are largely determined by dissolution of limestones, although weathering of black shales represents an important additional source in some basins. In shield terrains the level of dissolved U is transport limited. Data from the Amazon indicate that floodplains do not represent a significant source of U in river waters. In addition, the authors have determined dissolved U levels in forty rivers from around the world and coupled these data with previous measurements to obtain an estimate for the global flux of dissolved U to the oceans. The average concentration of U in river waters is 1.3 nmol/kg, but this value is biased by very high levels observed in the Ganges-Brahmaputra and Yellow rivers. When these river systems are excluded from the budget, the global average falls to 0.78 nmol/kg. The global riverine U flux lies in the range of 3-6 x 10 7 mol/yr. The major uncertainty that restricts the accuracy of this estimate (and that of all other dissolved riverine fluxes) is the difficulty in obtaining representative samples from rivers which show large seasonal and annual variations in runoff and dissolved load
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Roche, P.
2006-07-01
Although Shell has been trying to develop technologies to economically extract oil from shale containing kerogen for the last 25 years, the volume of oil Shell produced from its Mahogany Research Project in Colorado has added up to less than 2500 bbls in total, and the company has recently devoted $400 million to purchase leases on carbonate reservoirs in Alberta. This article examined whether or not the technologies developed by Shell for oil shales could be used to profitably extract bitumen from carbonates. Extracting bitumen from carbonates may be easier than producing oil from shale, as the resource in carbonates is already oil, whereas the oil in oil shale is actually kerogen, which needs to be chemically cracked at extremely high temperatures. Although the technical feasibility of an in situ cracking process has been proven, work remains to be done before Shell can invest in a commercial-scale oil shale project. Challenges to oil shale production include preventing groundwater from entering target zones and keeping produced fluids out of the groundwater. However, a freeze wall test has recently been designed where chilled liquid is circulated through a closed-loop pipe system to freeze formation water, sealing off an area about the size of a football field from the surrounding strata. The energy requirements of the process that Shell is testing to produce shale oil in Colorado remain unprofitably high, as higher temperatures are necessary for thermal cracking. Shell has yet to make a decision as to what energy sources it will use to make the production process economically viable. An energy conservation group in Colorado has claimed that production of 100,000 bbls of shale oil would require the largest power plant in Colorado history. 2 figs.
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Comparative acute toxicity of shale and petroleum derived distillates.
Clark, C R; Ferguson, P W; Katchen, M A; Dennis, M W; Craig, D K
1989-12-01
In anticipation of the commercialization of its shale oil retorting and upgrading process, Unocal Corp. conducted a testing program aimed at better defining potential health impacts of a shale industry. Acute toxicity studies using rats and rabbits compared the effects of naphtha, Jet-A, JP-4, diesel and "residual" distillate fractions of both petroleum derived crude oils and hydrotreated shale oil. No differences in the acute oral (greater than 5 g/kg LD50) and dermal (greater than 2 g/kg LD50) toxicities were noted between the shale and petroleum derived distillates and none of the samples were more than mildly irritating to the eyes. Shale and petroleum products caused similar degrees of mild to moderate skin irritation. None of the materials produced sensitization reactions. The LC50 after acute inhalation exposure to Jet-A, shale naphtha, (greater than 5 mg/L) and JP-4 distillate fractions of petroleum and shale oils was greater than 5 mg/L. The LC50 of petroleum naphtha (greater than 4.8 mg/L) and raw shale oil (greater than 3.95 mg/L) also indicated low toxicity. Results demonstrate that shale oil products are of low acute toxicity, mild to moderately irritating and similar to their petroleum counterparts. The results further demonstrate that hydrotreatment reduces the irritancy of raw shale oil.
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Radioactive contamination of oil produced from nuclear-broken shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Arnold, W.D.; Crouse, D.J.
1970-01-01
The results of small-scale exposure and retorting tests indicate that oil recovered from shale that has been broken with nuclear explosives will be contaminated with tritium. When oil shale was heated in sealed flasks with tritiated water vapor or with tritiated hydrogen, both the shale and the oil subsequently retorted from the shale contained tritium. There was much less contamination of the shale or oil, however, when the shale was exposed to tritiated methane and ethane. Contamination of shale and oil with tritium, as the result, of exposure to tritiated water, increased as the exposure temperature, exposure pressure, and the tritium concentration in the water were increased. This contamination also increased as the exposure time was increased up to 25 days, but not significantly thereafter. More than 90% of the tritium was removed from contaminated shale by treating the shale with moist air at elevated temperatures. Only small amounts of the tritium were removed from crude oil by contacting it with solid drying agents or with water. When tritium-contaminated shale oil was distilled, the tritium contents of the recovered fractions were found to be approximately equal. After being heated with a sample of underground test-shot debris, liquid shale oil became contaminated with radioactive fission products. Most of the radioactivity of the oil was due to finely dispersed solids rather than to dissolved radionuclides. Filtration of the oil removed a major fraction of the radioactive material. When the contaminated oil was distilled, more than 99% of the radionuclides remained in the pot residue. (author)
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A review on technologies for oil shale surface retort
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pan, Y.; Zhang, X.; Liu, S.; Yang, S.A.; Ren, N.
2012-01-01
In recent years, with the shortage of oil resources and the continuous increase in oil prices, oil shale has seized much more attention. Oil shale is a kind of important unconventional oil and gas resources. Oil shale resources are plentiful according to the proven reserves in places. And shale oil is far richer than crude oil in the world. Technology processing can be divided into two categories: surface retorting and in-situ technology. The process and equipment of surface retorting are more mature, and are still up to now, the main way to produce shale oil from oil shale. According to the variations of the particle size, the surface retorting technologies of oil shale can be notified and classified into two categories such as lump shale process and particulate shale process. The lump shale processes introduced in this article include the Fushun retorting technology, the Kiviter technology and the Petrosix technology; the particulate processes include the Gloter technology, the LR technology, the Tosco-II technology, the ATP (Alberta Taciuk Process) technology and the Enefit-280 technology. After the thorough comparison of these technologies, we can notice that, this article aim is to show off that : the particulate process that is environmentally friendly, with its low cost and high economic returns characteristics, will be the major development trend; Combined technologies of surface retorting technology and other oil producing technology should be developed; the comprehensive utilization of oil shale should be considered during the development of surface retorting technology, meanwhile the process should be harmless to the environment. (author)
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Radioactive contamination of oil produced from nuclear-broken shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Arnold, W D; Crouse, D J
1970-05-15
The results of small-scale exposure and retorting tests indicate that oil recovered from shale that has been broken with nuclear explosives will be contaminated with tritium. When oil shale was heated in sealed flasks with tritiated water vapor or with tritiated hydrogen, both the shale and the oil subsequently retorted from the shale contained tritium. There was much less contamination of the shale or oil, however, when the shale was exposed to tritiated methane and ethane. Contamination of shale and oil with tritium, as the result, of exposure to tritiated water, increased as the exposure temperature, exposure pressure, and the tritium concentration in the water were increased. This contamination also increased as the exposure time was increased up to 25 days, but not significantly thereafter. More than 90% of the tritium was removed from contaminated shale by treating the shale with moist air at elevated temperatures. Only small amounts of the tritium were removed from crude oil by contacting it with solid drying agents or with water. When tritium-contaminated shale oil was distilled, the tritium contents of the recovered fractions were found to be approximately equal. After being heated with a sample of underground test-shot debris, liquid shale oil became contaminated with radioactive fission products. Most of the radioactivity of the oil was due to finely dispersed solids rather than to dissolved radionuclides. Filtration of the oil removed a major fraction of the radioactive material. When the contaminated oil was distilled, more than 99% of the radionuclides remained in the pot residue. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Singh, S.K.; Dalai, Tarun K.; Krishnaswami, S.
2003-01-01
238 U and 232 Th concentrations and the extent of 238 U- 234 U- 230 Th radioactive equilibrium have been measured in a suite of Precambrian carbonates and black shales from the Lesser Himalaya. These measurements were made to determine their abundances in these deposits, their contributions to dissolved uranium budget of the headwaters of the Ganga and the Indus in the Himalaya and to assess the impact of weathering on 238 U- 234 U- 230 Th radioactive equilibrium in them. 238 U concentrations in Precambrian carbonates range from 0.06 to 2.07 μg g -1 . The 'mean' U/Ca in these carbonates is 2.9 ng U mg -1 Ca. This ratio, coupled with the assumption that all Ca in the Ganga-Indus headwaters is of carbonate origin and that U and Ca behave conservatively in rivers after their release from carbonates, provides an upper limit on the U contribution from these carbonates, to be a few percent of dissolved uranium in rivers. There are, however, a few streams with low uranium concentrations, for which the carbonate contribution could be much higher. These results suggest that Precambrian carbonates make only minor contributions to the uranium budget of the Ganga-Indus headwaters in the Himalaya on a basin wide scale, however, they could be important for particular streams. Similar estimates of silicate contribution to uranium budget of these rivers using U/Na in silicates and Na* (Na corrected for cyclic and halite contributions) in river waters show that silicates can contribute significantly (∼40% on average) to their U balance. If, however, much of the uranium in these silicates is associated with weathering resistant minerals, then the estimated silicate uranium component would be upper limits. Uranium concentration in black shales averages about 37 μg g -1 . Based on this concentration, supply of U from at least ∼50 mg of black shales per liter of river water is needed to balance the average river water U concentration, 1.7 μg L -1 in the Ganga-Indus headwaters
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Oil shale mines and their realizable production
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Habicht, K.
1994-01-01
The production of Estonian oil shale depends on its marketing opportunities. The realizable production is a function of the oil shale price, which in turn depends on production costs. The latter are dependent on which mines are producing oil shale and on the volume of production. The purpose of the present article is to analyze which mines should operate under various realizable production scenarios and what should be their annual output so that the total cost of oil shale production (including maintenance at idle mines) is minimized. This paper is also targeted at observing the change in the average production cost per ton of oil shale depending on the realizable output. The calculations are based on data for the first four months of 1993, as collected by N. Barabaner (Estonian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Economy). The data include the total production volume and production cost from the mines of RE 'Eesti Polevkivi' (State Enterprise 'Estonian Oil Shale'). They also project expenses from mine closings in case of conservation. The latter costs were allocated among mines in direct proportion to their respective number of employees. (author)
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Shale-oil-derived additives for fuel oils
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Raidma, E.; Leetsman, L.; Muoni, R.; Soone, Y.; Zhiryakov, Y.
2002-01-01
Studies have shown that the oxidation, wearing, and anticorrosive properties of shale oil as an additive to liquid fuels and oils enable to improve the conditions of their use. Studies conducted by Institute of Oil Shale have shown that it is possible, on the basis of shale oil produced by Viru Keemia Grupp AS (Viru Chemistry Group Ltd.) and, particularly, on the basis of its fractions 230-320 and 320-360 deg C to produce efficient and stable additives for liquid fuels to improve their combustion and storage properties. In the production of additives from shale oil the prerequisite taken into account is its complexity of composition and high concentration of neutral and phenolic oxygen compounds. Additives produced from shale oil have multifunctional properties which enable to improve operational data of liquid fuels and to increase the power of diesel engines and boilers. (author)
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Chemical examination of the organic matter in oil shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Robertson, J B
1914-01-01
The analyses of Broxburn (Scotland), Pumpherston (Scotland), Armadale (Scotland), Australian, and Knightsbridge oil shales were given. Also, the action of nitric acid and solvents on some of the oil shales was determined. Carbon-hydrogen ratios of the oil shales varied from 6 to more than 8, and the shales with the lowest ratio (most hydrogen per carbon) produced the largest amount of oil from a given amount of organic matter. There was little resinous material in the oil shales, and most of the organic matter was insoluble in organic solvents. Nitric acid oxidized Australian torbanite, Broxburn shale, New Battle cannel coal (Scotland), and Glenfullock peat to organic acids. The hydrogen content of the organic acids obtained by oxidizing the following materials increased from ordinary coal to cannel coal to peat to Broxburn shale to torbanite. The organic substance in oil shale is a decomposition product of vegetable matter similar to that found in peat and cannel coal, and it was produced by a definite combination of external conditions.
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Shale Gas in Europe: pragmatic perspectives and actions
Hübner, A.; Horsfield, B.; Kapp, I.
2012-10-01
Natural gas will continue to play a key role in the EU's energy mix in the coming years, with unconventional gas' role increasing in importance as new resources are exploited worldwide. As far as Europe's own shale gas resources are concerned, it is especially the public's perception and level of acceptance that will make or break shale gas in the near-term. Both the pros and cons need to be discussed based on factual argument rather than speculation. Research organizations such as ours (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) have an active and defining role to play in remedying this deficiency. As far as science and technology developments are concerned, the project "Gas Shales in Europe" (GASH) and the shale gas activities of "GeoEnergie" (GeoEn) are the first major initiatives in Europe focused on shale gas. Basic and applied geoscientific research is conducted to understand the fundamental nature and interdependencies of the processes leading to shale gas formation. When it comes to knowledge transfer, the perceived and real risks associated with shale gas exploitation need immediate evaluation in Europe using scientific analysis. To proactively target these issues, the GFZ and partners are launching the European sustainable Operating Practices (E-SOP) Initiative for Unconventional Resources. The web-based Shale Gas Information Platform (SHIP) brings these issues into the public domain.
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Shale Gas in Europe: pragmatic perspectives and actions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Horsfield B.
2012-10-01
Full Text Available Natural gas will continue to play a key role in the EU’s energy mix in the coming years, with unconventional gas’ role increasing in importance as new resources are exploited worldwide. As far as Europe’s own shale gas resources are concerned, it is especially the public’s perception and level of acceptance that will make or break shale gas in the near-term. Both the pros and cons need to be discussed based on factual argument rather than speculation. Research organizations such as ours (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences have an active and defining role to play in remedying this deficiency. As far as science and technology developments are concerned, the project “Gas Shales in Europe” (GASH and the shale gas activities of “GeoEnergie” (GeoEn are the first major initiatives in Europe focused on shale gas. Basic and applied geoscientific research is conducted to understand the fundamental nature and interdependencies of the processes leading to shale gas formation. When it comes to knowledge transfer, the perceived and real risks associated with shale gas exploitation need immediate evaluation in Europe using scientific analysis. To proactively target these issues, the GFZ and partners are launching the European sustainable Operating Practices (E-SOP Initiative for Unconventional Resources. The web-based Shale Gas Information Platform (SHIP brings these issues into the public domain.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Thomson, A C
1915-05-01
This invention has reference to shale retorts and particularly related to the discharge of the spent material from the bottom of retorts or gas producers for the destructive distillation of shale, coal or other bituminous substances. It consists in the combination of a blade and means for rocking the same, a bottom piece or table, holes or slots in the same, a passage in the front brick-work of the retort, and a hopper with discharge doors.
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Process for refining shale bitumen
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Plauson, H
1920-09-19
A process is disclosed for refining shale bitumen for use as heavy mineral oil, characterized by mixtures of blown hard shale pitch and heavy mineral oil being blown with hot air at temperatures of 120 to 150/sup 0/ with 1 to 3 percent sulfur, and if necessary with 0.5 to 3 percent of an aldehyde.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gee, H T.P.
1922-02-23
In distilling shale or like bituminous fuels by internal heating with hot gas obtained by the gasifying of the shale residues with air or steam or a mixture of these, the amount and temperature of the gaseous distilling medium is regulated between the gasifying and the distilling chambers, by the introduction of cold gas or air.
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Ma, L.; Jin, L.; Dere, A. L.; White, T.; Mathur, R.; Brantley, S. L.
2012-12-01
Shale weathering is an important process in global elemental cycles. Accompanied by the transformation of bedrock into regolith, many elements including rare earth elements (REE) are mobilized primarily by chemical weathering in the Critical Zone. Then, REE are subsequently transported from the vadose zone to streams, with eventual deposition in the oceans. REE have been identified as crucial and strategic natural resources; and discovery of new REE deposits will be facilitated by understanding global REE cycles. At present, the mechanisms and environmental factors controlling release, transport, and deposition of REE - the sources and sinks - at Earth's surface remain unclear. Here, we present a systematic study of soils, stream sediments, stream waters, soil water and bedrock in six small watersheds that are developed on shale bedrock in the eastern USA to constrain the mobility and fractionation of REE during early stages of chemical weathering. The selected watersheds are part of the shale transect established by the Susquehanna Shale Hills Observatory (SSHO) and are well suited to investigate weathering on shales of different compositions or within different climate regimes but on the same shale unit. Our REE study from SSHO, a small gray shale watershed in central Pennsylvania, shows that up to 65% of the REE (relative to parent bedrock) is depleted in the acidic and organic-rich soils due to chemical leaching. Both weathering soil profiles and natural waters show a preferential removal of middle REE (MREE: Sm to Dy) relative to light REE (La to Nd) and heavy REE (Ho to Lu) during shale weathering, due to preferential release of MREE from a phosphate phase (rhabdophane). Strong positive Ce anomalies observed in the regolith and stream sediments point to the fractionation and preferential precipitation of Ce as compared to other REE, in the generally oxidizing conditions of the surface environments. One watershed developed on the Marcellus black shale in
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Maquoketa Shale Caprock Integrity Evaluation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Leetaru, Hannes
2014-09-30
The Knox Project objective is to evaluate the potential of formations within the Cambrian-Ordovician strata above the Mt. Simon Sandstone (St. Peter Sandstone and Potosi Dolomite) as potential targets for carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in the Illinois and Michigan Basins. The suitability of the St. Peter Sandstone and Potosi Dolomite to serve as reservoirs for CO2 sequestration is discussed in separate reports. In this report the data gathered from the Knox project, the Illinois Basin – Decatur Project (IBDP) and Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Sequestration project (IL-ICCS) are used to make some conclusions about the suitability of the Maquoketa shale as a confining layer for CO2 sequestration. These conclusions are then upscaled to basin-wide inferences based on regional knowledge. Data and interpretations (stratigraphic, petrophysical, fractures, geochemical, risk, seismic) applicable to the Maquoketa Shale from the above mentioned projects was inventoried and summarized. Based on the analysis of these data and interpretations, the Maquoketa Shale is considered to be an effective caprock for a CO2 injection project in either the Potosi Dolomite or St. Peter Sandstone because it has a suitable thickness (~200ft. ~61m), advantageous petrophysical properties (low effective porosity and low permeability), favorable geomechanical properties, an absence of observable fractures and is regionally extensive. Because it is unlikely that CO2 would migrate upward through the Maquoketa Shale, CO2, impact to above lying fresh water aquifers is unlikely. Furthermore, the observations indicate that CO2 injected into the St. Peter Sandstone or Potosi Dolomite may never even migrate up into the Maquoketa Shale at a high enough concentrations or pressure to threaten the integrity of the caprock. Site specific conclusions were reached by unifying the data and conclusions from the IBDP, ICCS and the Knox projects. In the Illinois Basin, as one looks further away from
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Intelligent fracture creation for shale gas development
Douglas, Craig C.
2011-05-14
Shale gas represents a major fraction of the proven reserves of natural gas in the United States and a collection of other countries. Higher gas prices and the need for cleaner fuels provides motivation for commercializing shale gas deposits even though the cost is substantially higher than traditional gas deposits. Recent advances in horizontal drilling and multistage hydraulic fracturing, which dramatically lower costs of developing shale gas fields, are key to renewed interest in shale gas deposits. Hydraulically induced fractures are quite complex in shale gas reservoirs. Massive, multistage, multiple cluster treatments lead to fractures that interact with existing fractures (whether natural or induced earlier). A dynamic approach to the fracturing process so that the resulting network of reservoirs is known during the drilling and fracturing process is economically enticing. The process needs to be automatic and done in faster than real-time in order to be useful to the drilling crews.
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Shale gas. Opportunities and challenges for European energy markets
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
De Joode, J.; Plomp, A.J.; Ozdemir, O. [ECN Policy Studies, Petten (Netherlands)
2013-02-15
The outline of the presentation shows the following elements: Introduction (Shale gas revolution in US and the situation in the EU); What could be the impact of potential shale gas developments on the European gas market?; How may shale gas developments affect the role of gas in the transition of the power sector?; and Key messages. The key messages are (1) Prospects for European shale gas widely differ from US case (different reserve potential, different competition, different market dynamics); (2) Shale gas is unlikely to be a game changer in Europe; and (3) Impact of shale gas on energy transition in the medium and long term crucially depends on gas vs. coal prices and the 'penalty' on CO2 emissions.
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2011-07-27
...: (1) Over most land, there will be warmer and fewer cold days and nights, and warmer and more frequent hot days and nights; (2) areas affected by drought will increase; and (3) the frequency of warm spells... oil shale cliffs of the Parachute Creek Member and the Lower Part of the Green River Formation at...
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Features of the first great shale gas field in China
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ruobing Liu
2016-04-01
Full Text Available On the 28th of November 2012, high shale gas flow was confirmed to be 203 × 103 m3 in Longmaxi Formation; this led to the discovery of the Fuling Shale Gas Field. On the 10th of July in 2014, the verified geological reserves of the first shale gas field in China were submitted to the National Reserves Committee. Practices of exploration and development proved that the reservoirs in the Fuling Shale Gas Field had quality shales deposited in the deep-shelf; the deep-shelf had stable distribution, great thickness with no interlayers. The shale gas field was characterized by high well production, high-pressure reservoirs, good gas elements, and satisfactory effects on testing production; it's from the mid-deep depth of the quality natural gas reservoirs that bore high pressure. Comprehensive studies on the regional sedimentary background, lithology, micropore structures, geophysical properties, gas sources, features of gas reservoirs, logging responding features, and producing features of gas wells showed the following: (1 The Longmaxi Formation in the Fuling Shale Gas Field belongs to deep-shelf environment where wells developed due to organic-rich shales. (2 Thermal evolution of shales in Longmaxi Formation was moderate, nanometer-level pores developed as well. (3 The shale gas sources came from kerogens the Longmaxi Formation itself. (4 The shale gas reservoirs of the Fuling Longmaxi Formation were similar to the typical geological features and producing rules in North America. The findings proved that the shale gas produced in the Longmaxi Formation in Fuling was the conventional in-situ detained, self-generated, and self-stored shale gas.
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EVALUATION OF SHALE GAS POTENTIAL IN KAZAKHSTAN
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lidiya Parkhomchik
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The article considers the primary evaluation of the shale gas resource potential in Kazakhstan, as well as defines the most problematic issues for the large-scale shale gas production over the state. The authors pay special attention to the national strategy of the Kazakhstani government in the sphere of the unconventional energy sources production, defining the possible technological and environmental problems for the shale gas extraction. The article also notes that implementation of the fracking technologies in the country could cause both positive and negative effects on the economy of Kazakhstan. Therefore, further steps in this direction should be based on the meaningful and comprehensive geological data regarding the shale gas potential.
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Senter, Craig A.; Conn, Kathleen E.; Black, Robert W.; Peterson, Norman; Vanderpool-Kimura, Ann M.; Foreman, James R.
2018-02-28
The Green-Duwamish River transports watershed-derived sediment to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site near Seattle, Washington. Understanding the amount of sediment transported by the river is essential to the bed sediment cleanup process. Turbidity, discharge, suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and particle-size data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from February 2013 to January 2017 at the Duwamish River, Washington, within the tidal influence at river kilometer 16.7 (USGS streamgage 12113390; Duwamish River at Golf Course at Tukwila, WA). This report quantifies the timing and magnitude of suspended-sediment transported in the Duwamish River. Regression models were developed between SSC and turbidity and SSC and discharge to estimate 15- minute SSC. Suspended-sediment loads were calculated from the computed SSC and time-series discharge data for every 15-minute interval during the study period. The 2014–16 average annual suspended-sediment load computed was 117,246 tons (106,364 metric tons), of which 73.5 percent or (86,191 tons; 78,191 metric tons) was fine particle (less than 0.0625 millimeter in diameter) suspended sediment. The seasonality of this site is apparent when you divide the year into "wet" (October 16– April 15) and "dry" (April 16–October 15) seasons. Most (97 percent) of the annual suspended sediment was transported during the wet season, when brief periods of intense precipitation from storms, large releases from the Howard Hanson Dam, or a combination of both were much more frequent.
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Geothermal alteration of clay minerals and shales: diagenesis
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Weaver, C.E.
1979-07-01
The objective of this report is to perform a critical review of the data on the mineral and chemical alterations that occur during diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism of shale and other clay-rich rocks - conditions similar to those expected from emplacement of heat-producing radioactive waste in a geologic repository. The conclusions drawn in this document are that the following type of alterations could occur: smectite alteration, ion mobilization, illitic shales, kaolinite reactions, chlorite reactions, organic reactions, paleotemperatures, low temperature shales, high temperature shales, and phase equilibrium changes.
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Geothermal alteration of clay minerals and shales: diagenesis
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weaver, C.E.
1979-07-01
The objective of this report is to perform a critical review of the data on the mineral and chemical alterations that occur during diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism of shale and other clay-rich rocks - conditions similar to those expected from emplacement of heat-producing radioactive waste in a geologic repository. The conclusions drawn in this document are that the following type of alterations could occur: smectite alteration, ion mobilization, illitic shales, kaolinite reactions, chlorite reactions, organic reactions, paleotemperatures, low temperature shales, high temperature shales, and phase equilibrium changes
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Williams, G.P.; Tomasko, D.; Cho, H.E.; Yin, S.C.L.
1995-05-01
Three methods for comparing sediment transport were applied to four proposed hydropower operational scenarios under study for Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River in Utah. These methods were effective discharge, equilibrium potential, and cumulative sediment load with flow exceedance plots. Sediment loads transported by the Green River in the Browns Park reach were calculated with the Engelund-Hansen equation for three historical water years and four hydropower operational scenarios. A model based on the Engelund-Hansen equation was developed using site-specific information and validated by comparing predictions for a moderate water year with measured historical values. The three methods were used to assess the impacts of hydropower operational scenarios on sediment resources. The cumulative sediment load method provided the most useful information for impact evaluation. Effective discharge was not a useful tool because of the limited number of discrete flows associated with synthetic hydrographs for the hydropower operational scenarios. The equilibrium potential method was relatively insensitive to the variations in operating conditions, rendering it comparatively ineffective for impact evaluation
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Volatile characteristic of trace elements during microwave pyrolysis of oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bai, Jing-ru; Wang, Qing; Kong, Ling-wen; Bai, Zhang [Northeast Dianli Univ., Jilin (China). Engineering Research Centre
2013-07-01
Oil shale is abundant in the world. Today, the industry of oil shale retorting for producing shale oil is developing owing to high price of oil in the world. In order to study migratory behavior of trace elements in oil shale at microwave pyrolysis, tests were performed in laboratory with oil shale of the Huadian deposit of China at different powers from 400 to 700 W. The trace elements As, Cd, Hg, Mo, Pb, Se, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn, Ba, Co, Mn present in oil shale and shale char were determined by the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). By comparing the content of trace elements in oil shale and shale char, distribution characteristics of trace elements at retorting were studied. The overall trends of volatile ratio of trace elements are ascending with higher microwave power and higher than the conventional pyrolysis. The differences in the volatile ratio indicate that the trace elements investigated are bound with the oil shale kerogen and its mineral matter in different manner. So Float-sink experiments (FSE) were performed on oil shale. Huadian oil shale has more included mineral. The volatilization of organic matter is not the main reason for the volatilization of trace elements in oil shale. The trace elements combined with the mineral elements may be also certain volatility.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Favari, Daniele; Picot, Andre; Durand, Marc
2013-01-01
This bibliographical sheet presents a book which addresses the issue of shale gas. A first part describes the origin of this gaseous hydrocarbon, the composition of shale gas and its extraction, the technique of hydraulic fracturing, and the environmental risks. A second part addresses the economic, ecologic and political issues. The authors outline that all signs are there to prove the alarming hazards of shale gas. One of the authors outlines the necessity of an energy transition, far from fossil and nuclear energy, in order to guarantee a high level of protection of human health and of the environment
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Analysis of oil shale and oil shale products for certain minor elements
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dickman, P.T.; Purdy, M.; Doerges, J.E.; Ryan, V.A.; Poulson, R.E.
1977-01-01
The University of Wyoming was contracted by the Department of Energy's Laramie Energy Research Center (LERC) to develop rapid, inexpensive, and simple methods of quantitative and qualitative elemental analysis for products used and generated in the simulated in-situ retorting of oil shale. Alpha particle spectrometry was used to determine the radioisotope content of the aqueous retort products. Alpha particles are mono-energetic and the spectrometry method employed had very low background levels (1 count per 2000 seconds). These factors allow for both the quantitative and qualitative analysis of natural radioisotopes at the 1 ppm level. Sample preparation does not require any chemical treatment. Energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used for the multi-element analysis of the retort products. The XRF, integrated with a mini-computer, allows rapid analysis of several elements in multiple samples. XRF samples require minimal amounts of preparation and analytical results are highly reproducible. This paper presents the methods developed and preliminary analytical results from oil shale by-products. Results from the analysis of oil shale rocks are not yet ready for presentation
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The City of Kansas City, Mo., Water Services Department is implementing a pilot project to measure and evaluate the performance of green infrastructure. Information obtained through this pilot project will be used to guide the design of green solutions throughout Kansas City und...
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Bruns, B.; Littke, R.; Gasparik, M.; van Wees, J.-D.; Nelskamp, S.
Sedimentary basins in NW-Germany and the Netherlands represent potential targets for shale gas exploration in Europe due to the presence of Cretaceous (Wealden) and Jurassic (Posidonia) marlstones/shales as well as various Carboniferous black shales. In order to assess the regional shale gas
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Ford, Grace L.; David R. Pyles,; Dechesne, Marieke
2016-01-01
A continuous window into the fluvial-lacustrine basin-fill succession of the Uinta Basin is exposed along a 48-mile (77-kilometer) transect up the modern Green River from Three Fords to Sand Wash in Desolation Canyon, Utah. In ascending order the stratigraphic units are: 1) Flagstaff Limestone, 2) lower Wasatch member of the Wasatch Formation, 3) middle Wasatch member of the Wasatch Formation, 4) upper Wasatch member of the Wasatch Formation, 5) Uteland Butte member of the lower Green River Formation, 6) lower Green River Formation, 7) Renegade Tongue of the lower Green River Formation, 8) middle Green River Formation, and 9) the Mahogany oil shale zone marking the boundary between the middle and upper Green River Formations. This article uses regional field mapping, geologic maps, photographs, and descriptions of the stratigraphic unit including: 1) bounding surfaces, 2) key upward stratigraphic characteristics within the unit, and 3) longitudinal changes along the river transect. This information is used to create a north-south cross section through the basin-fill succession and a detailed geologic map of Desolation Canyon. The cross section documents stratigraphic relationships previously unreported and contrasts with earlier interpretations in two ways: 1) abrupt upward shifts in the stratigraphy documented herein, contrast with the gradual interfingering relationships proposed by Ryder et al., (1976) and Fouch et al., (1994), 2) we document fluvial deposits of the lower and middle Wasatch to be distinct and more widespread than previously recognized. In addition, we document that the Uteland Butte member of the lower Green River Formation was deposited in a lacustrine environment in Desolation Canyon.
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) Geochemistry and Hydrocarbon Potential of Cretaceous Shales in the Chad Basin
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Alalade, B.; Ogunyemi, A. T.; Abimbola, A.F.; Olugbemiro, R. O.
2003-01-01
The Chad Basin is the largest intracratonic basin in Africa and is filled with more than 400m of Cretaceous to Recent sediments. Geochemical and petrographic studies of Cretaceous shales form the Bima, Gongola and Fika Formations were carried out to establish their hydrocarbon potential and thermal maturity. Ditch cuttings of the shales were collected from the Wa di and Karen's exploration wells located in the Nigerian sector of the Chad Basin.The geochemical analysis of the shales indicate that, except for Si02 and K20, all other oxides (Mg O, Fe2O3, AL2O3, CaO) are more abundant in the Fika shale than the Gongola shale. This suggests a more marine condition for the Fika shale compared to the Gongola shale. The Fika and Gongola shales were further classified into Iron shale and shale respectively. Organic carbon contents of the Bima, Gongola and exceed the minimum (0.5wt%) usually required for siliciclastic petroleum source rock. However, the soluble organic matter (SOM) and saturated hydrocarbon (SHC) contents of the shales, which ranges from 108pm to 743ppm and 23ppm to 100ppm respectively, are generally low and are therefore, organically lean. The organic matter of the shales is predominantly terrestrially derived, vitrinite rich, Type III kerogen and are therefore, gas prone. Thermal maturity assessed from SOM/TOC, SHC/TOC ratios and spore color index (SCI) indicate that the Fika shale is immature while the Gongola and Bima shales are within the oil window
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Quantifying porosity, compressibility and permeability in Shale
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mbia, Ernest Ncha; Fabricius, Ida Lykke; Frykman, Peter
strain data. We found that Kozeny's modelled permeability fall in the same order of magnitude with measured permeability for shale rich in kaolinite but overestimates permeability by two to three orders of magnitudes for shale with high content of smectite. The empirical Yang and Aplin model gives good...... permeability estimate comparable to the measured one for shale rich in smectite. This is probably because Yang and Aplin model was calibrated in London clay which is rich in smectite....
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Extraction of hydrocarbon products from shales and coals
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Reed, V Z
1918-05-17
A process is disclosed of extracting hydrocarbon oil matter from petroleum-bearing shales and coals which comprises subjecting a mass of such shale or coal, before distillation to the solvent action of material containing an acid, permitting the solvent material to pass through the mass of shale or coal, and recovering the combined solvent and extracted matter.
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Energy Return on Investment (EROI of Oil Shale
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Peter A. O’Connor
2011-11-01
Full Text Available The two methods of processing synthetic crude from organic marlstone in demonstration or small-scale commercial status in the U.S. are in situ extraction and surface retorting. The considerable uncertainty surrounding the technological characterization, resource characterization, and choice of the system boundary for oil shale operations indicate that oil shale is only a minor net energy producer if one includes internal energy (energy in the shale that is used during the process as an energy cost. The energy return on investment (EROI for either of these methods is roughly 1.5:1 for the final fuel product. The inclusions or omission of internal energy is a critical question. If only external energy (energy diverted from the economy to produce the fuel is considered, EROI appears to be much higher. In comparison, fuels produced from conventional petroleum show overall EROI of approximately 4.5:1. “At the wellhead” EROI is approximately 2:1 for shale oil (again, considering internal energy and 20:1 for petroleum. The low EROI for oil shale leads to a significant release of greenhouse gases. The large quantities of energy needed to process oil shale, combined with the thermochemistry of the retorting process, produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Oil shale unambiguously emits more greenhouse gases than conventional liquid fuels from crude oil feedstocks by a factor of 1.2 to 1.75. Much of the discussion regarding the EROI for oil shale should be regarded as preliminary or speculative due to the very small number of operating facilities that can be assessed.
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Updated methodology for nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of shales
Washburn, Kathryn E.; Birdwell, Justin E.
2013-08-01
Unconventional petroleum resources, particularly in shales, are expected to play an increasingly important role in the world's energy portfolio in the coming years. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), particularly at low-field, provides important information in the evaluation of shale resources. Most of the low-field NMR analyses performed on shale samples rely heavily on standard T1 and T2 measurements. We present a new approach using solid echoes in the measurement of T1 and T1-T2 correlations that addresses some of the challenges encountered when making NMR measurements on shale samples compared to conventional reservoir rocks. Combining these techniques with standard T1 and T2 measurements provides a more complete assessment of the hydrogen-bearing constituents (e.g., bitumen, kerogen, clay-bound water) in shale samples. These methods are applied to immature and pyrolyzed oil shale samples to examine the solid and highly viscous organic phases present during the petroleum generation process. The solid echo measurements produce additional signal in the oil shale samples compared to the standard methodologies, indicating the presence of components undergoing homonuclear dipolar coupling. The results presented here include the first low-field NMR measurements performed on kerogen as well as detailed NMR analysis of highly viscous thermally generated bitumen present in pyrolyzed oil shale.
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Chambers, Douglas B.; Kozar, Mark D.; Messinger, Terence; Mulder, Michon L.; Pelak, Adam J.; White , Jeremy S.
2015-01-01
The Marcellus Shale gas field underlies portions of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Development of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technology led to extensive development of gas from the Marcellus Shale beginning about 2007. The need to identify and monitor changes in water-quality conditions related to development of the Marcellus Shale gas field prompted the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water and Waste Management, to document water quality for comparison with water quality in samples collected at a future date. The identification of change in water-quality conditions over time is more difficult if baseline water-quality conditions have not been documented.
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Process for treating oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1920-08-22
A process for treating oil shale is characterized in that the shale is first finely ground, then heated in the presence of steam in a high-pressure retort at 1 to 50 atmospheres pressure at a temperature of 200/sup 0/ to 450/sup 0/C and then with large amounts of water with or without materials forming emulsions with water or with oil. Solution medium suitable for bitumen or paraffin is beaten up in a rapid hammer mill until all or most all of the oil or bitumen is emulsified. The emulsion is separated by filter-pressing and centrifuging from the solid shale residue and the oil or bitumen is again separated from the emulsion medium by heating, acidulating, standing, or centrifuging, and then in known ways is further separated, refined, and worked up.
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Shale gas development impacts on surface water quality in Pennsylvania
Olmstead, Sheila M.; Muehlenbachs, Lucija A.; Shih, Jhih-Shyang; Chu, Ziyan; Krupnick, Alan J.
2013-01-01
Concern has been raised in the scientific literature about the environmental implications of extracting natural gas from deep shale formations, and published studies suggest that shale gas development may affect local groundwater quality. The potential for surface water quality degradation has been discussed in prior work, although no empirical analysis of this issue has been published. The potential for large-scale surface water quality degradation has affected regulatory approaches to shale gas development in some US states, despite the dearth of evidence. This paper conducts a large-scale examination of the extent to which shale gas development activities affect surface water quality. Focusing on the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, we estimate the effect of shale gas wells and the release of treated shale gas waste by permitted treatment facilities on observed downstream concentrations of chloride (Cl−) and total suspended solids (TSS), controlling for other factors. Results suggest that (i) the treatment of shale gas waste by treatment plants in a watershed raises downstream Cl− concentrations but not TSS concentrations, and (ii) the presence of shale gas wells in a watershed raises downstream TSS concentrations but not Cl− concentrations. These results can inform future voluntary measures taken by shale gas operators and policy approaches taken by regulators to protect surface water quality as the scale of this economically important activity increases. PMID:23479604
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Shale as a radioactive waste repository: the importance of vermiculite
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Komarneni, S; Roy, D M; Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park; USA). Materials Research Labs.)
1979-01-01
Cesium sorption and fixation properties of thirty shale minerals and shales were investigated in search of a criterion for the suitability of shales for a radioactive waste repository. Shales and illites containing vermiculite fixed the largest proportion of total Cs sorbed (up to 91%) against displacement with 0.1 N KCl. For example, a slate sample fixed 33% of the total Cs sorbed while its weathered counterpart in which chlorite had altered to vermiculite fixed 89% of the total Cs sorbed. Since Cs is one of the most soluble and hazardous radioactive ions, its containment is of great importance in safe radioactive waste disposal. Presence of vermiculite in a shale body may therefore, serve as one criterion in the selection of a suitable shale for radioactive waste disposal if and when shales in geologically stable areas are selected for repositories.
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Method and arrangement of distillation of shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bergh, S V
1920-03-29
A method is given of distilling shale and other bituminous materials utilizing the heat from the combustion of the residue, possibly with additional heat from other fuels. It is characterized by the shale, which is arranged in layers, being first submitted to a process of distillation utilizing the heat mentioned, and at the same time recovering the products of distillation, and second the shale being burned without disturbing the layers to any appreciable extent. The patent has 16 more claims.
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Chemistry of the Estonian oil-shale kukersite
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kogerman, P N
1931-01-01
Estonian oil shale is one of the oldest and richest oil shales in the world. The deposits occur in the Middle-Ordovician strata having a total thickness of 2.2 meters. The ultimate composition of the kerogen varied within the following limits: carbon 76.5 to 76.7 percent, hydrogen 9.1 to 9.2 percent, nitrogen 0.2 to 0.4 percent, sulfur 1.6 to 2.2 percent, chlorine 0.5 to 0.7 percent, and oxygen (by difference) 11.2 to 12.2 percent. The composition of kukersite kerogen corresponds nearly to the empirical formula (C/sub 8/H/sub 11/O)n. One of the most significant differences between kukersite, coal, and lignite is the amount of alkali-soluble substances present. Kukersite has almost no humic acids. Samples of kukersite were brominated and chlorinated. The halogenated shales showed a solubility in absolute alcohol of 26 percent compared to only 0.31 percent for untreated shale. Enriched shale (4.5 percent ash) did not react with chlorine as much as did raw shale. Apparently the mineral matter acted catalytically during chlorination. The amount of soluble extract obtained by solvent treatment of kukersite ranged from 0.22 percent with chloroform to 2.20 percent with tetrachloroethane. Heat was the most effective agent for the depolymerization of kukersite kerogen. The percentage loss of weight due to drying in air was much less than in the presence of carbon dioxide. The results indicated that on drying in air, the powdered shale loses water and a volatile substance, probably the oxides of carbon, up to 80/sup 0/C. Carbon dioxide was also found to be present in the gases eliminated at the temperature of initial decomposition. Pulverized shale, heated for 6 hours at 220/sup 0/C, lost 2.6 percent of its weight; its solubility in carbon disulfide was 2.11 percent. Kukersite kerogen was formed from compounds that were resistent to bacteriological decomposition, such as waxes and resins, plus decomposition products of proteins, cellulose, and putrefaction products of
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Aleš Mlakar
2008-01-01
Full Text Available The article deals with the landscape and urbanistic layout of the Sava River space and North part of the Bežigrad stretch of Ljubljana. Focus is on methodological and content starting points for the layout preparation and development of urban green areas of the wider Sava River space, which as a connecting link and simultaneously independent spatial and functional entity represents the starting point for planning hydro-energetic and urban arrangements. The necessity of recognising and resolving real spatial planning issues, formulation of clear goals and concepts, confrontation of different spatial systems and interests, as well as the sensibility of devising alternative development scenarios are emphasised. One of the most important starting points of the proposed layout is comprehensive design of public open spaces and green areas. The urbanistic solution relies on a programmatically strong, distinct and structured Dunajska Street, which should transform into the public space of a modern urban artery, with a clear ending that simultaneously gradually adapts to the morphology akin to the surroundings and Sava River space. Because of its natural characteristics, preserved cultural landscape and good accessibility, this area has great potential for development of leisure activities. The proposed solution stems from the fact that the chain of hydro-electric plants shouldn't be seen as buildings with negative environmental effects, but also as development opportunities – the actual execution of a recreation area along the Sava River and a method for rehabilitating the degraded spaces. Comprehensive solutions along the river have been proposed as parts of the hydro-electric developments, with special attention focusing on active design of various riverbank types.
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Scale up risk of developing oil shale processing units
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oepik, I.
1991-01-01
The experiences in oil shale processing in three large countries, China, the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. have demonstrated, that the relative scale up risk of developing oil shale processing units is related to the scale up factor. On the background of large programmes for developing the oil shale industry branch, i.e. the $30 billion investments in colorado and Utah or 50 million t/year oil shale processing in Estonia and Leningrad Region planned in the late seventies, the absolute scope of the scale up risk of developing single retorting plants, seems to be justified. But under the conditions of low crude oil prices, when the large-scale development of oil shale processing industry is stopped, the absolute scope of the scale up risk is to be divided between a small number of units. Therefore, it is reasonable to build the new commercial oil shale processing plants with a minimum scale up risk. For example, in Estonia a new oil shale processing plant with gas combustion retorts projected to start in the early nineties will be equipped with four units of 1500 t/day enriched oil shale throughput each, designed with scale up factor M=1.5 and with a minimum scale up risk, only r=2.5-4.5%. The oil shale retorting unit for the PAMA plant in Israel [1] is planned to develop in three steps, also with minimum scale up risk: feasibility studies in Colorado with Israel's shale at Paraho 250 t/day retort and other tests, demonstration retort of 700 t/day and M=2.8 in Israel, and commercial retorts in the early nineties with the capacity of about 1000 t/day with M=1.4. The scale up risk of the PAMA project r=2-4% is approximately the same as that in Estonia. the knowledge of the scope of the scale up risk of developing oil shale processing retorts assists on the calculation of production costs in erecting new units. (author). 9 refs., 2 tabs
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Haris, A.; Nastria, N.; Soebandrio, D.; Riyanto, A.
2017-07-01
Geochemical and geophysical analyses of shale gas have been carried out in Brown Shale, Middle Pematang Formation, Central Sumatra Basin. The paper is aimed at delineating the sweet spot distribution of potential shale gas reservoir, which is based on Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Maturity level data, and combined with TOC modeling that refers to Passey and Regression Multi Linear method. We used 4 well data, side wall core and 3D pre-stack seismic data. Our analysis of geochemical properties is based on well log and core data and its distribution are constrained by a framework of 3D seismic data, which is transformed into acoustic impedance. Further, the sweet spot of organic-rich shale is delineated by mapping TOC, which is extracted from inverted acoustic impedance. Our experiment analysis shows that organic materials contained in the formation of Middle Pematang Brown Shale members have TOC range from 0.15 to 2.71 wt.%, which is classified in the quality of poor to very good. In addition, the maturity level of organic material is ranging from 373°C to 432°C, which is indicated by vitrinite reflectance (Ro) of 0.58. In term of kerogen type, this Brown shale formation is categorized as kerogen type of II I III, which has the potential to generate a mixture of gasIoil on the environment.
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Exploring support for shale gas extraction in the United Kingdom
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Andersson-Hudson, Jessica; Knight, William; Humphrey, Mathew; O’Hara, Sarah
2016-01-01
The development of shale gas in the United Kingdom (UK) using hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as ‘fracking’, remains in its infancy. Yet understanding public attitudes for this fledgling industry is important for future policy considerations, decision-making and for industry stakeholders. This study uses data collected from the University of Nottingham, UK nationwide online survey (n=3823) conducted in September 2014, to consider ten hypothesises about the UK public's attitudes towards shale gas. From the survey data we can see that 43.11% of respondents support shale gas extraction in the UK. Furthermore, our results show that women, class DE respondents, non-Conservative party supporters, and respondents who positively associate shale gas with water contamination or earthquakes are less likely to support the extraction of shale gas in the UK. We also discuss potential policy implications for the UK government arising from these findings. - Highlights: • September 2014 survey of British attitudes towards allowing shale gas extraction. • Over 75% or respondents correctly identify shale gas. • 43.11% of respondents support shale gas extraction in the UK.
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Suggestions on the development strategy of shale gas in China
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dazhong Dong
2016-12-01
Full Text Available From the aspects of shale gas resource condition, main exploration and development progress, important breakthrough in key technologies and equipment, this paper systematically summarized and analyzed current situation of shale gas development in China and pointed out five big challenges such as misunderstandings, lower implementation degree and higher economic uncertainty of shale gas resource, and still no breakthrough in exploration and development core technologies and equipment for shale gas buried depth more than 3500 m, higher cost and other non-technical factors that restrict the development pace. Aiming at the above challenges, we put forward five suggestions to promote the shale gas development in China: (1 Make strategies and set goals according to our national conditions and exploration and development stages. That is, make sure to realize shale gas annual production of 20 × 109 m3, and strives to reach 30 × 109 m3. (2 Attach importance to the research of accumulation and enrichment geological theory and exploration & development key engineering technologies for lower production and lower pressure marine shale gas reservoir, and at the same time orderly promote the construction of non-marine shale gas exploration & development demonstration areas. (3 The government should introduce further policies and set special innovation funds to support the companies to carry out research and development of related technologies and equipment, especially to strengthen the research and development of technology, equipment and process for shale gas bellow 3500 m in order to achieve breakthrough in deep shale gas. (4 Continue to promote the geological theory, innovation in technology and management, and strengthen cost control on drilling, fracturing and the whole process in order to realize efficient, economic and scale development of China's shale gas. (5 Reform the mining rights management system, establish information platform of shale
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Radiological survey of the inactive uranium-mill tailings at Green River, Utah
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Haywood, F.F.; Christian, D.J.; Ellis, B.S.; Hubbard, H.M. Jr.; Lorenzo, D.; Shinpaugh, W.H.
1980-03-01
The uranium-mill tailings at Green River, Utah, are relatively low in 226 Ra content and concentration (20 Ci and 140 pCi/g, respectively) because the mill was used to upgrade the uranium ore by separating the sand and slime fractions; most of the radium was transported along with the slimes to another mill site. Spread of tailings was observed in all directions, but near-background gamma exposure rates were reached at distances of 40 to 90 m from the edge of the pile. Water erosion of the tailings is evident and, since a significant fraction of the tailings pile lies in Brown's Wash, the potential exists for repetition of the loss of a large quantity of tailings such as occurred during a flood in 1959. In general, the level of surface contamination was low at this site, but some areas in the mill site, which were being used for nonuranium work, have gamma-ray exposure rates up to 143 μR/hr
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Life cycle environmental impacts of UK shale gas
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stamford, Laurence; Azapagic, Adisa
2014-01-01
Highlights: • First full life cycle assessment of shale gas used for electricity generation. • Comparison with coal, conventional and liquefied gas, nuclear, wind and solar PV. • Shale gas worse than coal for three impacts and better than renewables for four. • It has higher photochemical smog and terrestrial toxicity than the other options. • Shale gas a sound environmental option only if accompanied by stringent regulation. - Abstract: Exploitation of shale gas in the UK is at a very early stage, but with the latest estimates suggesting potential resources of 3.8 × 10 13 cubic metres – enough to supply the UK for next 470 years – it is viewed by many as an exciting economic prospect. However, its environmental impacts are currently unknown. This is the focus of this paper which estimates for the first time the life cycle impacts of UK shale gas, assuming its use for electricity generation. Shale gas is compared to fossil-fuel alternatives (conventional gas and coal) and low-carbon options (nuclear, offshore wind and solar photovoltaics). The results suggest that the impacts range widely, depending on the assumptions. For example, the global warming potential (GWP100) of electricity from shale gas ranges from 412 to 1102 g CO 2 -eq./kWh with a central estimate of 462 g. The central estimates suggest that shale gas is comparable or superior to conventional gas and low-carbon technologies for depletion of abiotic resources, eutrophication, and freshwater, marine and human toxicities. Conversely, it has a higher potential for creation of photochemical oxidants (smog) and terrestrial toxicity than any other option considered. For acidification, shale gas is a better option than coal power but an order of magnitude worse than the other options. The impact on ozone layer depletion is within the range found for conventional gas, but nuclear and wind power are better options still. The results of this research highlight the need for tight regulation and
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Shale gas: how to progress. Report July 2014
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Clamadieu, Jean-Pierre; Aubagnac, Louis-Paul; Dolle, Julie; Lahet, Jean-Francois; Goffe, Bruno; Le Bihan-Graf, Christine; Rosenblieh, Laure; Puyfaucher, Laetitia
2014-07-01
This report proposes a multidisciplinary contribution to the debate on shale gas. It first shows that shale gas is already a reality at the international level, that the American economy has improved its competitiveness with direct consequences for the European economy, and notices that some countries which have been reluctant until now, are now evolving. The second part describes the potential of shale gas in France as important but with still uncertain resources. The authors outline that a status-quo would be a threat for the French industry on the short term. Then, the report proposes answers to some questions raised by the exploitation of shale gas in France in terms of risks related to hydraulic fracturing, to water resources, to methane emissions, to organic volatile compounds present in drilling waters, or in terms of noise and visual pollutions. In its last part, the report discusses how to progress in the assessment of the role of shale gas in the French and European energy mix, in the knowledge of the French underground, in the development of shale gas at the service of competitiveness, and with an ensured progressive and controlled evolution
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Rich, Alisa; Grover, James P; Sattler, Melanie L
2014-01-01
Information regarding air emissions from shale gas extraction and production is critically important given production is occurring in highly urbanized areas across the United States. Objectives of this exploratory study were to collect ambient air samples in residential areas within 61 m (200 feet) of shale gas extraction/production and determine whether a "fingerprint" of chemicals can be associated with shale gas activity. Statistical analyses correlating fingerprint chemicals with methane, equipment, and processes of extraction/production were performed. Ambient air sampling in residential areas of shale gas extraction and production was conducted at six counties in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex from 2008 to 2010. The 39 locations tested were identified by clients that requested monitoring. Seven sites were sampled on 2 days (typically months later in another season), and two sites were sampled on 3 days, resulting in 50 sets of monitoring data. Twenty-four-hour passive samples were collected using summa canisters. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometer analysis was used to identify organic compounds present. Methane was present in concentrations above laboratory detection limits in 49 out of 50 sampling data sets. Most of the areas investigated had atmospheric methane concentrations considerably higher than reported urban background concentrations (1.8-2.0 ppm(v)). Other chemical constituents were found to be correlated with presence of methane. A principal components analysis (PCA) identified multivariate patterns of concentrations that potentially constitute signatures of emissions from different phases of operation at natural gas sites. The first factor identified through the PCA proved most informative. Extreme negative values were strongly and statistically associated with the presence of compressors at sample sites. The seven chemicals strongly associated with this factor (o-xylene, ethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, m- and p-xylene, 1
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Employment Creation of Shale Gas Investment in China
Wang, Xuecheng; Zhang, Baosheng; Wu, Meiling; Li, Xiang; Lin, Yuying
2018-01-01
An ambitious shale gas extraction plan has been proposed. The huge investment of shale gas may put an effect on the whole China’s economy, especially for employment. However, there is few study to date has quantified these effects. The aim of this paper is to quantify these effects especially employment creation and figures out whether shale gas investment in China is a good choice or not. Input-output analysis has been utilized in this study to estimate the employment creation in four different Chinese regions. Our findings show that shale gas investment will result in creating 660000, 370000, 140000 and 58000 equivalent jobs in Sichuan, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia and Guizhou, respectively. Considering the potential risks of environmental issues, we suggest that it may be a better strategy for the government, at least in the current situation, to slow down shale gas development investment.
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Effect of fluid–solid coupling on shale mechanics and seepage laws
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fuquan Song
2018-02-01
Full Text Available In this paper, the cores of outcropped black shale of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Fm in the Yibin area, Sichuan Basin, were taken as samples to investigate the effects of extraneous water on shale mechanics and seepage laws during the production of shale gas reservoirs. Firstly, the development of fractures in water saturated cores was observed by using a VHX-5000 optical superdepth microscope. Secondly, water, formation water and slick water, as well as the damage form and compression strength of water saturated/unsaturated cores were investigated by means of a uniaxial compression testing machine and a strain testing & analysis system. Finally, the effects of fluid–solid coupling on shale gas flowing performance in different water saturations were analyzed by using a DYQ-1 multi-function displacement device. Analysis on core components shows that the Longmaxi shale is a highly crushable reservoir with a high content of fragile minerals, so fracturing stimulation is suitable for it. Shale compression strength test reveals that the effects of deionized water, formation water and slick water on shale are different, so the compression strength of shale before being saturated is quite different from that after being saturated. Due to the existence of water, the compression strength of shale drops, so the shale can be fractured easily, more fractures are generated and thus its seepage capacity is improved. Experiments on shale gas seepage under different water saturations show that under the condition of fluid–solid coupling, the higher the water saturation is, the better the propagation and seepage capacity of micro-fractures in shale under the effect of pressure. To sum up, the existence of water is beneficial to fracturing stimulation of shale gas reservoirs and helps to achieve the goal of production improvement. Keywords: Shale gas, Core, Fluid–solid coupling, Water, Compression strength, Permeability, Seepage characteristic, Sichuan Basin
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Marcellus shale gas potential in the southern tier of New York
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Faraj, B. [Talisman Energy Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada); Duggan, J. [Hunt Oil Canada, Calgary, AB (Canada)
2008-07-01
Marcellus shale is a significant, underexplored, shale gas target in the Appalachian Basin. Gas-in-place estimates in the Marcellus shale range from 200 to 100 billion cubic feet (bcf). The Devonian shales have favorable attributes such as high total organic content (TOC), high gas content, favorable mineralogy and over-pressured. Land owned by Fortuna Energy in the northern Appalachian Basin may contain significant shale gas with unrisked gas-in-place in excess of 10 trillion cubic feet. Unlocking the true shale gas potential requires innovative drilling and completion techniques. This presentation discussed Marcellus shale gas potential in the southern tier and a test program being conducted by Fortuna to test the potential. Several photographs were shown, including Taughannock Falls, Finger Lakes and the Ithaca Shale, Sherburne Sandstone, and Geneseo Shale; two orthogonal fracture sets in the Upper Devonian Geneseo Shale; and two orthogonal fracture sets in the Upper Devonian Rocks, near Corning, New York. Figures that were presented included the supercontinent Pangaea in the early Triassic; undiscovered gas resources in the Appalachian Basin; stratigraphy; and total gas production in New York since 1998. Fortuna's work is ongoing in the northern Appalachian Basin. tabs., figs.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dupin, Ludovic
2017-01-01
This article comments the evolutions noticed during these past years as the USA started to exploit non conventional hydrocarbons (shale gas and oil), and thus reduced their supplies from the Middle East. In reaction, OPEC members provoked a massive oil price decrease. If shale oil exploitation in the USA has slowed down for a while, it starts again: the number of platforms and production are increasing. Moreover, the profitability threshold is strongly decreasing. Argentina and China are also developing this sector, and Great-Britain and South-Africa are about to start projects. The article outlines that, even though France decided not to exploit shale gas and oil, French industries are present on this market and technology. In an interview, a representative of the French sector of non conventional hydrocarbons comments these evolutions as well as the French decision and its possible evolutions
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Linard, Joshua [USDOE Office of Legacy Management, Washington, DC (United States); Price, Jeffrey [Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
2015-08-01
Groundwater samples were collected during the 2015 sampling event from point-of-compliance (POC) wells 0171, 0173, 0176, 0179, 0181, and 0813 to monitor the disposition of contaminants in the middle sandstone unit of the Cedar Mountain Formation. Groundwater samples also were collected from alluvium monitoring wells 0188, 0189, 0192, 0194, and 0707, and basal sandstone monitoring wells 0182, 0184, 0185, and 0588 as a best management practice. Surface locations 0846 and 0847 were sampled to monitor for degradation of water quality in the backwater area of Brown’s Wash and in the Green River immediately downstream of Brown’s Wash. The Green River location 0801 is upstream from the site and is sampled to determine background-threshold values (BTVs). Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and- analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Water levels were measured at each sampled well. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. All six POC wells are completed in the middle sandstone unit of the Cedar Mountain Formation and are monitored to measure contaminant concentrations for comparison to proposed alternate concentration limits (ACLs), as provided in Table 1. Contaminant concentrations in the POC wells remain below their respective ACLs.
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Method of recovering oil from alum shales. [heating by electric currents
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wennerstrom, K G
1918-06-04
A method of treating alum shale and other bituminous shales in order to extract oil et cetera, is characterized by bringing the shale to a temperature at which it melts, and at which the necessary amount of heat is transferred to the molten shale to be distilled. The patent claim is characterized by heating the shale by means of electric current. The patent has one additional claim.
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Gasification of oil shale by solar energy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ingel, Gil
1992-04-01
Gasification of oil shales followed by catalytic reforming can yield synthetic gas, which is easily transportable and may be used as a heat source or for producing liquid fuels. The aim of the present work was to study the gasification of oil shales by solar radiation, as a mean of combining these two energy resources. Such a combination results in maximizing the extractable fuel from the shale, as well as enabling us to store solar energy in a chemical bond. In this research special attention was focused upon the question of the possible enhancement of the gasification by direct solar irradiation of the solid carbonaceous feed stock. The oil shale served here as a model feedstock foe other resources such as coal, heavy fuels or biomass all of which can be gasified in the same manner. The experiments were performed at the Weizman institute's solar central receiver, using solar concentrated flux as an energy source for the gasification. The original contributions of this work are : 1) Experimental evidence is presented that concentrated sunlight can be used effectively to carry out highly endothermic chemical reactions in solid particles, which in turn forms an essential element in the open-loop solar chemical heat pipe; 2) The solar-driven gasification of oil shales can be executed with good conversion efficiencies, as well as high synthesis gas yields; 3)There was found substantial increase in deliverable energy compared to the conventional retorting of oil shales, and considerable reduction in the resulting spent shale. 5) A detailed computer model that incorporates all the principal optical and thermal components of the solar concentrator and the chemical reactor has been developed and compared favorably against experimental data. (author)
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Wet separation processes as method to separate limestone and oil shale
Nurme, Martin; Karu, Veiko
2015-04-01
Biggest oil shale industry is located in Estonia. Oil shale usage is mainly for electricity generation, shale oil generation and cement production. All these processes need certain quality oil shale. Oil shale seam have interlayer limestone layers. To use oil shale in production, it is needed to separate oil shale and limestone. A key challenge is find separation process when we can get the best quality for all product types. In oil shale separation typically has been used heavy media separation process. There are tested also different types of separation processes before: wet separation, pneumatic separation. Now oil shale industry moves more to oil production and this needs innovation methods for separation to ensure fuel quality and the changes in quality. The pilot unit test with Allmineral ALLJIG have pointed out that the suitable new innovation way for oil shale separation can be wet separation with gravity, where material by pulsating water forming layers of grains according to their density and subsequently separates the heavy material (limestone) from the stratified material (oil shale)bed. Main aim of this research is to find the suitable separation process for oil shale, that the products have highest quality. The expected results can be used also for developing separation processes for phosphorite rock or all others, where traditional separation processes doesn't work property. This research is part of the study Sustainable and environmentally acceptable Oil shale mining No. 3.2.0501.11-0025 http://mi.ttu.ee/etp and the project B36 Extraction and processing of rock with selective methods - http://mi.ttu.ee/separation; http://mi.ttu.ee/miningwaste/
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Shale gas - los yacimientos de hidrocarburos no convencionales: origen del Shale gas
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
José Francisco Longoria Treviño
2015-06-01
Full Text Available El shale gas tiene su origen en la acumulación de materia orgánica en cuencas marinas. En Norteamérica el gas de lutita (shale gas es una fuente emergente de gas natural de bajo costo. El gas natural es una fuente de energía abundante y relativamente limpia al quemarse. Se ha convertido en un combustible popular tanto para aplicaciones residenciales como industriales. De acuerdo con los datos recientes se estima que el suministro de gas natural derivado de yacimientos no convencionales (gas de lutita – shale gas durará más de 100 años. El gas natural ofrece un remplazo potencial para sustituir a los combustibles fósiles que producen gases de efecto invernadero y que en la actualidad se usan en la generación de energía, calefacción y transporte. Las emisiones de gas de efecto invernadero de la combustión de gas natural son aproximadamente 30% más limpias que aquellas que se derivan del aceite y 45% más limpias de las del carbón.
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Gao, H.; Yamazaki, D.; Finley, T.; Bohn, T. J.; Low, G.; Sabo, J. L.
2017-12-01
Water infrastructure lies at the heart of the challenges and opportunities of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). Green infrastructure (e.g., wetlands restoration) presents an alternative to its hard-path counterpart - gray infrastructure, which often has external, economic and unmeasured ecological costs. But the science framework to prioritize green infrastructure buildout is nascent. In this study, we addressed this gap in Brazos River basin in Texas, in the context of corporate decisions to secure water supplies for various water stewardship objectives. We developed a physically-based tool to quantify the potential for wetland restoration to restore desired flows (hydrology), and a financial framework for comparing its cost-benefit with heightening an existing dam (conservation finance). Our framework has three components. First, we harnessed a topographic index (HAND) to identify the potential wetlands sites. Second, we coupled a land surface model (VIC) with a hydrodynamic model (CaMa-Flood) to investigate the effects of wetland size, location, and vegetation on hydrology. Finally, we estimated the net present value, indirect rate of return and payback period for green (wetlands) vs. gray (reservoir expansion) infrastructure. We found wetlands have more substantial impact on peak flow than baseflow. Interestingly, wetlands can improve baseflow reliability but not directly except with the largest (>400 km2) projects. Peak flow reduction volumes of wetlands if used as credits towards reservoir flood-control storage provide adequate conservation storage to deliver guaranteed reliability of baseflow. Hence, the synergy of existing dams with newly created wetlands offers a promising natural solution to increase water supply resilience, while green projects also generate revenue compared to their gray counterparts. This study demonstrates the possibility of using innovative engineering design to synergize green and gray infrastructures to convert water
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Mathematical modelling of anisotropy of illite-rich shale
Chesnokov, E.M.; Tiwary, D.K.; Bayuk, I.O.; Sparkman, M.A.; Brown, R.L.
2009-01-01
The estimation of illite-rich shale anisotropy to account for the alignment of clays and gas- or brine-filled cracks is presented via mathematical modelling. Such estimation requires analysis to interpret the dominance of one effect over another. This knowledge can help to evaluate the permeability in the unconventional reservoir, stress orientation, and the seal capacity for the conventional reservoir. Effective media modelling is used to predict the elastic properties of the illite-rich shale and to identify the dominant contributions to the shale anisotropy. We consider two principal reasons of the shale anisotropy: orientation of clay platelets and orientation of fluid-filled cracks. In reality, both of these two factors affect the shale anisotropy. The goal of this study is, first, to separately analyse the effect of these two factors to reveal the specific features in P- and S-wave velocity behaviour typical of each of the factors, and, then, consider a combined effect of the factors when the cracks are horizontally or vertically aligned. To do this, we construct four models of shale. The behaviour of P- and S-wave velocities is analysed when gas- and water-filled cracks embedded in a host matrix are randomly oriented, or horizontally or vertically aligned. The host matrix can be either isotropic or anisotropic (of VTI symmetry). In such a modelling, we use published data on mineralogy and clay platelet alignment along with other micromechanical measurements. In the model, where the host matrix is isotropic, the presence of a singularity point (when the difference VS1 - VS2 changes its sign) in shear wave velocities is an indicator of brine-filled aligned cracks. In the model with the VTI host matrix and horizontally aligned cracks filled with gas, an increase in their volume concentration leads to that the azimuth at which the singularity is observed moves toward the symmetry axis. In this case, if the clay content is small (around 20 per cent), the
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cognasse, Olivier; Dupin, Ludovic; Chandes, Camille
2013-01-01
A first article illustrates the strong presence of French companies in the shale gas sector, from the exploitation to gas liquefaction. Some examples are evoked: Total (gas fields and petrochemical), CGG (seismic exploration), Vallourec (tube manufacturer), Nexans (cable manufacturer), Imery and Saint-Gobain (ceramic balls used to maintain cracks opened), Saltel (fracturing), SNF Floerger (extraction), GDF Suez (shale gas export). The interest of some foreign actors in the French shale gas is also evoked. A second article reports the activity of Total in Port Arthur, Texas, where it adapted a huge steam cracker to shale gas. This illustrates the renewal of the American petrochemical industry
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Total and the Algerian shale gas
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chapelle, Sophie; Petitjean, Olivier; Maurin, Wilfried; Balvet, Jacqueline; Combes, Maxime; Geze, Francois; Hamouchene, Hamza; Hidouci, Ghazi; Malti, Hocine; Renaud, Juliette; Simon, Antoine; Titouche, Fateh
2015-01-01
This publication proposes a rather detailed and discussed overview of the movement of mobilisation of Algerian people (notably those living in the Sahara) against projects of exploration and exploitation of shale gases in Algeria by the Total group. The authors also recall and comment the long and heavy history of hydrocarbon management in Algeria, the role of international firms and of western interests (notably French interests) in this country, and the position of Total regarding the stake related to shale gases. The authors outline problems created by shale gas exploitation regarding water consumption and waste waters. They also notice that the safety of wells is at the centre of the protest. Problems raised by hydraulic fracturing are reviewed: seismic activity, chemical pollution, air pollution and greenhouse gases, landscape destruction. The attitude of the Algerian government is commented. Then, the authors try to identify and describe the action of Total in the Algerian shale gas sector, discuss the possible French influence, and outline the presence of Total all over the world in this sector
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Oil shales of the Lothians. Part III. Chemistry of the oil shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Steuart, D R
1912-01-01
Tests were performed whereby fuller's earth and lycopodium spore dust were heated to retorting temperatures and the crude oil examined. Oil shale may be composed of the following: vegetable matter that has been macerated and preserved by combining with salts, spores, and other such material that has been protected from decay, and a proportion of animal matter. Generally, oil shale may be considered as a torbanite that contains a large proportion of inorganic matter, or it may be a torbanite that has deteriorated with age. This supposition is based on the fact that oil yield decreases and the yield of ammonia increases with age.
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Rapid gas development in the Fayetteville shale basin, Arkansas
Advances in drilling and extraction of natural gas have resulted in rapid expansion of wells in shale basins. The rate of gas well installation in the Fayetteville shale is 774 wells a year since 2005 with thousands more planned. The Fayetteville shale covers 23,000 km2 although ...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Budd, G.
2010-09-15
Apache Corporation fracing operations in British Columbia's Horn River Basin have involved 274 frac stimulations in 16 shale gas wells. The multi-stage horizontal well completions in the Horn River Basin are massive operations. The American Petroleum Institute has stated that hydraulic fracturing is so important that without it, the industry would lose 45 percent of domestic natural gas production and 17 percent of oil production within five years. The Marcellus fairway which covers parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland, covers about 10 times the area of the core Barnett shale play. Production from the Marcellus may reach 489 trillion cubic feet of natural gas over a 50-year period. However, the amount of hydraulic fracing required for Marcellus production has raised concerns about potential harm to underground aquifers. Green Century Capital Management and New York State Common Retirement Fund are among the investor groups that are asking for greater transparency about the business and environmental risks associated with fracturing. Schlumberger has developed OpenFRAC, a new group of fracturing fluid additives that are all water-based. In order to eliminate contamination risks to formations, aquifers and product handlers, Trican unveiled its EcoClean-GSW slickwater system, which includes non-toxic, biodegradable and non-bioaccumulating additives. Sanjel Corporation in Canada also plans to unveil a new friction reducer as an alternative to polyacrylamides. However, in the short term, there may be higher costs and lower efficiency with the new enviro-friendly fracing fluids and additives. Water issues must also be addressed. Since slickwater fracing uses a lot of water, most companies are looking at the recycling and re-use of water. The B.C. Oil and Gas Commission is seeking to establish some ground rules to avoid conflict. A new Oil and Gas Activities Act will expand the commission's power to manage water withdrawals and
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Shale Gas characteristics of Permian black shales (Ecca group, Eastern Cape, South Africa)
Geel, Claire; Booth, Peter; Schulz, Hans-Martin; Horsfield, Brian; de Wit, Maarten
2013-04-01
This study involves a comprehensive and detailed lithological, sedimentalogical, structural and geochemical description of the lower Ecca Group in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The Ecca group hosts a ~ 245 million year old organic-rich black shale, which has recently been the focus of interest of petroleum companies worldwide. The shale was deposited under anoxic conditions in a setting which formed as a consequence of retro-arc foreland basin development related to the Cape Fold Belt. This sedimentary/tectonic environment provided the conditions for deeply buried black shales to reach maturity levels for development in the gas window. The investigation site is called the Greystone Area and is situated north of Wolwefontein en route to Jansenville. The area has outcrops of the Dwyka, the Ecca and the lower Beaufort Groups. The outcrops were mapped extensively and the data was used in conjunction with GIS software to produce a detailed geological map. North-south cross sections were drawn to give indication of bed thicknesses and formation depths. Using the field work, data two boreholes were accurately sited on the northern limb of a shallow easterly plunging syncline. The first borehole reached 100m and the second was drilled to 292m depth (100m percussion and 192m core). The second borehole was drilled 200m south of the first, to penetrate the formations at a greater depth and to avoid surface weathering. Fresh core from the upper Dwyka Group, the Prince Albert Formation, the Whitehill Formation, Collingham Formation and part of the Ripon Formation were successfully extracted and a detailed stratigraphic log has been drawn up. The core was sampled during extraction and the samples were immediately sent to the GFZ in Potsdam, Germany, for geochemical analyses. As suspected the black shales of the the Whitehill Formation are high in organic carbon and have an average TOC value of 4.5%, whereas the Prince Albert and Collingham Formation are below 1%. Tmax values
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Economic appraisal of shale gas plays in Continental Europe
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weijermars, Ruud
2013-01-01
Highlights: ► Economic feasibility of five European shale gas plays is assessed. ► Polish and Austrian shale plays appear profitable for P90 assessment criterion. ► Posidonia (Germany), Alum (Sweden) and a Turkish shale play below the hurdle rate. ► A 10% improvement of the IRR by sweet spot targeting makes all plays profitable. - Abstract: This study evaluates the economic feasibility of five emergent shale gas plays on the European Continent. Each play is assessed using a uniform field development plan with 100 wells drilled at a rate of 10 wells/year in the first decade. The gas production from the realized wells is monitored over a 25 year life cycle. Discounted cash flow models are used to establish for each shale field the estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) that must be realized, using current technology cost, to achieve a profit. Our analyses of internal rates of return (IRR) and net present values (NPVs) indicate that the Polish and Austrian shale plays are the more robust, and appear profitable when the strict P90 assessment criterion is applied. In contrast, the Posidonia (Germany), Alum (Sweden) and a Turkish shale play assessed all have negative discounted cumulative cash flows for P90 wells, which puts these plays below the hurdle rate. The IRR for P90 wells is about 5% for all three plays, which suggests that a 10% improvement of the IRR by sweet spot targeting may lift these shale plays above the hurdle rate. Well productivity estimates will become better constrained over time as geological uncertainty is reduced and as technology improves during the progressive development of the shale gas fields
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Preliminary analysis of the study of a Nuclear Energy Center at Green River, Utah
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1979-03-01
The planning phase for the study of a conceptualized Regional Nuclear Energy Center (NEC) at Green River, Utah to serve a four state area is discussed and an outline of the proposed study is presented. It is assumed that the more technical issues of a NEC have already been studied in detail for generic sites and that this study will address the site specific impacts of a NEC at a representative site. The emphasis will be on the institutional, legal, political, sociological, economic and environmental impacts of a NEC. An assessment is made of the willingness and ability of related public and private entities to participate in the study. These include local, state and regional government agencies, colleges and universities, research organizations, private firms and consultants, and relevant federal agencies in Utah and the region.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cunningham-Craig, E H
1915-01-01
Kerogen was believed to be formed by the inspissation of petroleum. During this process nitrogen and sulfur compounds were concentrated in the most inspissated or weathered products. At a certain stage, reached gradually, the organic matter became insoluble in carbon-disulfide and ceased to be a bitumen. Oil shale was formed by the power of certain clays or shales to absorb inspissated petroleum, particularly unsaturated hydrocarbons. This adsorption apparently depended on the colloid content of the argillaceous rock. This rock retained these impregnated petroleum residues long after porous sandstones in the vicinity had lost all traces of petroleum by weathering and leaching.
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Liu, C.; Hoang, S. K.; Tran, M. H.; Abousleiman, Y. N.
2013-12-01
Imaging studies of unconventional shale reservoir rocks have recently revealed the multi-porosity multi-permeability nature of these intricate formations. In particular, the porosity spectrum of shale reservoir rocks often comprises of the nano-porosity in the organic matters, the inter-particle micro-porosity, and the macroscopic porosity of the natural fracture network. Shale is also well-known for its chemically active behaviors, especially shrinking and swelling when exposed to aqueous solutions, as the results of pore fluid exchange with external environment due to the difference in electro-chemical potentials. In this work, the effects of natural fractures and electrokinetic nature of shale on the formation responses during hydraulic fracturing are examined using the dual-poro-chemo-electro-elasticity approach which is a generalization of the classical Biot's poroelastic formulation. The analyses show that the presence of natural fractures can substantially increase the leak-off rate of fracturing fluid into the formation and create a larger region of high pore pressure near the fracture face as shown in Fig.1a. Due to the additional fluid invasion, the naturally fractured shale swells up more and the fracture aperture closes faster compared to an intrinsically low permeability non-fractured shale formation as shown in Fig.1b. Since naturally fractured zones are commonly targeted as pay zones, it is important to account for the faster fracture closing rate in fractured shales in hydraulic fracturing design. Our results also show that the presence of negative fixed charges on the surface of clay minerals creates an osmotic pressure at the interface of the shale and the external fluid as shown in Fig.1c. This additional Donnan-induced pore pressure can result in significant tensile effective stresses and tensile damage in the shale as shown in Fig.1d. The induced tensile damage can exacerbate the problem of proppant embedment resulting in more fracture closure
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Nanometer-Scale Pore Characteristics of Lacustrine Shale, Songliao Basin, NE China.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Min Wang
Full Text Available In shale, liquid hydrocarbons are accumulated mainly in nanometer-scale pores or fractures, so the pore types and PSDs (pore size distributions play a major role in the shale oil occurrence (free or absorbed state, amount of oil, and flow features. The pore types and PSDs of marine shale have been well studied; however, research on lacustrine shale is rare, especially for shale in the oil generation window, although lacustrine shale is deposited widely around the world. To investigate the relationship between nanometer-scale pores and oil occurrence in the lacustrine shale, 10 lacustrine shale core samples from Songliao Basin, NE China were analyzed. Analyses of these samples included geochemical measurements, SEM (scanning electron microscope observations, low pressure CO2 and N2 adsorption, and high-pressure mercury injection experiments. Analysis results indicate that: (1 Pore types in the lacustrine shale include inter-matrix pores, intergranular pores, organic matter pores, and dissolution pores, and these pores are dominated by mesopores and micropores; (2 There is no apparent correlation between pore volumes and clay content, however, a weak negative correlation is present between total pore volume and carbonate content; (3 Pores in lacustrine shale are well developed when the organic matter maturity (Ro is >1.0% and the pore volume is positively correlated with the TOC (total organic carbon content. The statistical results suggest that oil in lacustrine shale mainly occurs in pores with diameters larger than 40 nm. However, more research is needed to determine whether this minimum pore diameter for oil occurrence in lacustrine shale is widely applicable.
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Burning Poseidonian shale ash for production of cement
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1919-10-28
A process is described for the burning of shale coke obtained by the deoiling of Poseidonian or the usual kind of shale for the preparation of brick, mortar, or cement, characterized in that the shale coke is thrown on a pile and completely covered with burnt material, so that the gases drawn through this cover will be sufficiently choked to hold the feed at a high temperature as long as possible.
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Scoping of fusion-driven retorting of oil shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Galloway, T.R.
1979-11-01
In the time frame beyond 2005, fusion reactors are likely to make their first appearance when the oil shale industry will probably be operating with 20% of the production derived from surface retorts operating on deep mined shale from in situ retorts and 80% from shale retorted within these in situ retorts using relatively fine shale uniformly rubblized by expensive mining methods. A process was developed where fusion reactors supply a 600 0 C mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor to both surface and in situ retorts. The in situ production is accomplished by inert gas retorting, without oxygen, avoiding the burning of oil released from the larger shale particles produced in a simpler mining method. These fusion reactor-heated gases retort the oil from four 50x50x200m in-situ rubble beds at high rate of 40m/d and high yield (i.e., 95% F.A.), which provided high return on investment around 20% for the syncrude selling at $20/bbl, or 30% if sold as $30/bbl for heating oil. The bed of 600 0 C retorted shale, or char, left behind was then burned by the admission of ambient air in order to recover all of the possible energy from the shale resource. The hot combustion gases, mostly nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor are then heat-exchanged with fusion reactor blanket coolant flow to be sequentially introduced into the next rubble bed ready for retorting. The advantages of this fusion-driven retorting process concept are a cheaper mining method, high yield and higher production rate system, processing with shale grades down to 50 l/mg (12 gpt), improved resource recovery by complete char utilization and low energy losses by leaving behind a cold, spent bed
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Pore Structure and Fractal Characteristics of Niutitang Shale from China
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhaodong Xi
2018-04-01
Full Text Available A suite of shale samples from the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation in northwestern Hunan Province, China, were investigated to better understand the pore structure and fractal characteristics of marine shale. Organic geochemistry, mineralogy by X-ray diffraction, porosity, permeability, mercury intrusion and nitrogen adsorption and methane adsorption experiments were conducted for each sample. Fractal dimension D was obtained from the nitrogen adsorption data using the fractal Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH model. The relationships between total organic carbon (TOC content, mineral compositions, pore structure parameters and fractal dimension are discussed, along with the contributions of fractal dimension to shale gas reservoir evaluation. Analysis of the results showed that Niutitang shale samples featured high TOC content (2.51% on average, high thermal maturity (3.0% on average, low permeability and complex pore structures, which are highly fractal. TOC content and mineral compositions are two major factors affecting pore structure but they have different impacts on the fractal dimension. Shale samples with higher TOC content had a larger specific surface area (SSA, pore volume (PV and fractal dimension, which enhanced the heterogeneity of the pore structure. Quartz content had a relatively weak influence on shale pore structure, whereas SSA, PV and fractal dimension decreased with increasing clay mineral content. Shale with a higher clay content weakened pore structure heterogeneity. The permeability and Langmuir volume of methane adsorption were affected by fractal dimension. Shale samples with higher fractal dimension had higher adsorption capacity but lower permeability, which is favorable for shale gas adsorption but adverse to shale gas seepage and diffusion.
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Intelligent fracture creation for shale gas development
Douglas, Craig C.; Qin, Guan; Collier, Nathan; Gong, Bin
2011-01-01
Shale gas represents a major fraction of the proven reserves of natural gas in the United States and a collection of other countries. Higher gas prices and the need for cleaner fuels provides motivation for commercializing shale gas deposits even
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
LaGory, K.E.; Van Lonkhuyzen, R.A.
1995-06-01
Four hydropower operational scenarios at Flaming Gorge Dam were evaluated to determine their potential effects on riparian vegetation along the Green River in Utah and Colorado. Data collected in June 1992 indicated that elevation above the river had the largest influence on plant distribution. A lower riparian zone occupied the area between the approximate elevations of 800 and 4,200-cfs flows--the area within the range of hydropower operational releases. The lower zone was dominated by wetland plants such as cattail, common spikerush, coyote willow, juncus, and carex. An upper riparian zone was above the elevation of historical maximum power plant releases from the dam (4,200 cfs), and it generally supported plants adapted to mesic, nonwetland conditions. Common species in the upper zone included box elder, rabbitbrush, grasses, golden aster, and scouring rush. Multispectral aerial videography of the Green River was collected in May and June 1992 to determine the relationship between flow and the areas of water and the riparian zone. From these relationships, it was estimated that the upper zone would decrease in extent by about 5% with year-round high fluctuation, seasonally adjusted high fluctuation, and seasonally adjusted moderate fluctuation, but it would increase by about 8% under seasonally adjusted steady flow. The lower zone would increase by about 13% for both year-round and seasonally adjusted high fluctuation scenarios but would decrease by about 40% and 74% for seasonally adjusted moderate fluctuation and steady flows, respectively. These changes are considered to be relatively minor and would leave pre-dam riparian vegetation unaffected. Occasional high releases above power plant capacity would be needed for long-term maintenance of this relict vegetation
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Prospect of shale gas recovery enhancement by oxidation-induced rock burst
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lijun You
2017-11-01
Full Text Available By horizontal well multi-staged fracturing technology, shale rocks can be broken to form fracture networks via hydraulic force and increase the production rate of shale gas wells. Nonetheless, the fracturing stimulation effect may be offset by the water phase trapping damage caused by water retention. In this paper, a technique in transferring the negative factor of fracturing fluid retention into a positive factor of changing the gas existence state and facilitating shale cracking was discussed using the easy oxidation characteristics of organic matter, pyrite and other minerals in shale rocks. Furthermore, the prospect of this technique in tackling the challenges of large retention volume of hydraulic fracturing fluid in shale gas reservoirs, high reservoir damage risks, sharp production decline rate of gas wells and low gas recovery, was analyzed. The organic matter and pyrite in shale rocks can produce a large number of dissolved pores and seams to improve the gas deliverability of the matrix pore throats to the fracture systems. Meanwhile, in the oxidation process, released heat and increased pore pressure will make shale rock burst, inducing expansion and extension of shale micro-fractures, increasing the drainage area and shortening the gas flowing path in matrix, and ultimately, removing reservoir damage and improving gas recovery. To sum up, the technique discussed in the paper can be used to “break” shale rocks via hydraulic force and to “burst” shale rocks via chemical oxidation by adding oxidizing fluid to the hydraulic fracturing fluid. It can thus be concluded that this method can be a favorable supplementation for the conventional hydraulic fracturing of shale gas reservoirs. It has a broad application future in terms of reducing costs and increasing profits, maintaining plateau shale gas production and improving shale gas recovery.
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Stabilization of gasoline from shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Benedetti, L
1929-03-14
A process is described of stabilizing gasoline from shale, consisting in treating by agitating the gasoline freshly distilled from shale oil with 1.5 percent of its weight of sulfuric acid diluted to more than 10 times its volume, after which separating the pyridine, then treating by agitating with sulfuric acid which treatment separates the unsaturated hydrocarbons and finally treating by agitating with 1.5 percent of its weight of saturated caustic soda solution and washing with water.
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Plan for addressing issues relating to oil shale plant siting
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Noridin, J. S.; Donovan, R.; Trudell, L.; Dean, J.; Blevins, A.; Harrington, L. W.; James, R.; Berdan, G.
1987-09-01
The Western Research Institute plan for addressing oil shale plant siting methodology calls for identifying the available resources such as oil shale, water, topography and transportation, and human resources. Restrictions on development are addressed: land ownership, land use, water rights, environment, socioeconomics, culture, health and safety, and other institutional restrictions. Descriptions of the technologies for development of oil shale resources are included. The impacts of oil shale development on the environment, socioeconomic structure, water availability, and other conditions are discussed. Finally, the Western Research Institute plan proposes to integrate these topics to develop a flow chart for oil shale plant siting. Western Research Institute has (1) identified relative topics for shale oil plant siting, (2) surveyed both published and unpublished information, and (3) identified data gaps and research needs. 910 refs., 3 figs., 30 tabs.
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Gas pressure from a nuclear explosion in oil shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Taylor, R.W.
1975-01-01
The quantity of gas and the gas pressure resulting from a nuclear explosion in oil shale is estimated. These estimates are based on the thermal history of the rock during and after the explosion and the amount of gas that oil shale releases when heated. It is estimated that for oil shale containing less than a few percent of kerogen the gas pressure will be lower than the hydrostatic pressure. A field program to determine the effects of nuclear explosions in rocks that simulate the unique features of oil shale is recommended. (U.S.)
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Desulfurization of Jordanian oil shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Abu-Jdayil, B. M.
1990-01-01
Oxy desulfurization process and caustic treatment were applied in this work to remove sulfur from Jordanian oil shale. The oxy desulfurization process has been studied in a batch process using a high pressure autoclave, with constant stirring speed, and oxygen and water were used as desulfurizing reagents. Temperature, oxygen pressure, batch time, and particle size were found to be important process variables, while solid/liquid ratio was found to have no significant effect on the desulfurization process. The response of different types of oil shale to this process varied, and the effect of the process variables on the removal of total sulfur, pyritic sulfur, organic sulfur, total carbon, and organic carbon were studied. An optimum condition for oxy desulfurization of El-Lajjun oil shale, which gave maximum sulfur removal with low loss of carbon, was determined from the results of this work. The continuous reaction model was found to be valid, and the rate of oxidation for El-Lajjun oil shale was of the first order with respect to total sulfur, organic sulfur, total carbon, and organic carbon. For pyritic sulfur oxidation, the shrinking core model was found to hold and the rate of reaction controlled by diffusion through product ash layer. An activation energy of total sulfur, organic sulfur, pyritic sulfur, total carbon, and organic carbon oxidation was calculated for the temperature range of 130 -190 degrees celsius. In caustic treatment process, aqueous sodium hydroxide at 160 degrees celsius was used to remove the sulfur from El-Lajjun oil shale. The variables tested (sodium hydroxide concentration and treatment time) were found to have a significant effect. The carbon losses in this process were less than in the oxy desulfurization process. 51 refs., 64 figs., 121 tabs. (A.M.H.)
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Prospects for the exploitation of Jordan oil shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jaber, J.O; Probert, S.D.; Badr, O.
1997-01-01
Oil shale is the major indigenous fossil-fuel in Jordan: its predicted reserves, of about 5·10 1 0 tonnes, should be sufficient to satisfy Jordan's energy requirements for several centuries. Jordanian oil shale has, on an average, a gross calorific value of between 5 and 7 MJ/kg, an oil yield of ∼ 10 %, and a sulfur content of approximately 3 % by weight of the raw shale (i.e. 7 to 9 % of the organic matter content). Using the oil shale as the input fuel, a multipurpose production process (i.e. retorting, electricity generation, thermal water-desalination, chemicals production as well as mineral extraction) could achieve high utilisation-factors of both its chemical and energy potentials. In the long-term, oil shale is the only indigenous energy resource that could reduce Jordan's dependence on imported crude oil and hence ease the pressure on the national economy. The conversion of oil shale into a liquid or gaseous fuel and raw materials will be of decisive importance in attempts to secure the future of energy supplies. So national efforts devoted to the exploration for, and harnessing more economically, this energy resource, while limiting the associated adverse environmental impacts, should be accelerated. (author)
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Chemical kinetics and oil shale process design
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Burnham, A.K.
1993-07-01
Oil shale processes are reviewed with the goal of showing how chemical kinetics influences the design and operation of different processes for different types of oil shale. Reaction kinetics are presented for organic pyrolysis, carbon combustion, carbonate decomposition, and sulfur and nitrogen reactions.
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The Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale in southern Germany: results of a shale gas analogue study
Biermann, Steffen; Schulz, Hans-Martin; Horsfield, Brian
2013-04-01
The shale gas potential of Germany was recently assessed by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (2012 NiKo-Project) and is - in respect of the general natural gas occurrence in Germany - regarded as a good alternative hydrocarbon source. The Posidonia Shale in northern and southern Germany is one of the evaluated rock formation and easily accessible in outcrops in the Swabian Alps (southern Germany). The area of interest in this work is located in such an outcrop that is actively used for open pit mining next to the town of Dotternhausen, 70 km southwest of Stuttgart. 31 samples from the quarry of Dotternhausen were analyzed in order to characterize the immature Posidonia Shale (Lower Toarcian, Lias ɛ) of southern Germany as a gas shale precursor. Methods included are Rock Eval, Open Pyrolysis GC, SEM, Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry, XRD, and other. The samples of Dotternhausen contain exclusively type II kerogen. The majority of the organic matter is structureless and occurs in the argillaceous-calcareous matrix. Structured organic matter appears predominantly as alginite, in particular the algae "tasmanite" is noticeable. The TOC content ranges up to 16 wt% with a high bitumen content. The mineral content characterizes the Posidonia Shale as a marlstone or mudstone with varying clay-calcite ratios. The quartz and pyrite content reaches up to 20 wt% and 9 wt%, respectively. The rock fabric is characterized by a fine grained and laminated matrix. The mean porosity lies between 4 and 12 %. Fractures other than those introduced by sample preparation were not observed. The Posidonia Shale is predicted to have an excellent source rock potential and will generate intermediate, P-N-A low wax oil when exposed to higher P-T-conditions ("oil kitchen"). Contact surfaces between the kerogen and matrix will be vulnerable to pressure induced fracturing caused by hydrocarbon formation. Additional porosity will be formed during maturation due to the
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Clay squirt: Local flow dispersion in shale-bearing sandstones
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sørensen, Morten Kanne; Fabricius, Ida Lykke
2017-01-01
Dispersion of elastic-wave velocity is common in sandstone and larger in shaly sandstone than in clean sandstone. Dispersion in fluid-saturated shaly sandstone often exceeds the level expected from the stress-dependent elastic moduli of dry sandstone. The large dispersion has been coined clay...... squirt and is proposed to originate from a pressure gradient between the clay microporosity and the effective porosity. We have formulated a simple model that quantifies the clay-squirt effect on bulk moduli of sandstone with homogeneously distributed shale laminae or dispersed shale. The model...... predictions were compared with the literature data. For sandstones with dispersed shale, agreement was found, whereas other sandstones have larger fluid-saturated bulk modulus, possibly due to partially load-bearing shales or heterogeneous shale distribution. The data that agree with the clay-squirt model...
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Geothermometry methods for determining the thermal history of shales
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weaver, C.E.
1977-01-01
When clays and muds are deposited, the clay mineral suite is usually not an equilibrium assemblage. With time and increased depth of burial and temperature, the clay mineral suite undergoes continuous chemical and mineral changes as it adjusts to increasingly higher temperatures. Significant changes are observed at temperatures as low as 50 0 C and continue to 400 0 C (beginning of metamorphism) and above. Once these clay-rich rocks are exposed to elevated temperatures and then later uplifted to areas of lower temperature, no significant changes occur unless the rock is exposed to weathering or to temperatures higher than that to which they have been exposed previously. An initial objective is to develop the ability to determine the mineral, chemical, and textural changes which are produced in shales by increased temperature. This will allow prediction of the diagenetic changes that occur in shales when they are exposed to the heat generated by radioactive waste. A second objective is to develop the ability to determine the maximum temperature to which a shale has been exposed. Once a shale has been exposed to temperatures of 200 to 400 0 C for thousands of years, an equilibrium assemblage is obtained which persists after the shale is elevated to near surface conditions and is only altered if the shale is exposed to temperatures higher than those of the maximum to which the shale was originally exposed. A proposal is made to select for initial study a thick Paleozoic shale, probably of Cambro-Ordovician or Devonian age, in the Appalachian region. A shale sequence will be selected which has rocks ranging from deeply buried geosynclinal environments (approx.300 to 400 0 C) to shallow shelf environments
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Environmental control costs for oil shale processes
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1979-10-01
The studies reported herein are intended to provide more certainty regarding estimates of the costs of controlling environmental residuals from oil shale technologies being readied for commercial application. The need for this study was evident from earlier work conducted by the Office of Environment for the Department of Energy Oil Shale Commercialization Planning, Environmental Readiness Assessment in mid-1978. At that time there was little reliable information on the costs for controlling residuals and for safe handling of wastes from oil shale processes. The uncertainties in estimating costs of complying with yet-to-be-defined environmental standards and regulations for oil shale facilities are a critical element that will affect the decision on proceeding with shale oil production. Until the regulatory requirements are fully clarified and processes and controls are investigated and tested in units of larger size, it will not be possible to provide definitive answers to the cost question. Thus, the objective of this work was to establish ranges of possible control costs per barrel of shale oil produced, reflecting various regulatory, technical, and financing assumptions. Two separate reports make up the bulk of this document. One report, prepared by the Denver Research Institute, is a relatively rigorous engineering treatment of the subject, based on regulatory assumptions and technical judgements as to best available control technologies and practices. The other report examines the incremental cost effect of more conservative technical and financing alternatives. An overview section is included that synthesizes the products of the separate studies and addresses two variations to the assumptions.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kogerman, P N
1950-01-01
Ideas and general laws concerning the chemistry of high polymers were used to study the organic matter of oil shale (Estonian kukersite). The insolubility of kerogen in water, alkali, acids, or organic solvents is similar to two or three dimensional polymers. In an aqueous solution of chloral hydrate, kerogen swells to a certain extent but does not dissolve. This is similar to high polymers. The softening point of kerogen is between 340 and 380/sup 0/C., at which temperature it acquires plastic properties and resembles high-molecular-weight thermoplastics. Kerogen does not distill without decomposition even at reduced pressures and consequently must have a molecular weight above 1,000. Thermal decomposition products of kerogen are mixtures of low-molecular-weight compounds, the composition of which gives little information concerning the original kerogen. Starch, proteins, lignins, and other natural products give similar materials. The average specific gravity of kukersite kerogen is 1.08 and corresponds approximately to that of polymeric hydrocarbons, cellulose ethers, and natural resins such as copal, sandarac, and others. From these facts, kerogen can be considered to be a high-polymeric substance. Most modern geologists hold that marine deposits of microscopic blue-green algae are the parent substances of kerogen. However, other plankton organisms, especially diatoms, may have contributed to the organic material present in kukersite. Modern blue-green algae contain 60 percent proteins, 3 percent fat, 5 percent pentosan, 1 percent cellulose, and 31 percent other carbohydrates. Chemical studies of kerogen, such as halogenation, nitration, permanganate oxidation, and others indicate that kerogen contains both carbon-chain and hetero-chain compounds. The former may have originated from the nonnitrogenous compounds present in the parent blue-green algae, preserved by adsorption on the inorganic portion of kukersite.
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Fugitive Emissions from the Bakken Shale Illustrate Role of Shale Production in Global Ethane Shift
Kort, E. A.; Smith, M. L.; Murray, L. T.; Gvakharia, A.; Brandt, A. R.; Peischl, J.; Ryerson, T. B.; Sweeney, C.; Travis, K.
2016-01-01
Ethane is the second most abundant atmospheric hydrocarbon, exerts a strong influence on tropospheric ozone, and reduces the atmosphere's oxidative capacity. Global observations showed declining ethane abundances from 1984 to 2010, while a regional measurement indicated increasing levels since 2009, with the reason for this subject to speculation. The Bakken shale is an oil and gas-producing formation centered in North Dakota that experienced a rapid increase in production beginning in 2010. We use airborne data collected over the North Dakota portion of the Bakken shale in 2014 to calculate ethane emissions of 0.23 +/- 0.07 (2 sigma) Tg/yr, equivalent to 1-3% of total global sources. Emissions of this magnitude impact air quality via concurrent increases in tropospheric ozone. This recently developed large ethane source from one location illustrates the key role of shale oil and gas production in rising global ethane levels.
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Life-cycle analysis of shale gas and natural gas.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Clark, C.E.; Han, J.; Burnham, A.; Dunn, J.B.; Wang, M. (Energy Systems); ( EVS)
2012-01-27
The technologies and practices that have enabled the recent boom in shale gas production have also brought attention to the environmental impacts of its use. Using the current state of knowledge of the recovery, processing, and distribution of shale gas and conventional natural gas, we have estimated up-to-date, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, we have developed distribution functions for key parameters in each pathway to examine uncertainty and identify data gaps - such as methane emissions from shale gas well completions and conventional natural gas liquid unloadings - that need to be addressed further. Our base case results show that shale gas life-cycle emissions are 6% lower than those of conventional natural gas. However, the range in values for shale and conventional gas overlap, so there is a statistical uncertainty regarding whether shale gas emissions are indeed lower than conventional gas emissions. This life-cycle analysis provides insight into the critical stages in the natural gas industry where emissions occur and where opportunities exist to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas.
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Comparative dermal carcinogenesis of shale and petroleum-derived distillates.
Clark, C R; Walter, M K; Ferguson, P W; Katchen, M
1988-03-01
Ten test materials derived from petroleum or hydrotreated shale oils were applied 3 times/week for up to 105 weeks to the shaved skin of 25 male and 25 female C3H/HeN mice per group. Mineral oil and benzo(a) pyrene (0.15%) were control materials. Clinical observations were recorded during the study. At death, histopathologic examination was conducted on skin, internal organs and any gross lesions. Exposures to some materials were ended midway in the study due to severe irritation. Chronic toxicity of all materials was limited to inflammatory and degenerative skin changes. Significant increases over control incidence of skin tumors (squamous cell carcinoma and fibrosarcoma) occurred with both petroleum and shale-derived naphtha (21%, 50%), Jet A (26%, 28%), JP-4 (26%, 50%), and crude oils (84%, 54%). Severely hydrotreated shale oil and petroleum and shale-derived diesel distillates were not considered tumorigenic. Results indicate that toxicity of comparable petroleum and shale-derived fractions was qualitatively similar and confirm earlier findings that hydrotreating reduces or eliminates carcinogenicity of raw shale oil.
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Will water scarcity in semiarid regions limit hydraulic fracturing of shale plays?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Scanlon, Bridget R; Reedy, Robert C; Philippe Nicot, Jean
2014-01-01
There is increasing concern about water constraints limiting oil and gas production using hydraulic fracturing (HF) in shale plays, particularly in semiarid regions and during droughts. Here we evaluate HF vulnerability by comparing HF water demand with supply in the semiarid Texas Eagle Ford play, the largest shale oil producer globally. Current HF water demand (18 billion gallons, bgal; 68 billion liters, bL in 2013) equates to ∼16% of total water consumption in the play area. Projected HF water demand of ∼330 bgal with ∼62 000 additional wells over the next 20 years equates to ∼10% of historic groundwater depletion from regional irrigation. Estimated potential freshwater supplies include ∼1000 bgal over 20 yr from recharge and ∼10 000 bgal from aquifer storage, with land-owner lease agreements often stipulating purchase of freshwater. However, pumpage has resulted in excessive drawdown locally with estimated declines of ∼100–200 ft in ∼6% of the western play area since HF began in 2009–2013. Non-freshwater sources include initial flowback water, which is ≤5% of HF water demand, limiting reuse/recycling. Operators report shifting to brackish groundwater with estimated groundwater storage of 80 000 bgal. Comparison with other semiarid plays indicates increasing brackish groundwater and produced water use in the Permian Basin and large surface water inputs from the Missouri River in the Bakken play. The variety of water sources in semiarid regions, with projected HF water demand representing ∼3% of fresh and ∼1% of brackish water storage in the Eagle Ford footprint indicates that, with appropriate management, water availability should not physically limit future shale energy production. (letter)
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Phanerozoic environments of black shale deposition and the Wilson Cycle
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
J. Trabucho-Alexandre
2012-02-01
Full Text Available The spatial and temporal distribution of black shales is related to the development of environments in which they accumulate and to a propitious combination of environmental variables. In recent years, much has been done to improve our understanding of the mechanisms behind the temporal distribution of black shales in the Phanerozoic and of the environmental variables that result in their deposition. However, the interpretation of ancient black shale depositional environments is dominated by an oversimplistic set of three depositional models that do not capture their complexity and dynamics. These three models, the restricted circulation, the (open ocean oxygen minimum and the continental shelf models, are an oversimplification of the variety of black shale depositional environments that arise and coexist throughout the course of a basin's Wilson Cycle, i.e. the dynamic sequence of events and stages that characterise the evolution of an ocean basin, from the opening continental rift to the closing orogeny. We examine the spatial distribution of black shales in the context of the Wilson Cycle using examples from the Phanerozoic. It is shown that the geographical distribution of environments of black shale deposition and the position of black shales in the basin infill sequence strongly depend on basin evolution, which controls the development of sedimentary environments where black shales may be deposited. The nature of the black shales that are deposited, i.e. lithology and type of organic matter, also depends on basin evolution and palaeogeography. We propose that in studies of black shales more attention should be given to the sedimentary processes that have led to their formation and to the interpretation of their sedimentary environments.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jenner, Steffen; Lamadrid, Alberto J.
2013-01-01
The aim of this paper is to examine the major environmental impacts of shale gas, conventional gas and coal on air, water, and land in the United States. These factors decisively affect the quality of life (public health and safety) as well as local and global environmental protection. Comparing various lifecycle assessments, this paper will suggest that a shift from coal to shale gas would benefit public health, the safety of workers, local environmental protection, water consumption, and the land surface. Most likely, shale gas also comes with a smaller GHG footprint than coal. However, shale gas extraction can affect water safety. This paper also discusses related aspects that exemplify how shale gas can be more beneficial in the short and long term. First, there are technical solutions readily available to fix the most crucial problems of shale gas extraction, such as methane leakages and other geo-hazards. Second, shale gas is best equipped to smoothen the transition to an age of renewable energy. Finally, this paper will recommend hybrid policy regulations. - Highlights: ► We examine the impacts of (un)conventional gas and coal on air, water, and land. ► A shift from coal to shale gas would benefit public health. ► Shale gas extraction can affect water safety. ► We discuss technical solutions to fix the most crucial problems of shale gas extraction. ► We recommend hybrid regulations.
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Shale engineering application: the MAL-145 project in West Virginia
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Vassilellis, George D.; Li, Charles; Bust, Vivian K. [Gaffney, Cline and Associates (United States); Moos, Daniel; Cade, Randal [Baker Hughes Inc (United States)
2011-07-01
With the depletion of conventional fossil fuels and the rising energy demand, oil shale and shale gas are becoming an important component of the oil and gas markets in North America. The aim of this paper is to present a novel methodology for predicting production in shale and tight formations. This method, known as the shale engineering approach and modeling, provides reservoir simulations based on modeling the propagation of the simulated rock volume. This technique was applied to an Upper Devonian shale formation in West Virginia, United States, and was compared to available data such as production logs and downhole microseismic data. Results showed a good match between the shale engineering approach data and early well performance. This paper presented a new reservoir simulation methodology which is successful in forecasting production and which can also be used for field development design and optimization.
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Method of recovering hydrocarbons from oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Walton, D.K.; Slusser, M.S.
1970-11-24
A method is described for recovering hydrocarbons from an oil-shale formation by in situ retorting. A well penetrating the formation is heated and gas is injected until a pressure buildup within the well is reached, due to a decrease in the conductivity of naturally occurring fissures within the formation. The well is then vented, in order to produce spalling of the walls. This results in the formation of an enlarged cavity containing rubberized oil shale. A hot gas then is passed through the rubberized oil shale in order to retort hydrocarbons and these hydrocarbons are recovered from the well. (11 claims)
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Minimal watering regime impacts on desert adapted green roof plant performance
Kovachich, S.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Templer, S.; Livingston, M.; Stoltz, R.; Smith, S.
2011-12-01
Roof tops can cover one-fifth of urban areas and can greatly alter the movement of matter and energy in cities. With traditional roofing methods and materials, roof tops readily absorb heat and as a result, buildings and the surrounding urban area heat to unnaturally high temperatures. It is hypothesized that extensive green roofs would have wide-ranging benefits for arid environments. However, little is known about the cost of water use associated with green roof installations and how to balance energy reduction needs with water costs in this water limited environment. We are conducting a pilot study to test whether a) green roofs with native plants and environmentally-responsible watering regimes will prove successful in arid environments and if b) green roofs provide ecosystem services with responsible water application. Three species of Sonoran Desert natives, Dyssodia pentachaeta (groundcover), Calliandra eriophylla (shrub), and Hesperaloe parviflora (succulent) have been planted in experimental plots [1 m2 model houses and roofs, replicated in triplicate] with two sandy, rocky desert soil mixtures (light mix: 60% expanded shale and heavy mix: organic and sandy mix with 50% shale) at the Biosphere 2 campus near Oracle, Az. The green roofs are watered by two different techniques. The first technique provides "smart watering", the minimal amount of water needed by green roof plants based on precipitation and historical data. The second watering technique is considered heavy and does not take into account environmental conditions. Preliminary data from the experimental plots shows a 30% decrease in daytime roof top temperatures on green roofs and a 10% decrease in interior temperatures in buildings with green roofs. This trend occurs with both watering regimes (heavy and light). This finding suggests that additional irrigation yields no extra heat reduction and energy savings. In order to explain this phenomenon more clearly, we use co-located temperature and
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bronder, G A
1926-03-22
To distill oil shales, cannel coals, and other carbonaceous materials for the extraction therefrom of hydrocarbons and volatile nitrogenous compounds, hard non-condensable gases from the condensers and scrubbers are withdrawn by blowers and admixed with burnt gases, obtained through conduits from the flues of heaters, and forced downwardly through horizontal chambers, connected by vertical conduits, of the heaters and delivered into the retort beneath the grate. Passing upwardly through the charge they vaporize the volatile substances in the shale, and a suction pump removes the vapors from the top of the retort. Immediately they are produced and at substantially the same temperature as that at which they emanate, thus preventing cracking of the oil vapors and condensation of the oil at the top of the retort. The amount of burnt flue gas admixed with the hard gases is regulated by two valves until a required uniform temperature is obtained. A generator supplies producer gas to a heater at the commencement of the retorting operation for circulation through the shale charge to initially produce oil vapors. The generator is connected by a pipe to the gas conduit leading to blowers.
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A green roof grant program for Washington DC
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Johnson, P.A.
2007-01-01
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) began its green roof demonstration project with $300,000 in funding provided by the DC Water and Sewer Authority. This paper reviewed the history of the project, its goals and early findings. The main objective was to demonstrate the technical, policy and economic feasibility of installing green roofs on commercial buildings in Washington DC and to promote green roofs as a means to manage storm water and improve water quality through the reduction of excessive runoff. The CBF has issued grants for the installation of 7 green roofs varying in size, design, location, and use. The projects included both new and existing structures designed to improve storm-water management in an urban area with significant pollution stress on the adjacent rivers. This paper provided technical, cost, and performance evaluations of each roof. A public outreach segment provided information to decision-makers to encourage more widespread replication of green roof technology throughout the metropolitan area. Much of the District of Columbia is served by a combined sewer system that becomes overloaded and discharges raw sewage into adjacent rivers during even moderately heavy rains. An average of 75 overflow events each year result in 1.5 billion gallons discharged into the Anacostia River. The installation of green roofs on buildings in the combined sewer area would retain storm water during these heavy rains and reduce the amount of overflow discharges. Apartments, as well as commercial and government buildings with mostly flat roofs are the most likely candidates for green roofs. The demonstration roofs are intended to become models, which all building owners could use as a guide for future plans for construction or re-construction to expand green roof coverage in Washington DC. It was emphasized that although such large-scale replication will take time and financial investments, it is achievable given enough political will and commercial awareness of
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Wellbore stability in shales considering chemo-poroelastic effects
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Araujo, Ewerton M.P.; Pastor, Jorge A.S.C.; Fontoura, Sergio A.B.; Rabe, Claudio [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Civil. Grupo de Tecnologia e Engenharia de Petroleo
2004-07-01
Under compaction and low geothermal gradients are deep water characteristics. Both under compaction and low geothermal gradients generate considerable thickness of smectite-rich shales. These rocks are the major source of wellbore stability problems, because they are susceptible to adverse physico-chemical reactions when in contact with inadequate drilling fluids. Due shales are low permeability rocks diffusion processes dominate the changes of pore pressure around wellbore. Diffusion of fluids, ions and temperature occurs in shales during drilling and demand a fully coupled modelling taking account these factors. Despite temperature importance, in this paper wellbore stability in shales is analyzed through a model that considers only the coupling between poroelastic and physico-chemical effects. The coupled equations are solved analytically and have been implemented in a computational simulator with user-friendly interface. Time-dependent simulations of wellbore stability in shales are presented for a typical deep water scenario. The results show that physico-chemical effects change pore pressure around wellbore and have high impact on the wellbore stability. (author)
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Breakthrough and prospect of shale gas exploration and development in China
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dazhong Dong
2016-01-01
Full Text Available In the past five years, shale gas exploration and development has grown in a leaping-forward way in China. Following USA and Canada, China is now the third country where industrial shale gas production is realized, with the cumulative production exceeding 60 × 108 m3 until the end of 2015. In this paper, the main achievements of shale gas exploration and development in China in recent years were reviewed and the future development prospect was analyzed. It is pointed out that shale gas exploration and development in China is, on the whole, still at its early stage. Especially, marine shale gas in the Sichuan Basin has dominated the recent exploration and development. For the realization of shale gas scale development in China, one key point lies in the breakthrough and industrial production of transitional facies and continental facies shale gas. Low–moderate yield of shale gas wells is the normal in China, so it is crucial to develop key exploration and development technologies. Especially, strictly controlling single well investment and significantly reducing cost are the important means to increase shale gas exploration and development benefits. And finally, suggestions were proposed in five aspects. First, continuously strengthen theoretical and technical researches, actively carry out appraisal on shale gas “sweet spots”, and gradually accumulate development basis. Second, stress on primary evaluation of exploration and development, highlight the effective implementation of shale gas resources, and control the rhythm of appraisal drilling and productivity construction. Third, highlight fine description and evaluation of shale gas reservoirs and increase the overall development level. Fourth, intensify the research on exploration and development technologies in order to stand out simple and practical technologies with low costs. And fifth, summarize the experiences in fast growth of shale gas exploration and development, highlight
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Pengaruh Proses Pelapukan Clay Shale terhadap Perubahan Parameter Rasio Disintegritas (DR
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Idrus M Alatas
2017-04-01
Full Text Available The background of this research because of the frequent occurrence of the failure in the geotechnical design of clay shale caused by weathering. Disintegration ratio is a comparison of physical changes due to weathering at certain times of the initial conditions. Changes in physical properties due to clay shale weathering determined by the disintegration ratio (DR.Clay shale weathering will occur more quickly as a result of wetting and drying cycles when compared with the drying process. While due to the increased number of cycles of wetting at the same time, causing weathering on clay shale will be faster again. Until the 80th day of drying time, the magnitude DRof Semarang-Bawenclay shaleand Hambalang are the same, namely DR = 0.916 (completelly durable. However, due to wetting and drying cycles on day 32, samples of Semarang-Bawenclay shale is DR = 0.000 or non durable completelly, while on Hambalang clay shale in same day DR between 0.2117 to 0.3344. Generally Semarang-Bawen clay shale will be faster weathered than Hambalang clay shale. It is caused by the mineralogy content of Semarang-Bawen clay shale has dominated by Smectite, and Hambalangclay shalehas dominated mineral Kaolinite and Illlite.
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Problem of Production of Shale Gas in Germany
Nataliya K. Meden
2014-01-01
A bstract: Our magazine publishes a series of articles on shale gas in different countries. This article is about Germany, a main importer of Russian natural gas, so a perspective of exploitation of local shale gas resources is of a clear practical importance for Russia. We discuss external and internal factors which determine position of the German government concerning the shale gas excavation: policy of the USA and the EU, positions of German political parties, influence of the lobbying co...
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Oil shales of the Lothians, Part III, the chemistry of the oil shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Steuart, D R
1912-01-01
Tests were performed whereby fuller's earth and lycopodium spore dust were heated to retorting temperatures and the crude oil examined. Oil shale may be composed of the following: Vegetable matter that has been macerated and preserved by combining with salts, spores, and other such material that has been protected from decay, and a proportion of animal matter. Generally, oil shale may be considered as a torbanite that contains a large proportion of inorganic matter, or it may be a torbanite that has deteriorated with age. This supposition is based on the fact that oil yield decreases and the yield of ammonia increases with age.
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Thermal effects in shales: measurements and modeling
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
McKinstry, H.A.
1977-01-01
Research is reported concerning thermal and physical measurements and theoretical modeling relevant to the storage of radioactive wastes in a shale. Reference thermal conductivity measurements are made at atmospheric pressure in a commercial apparatus; and equipment for permeability measurements has been developed, and is being extended with respect to measurement ranges. Thermal properties of shales are being determined as a function of temperature and pressures. Apparatus was developed to measure shales in two different experimental configurations. In the first, a disk 15 mm in diameter of the material is measured by a steady state technique using a reference material to measure the heat flow within the system. The sample is sandwiched between two disks of a reference material (single crystal quartz is being used initially as reference material). The heat flow is determined twice in order to determine that steady state conditions prevail; the temperature drop over the two references is measured. When these indicate an equal heat flow, the thermal conductivity of the sample can be calculated from the temperature difference of the two faces. The second technique is for determining effect of temperature in a water saturated shale on a larger scale. Cylindrical shale (or siltstone) specimens that are being studied (large for a laboratory sample) are to be heated electrically at the center, contained in a pressure vessel that will maintain a fixed water pressure around it. The temperature is monitored at many points within the shale sample. The sample dimensions are 25 cm diameter, 20 cm long. A micro computer system has been constructed to monitor 16 thermocouples to record variation of temperature distribution with time
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shales: a review of their classifications, properties and importance to ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
DJFLEX
In the Niger Delta petroleum province, the source rocks and seal rocks are the marine/deltaic, plastic and over-pressured shales of Akata and Agbada Formations. KEY WORDS: Shales, Classification, Strength, Composition, Petroleum Industry, Niger Delta. INTRODUCTION. Shales are fine-grained laminated or fissile.
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Study on geochemical occurrences of REE in Wangqing oil shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Bai, Jing-ru; Wang, Qing; Liu, Tong; Wei, Yan-zhen; Bai, Zhang [Northeast Dianli Univ., Jilin (China). Engineering Research Centre
2013-07-01
Sequential chemical extraction experiment (SCEE) and Float- sink experiment (FSE) have been employed on oil shale research from Wangqing, Jilin province China, in order to determine the binding forms of rare earth elements (REE) in oil shale. The REE contents were determined by the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Wangqing oil shale was screened into specific gravity density level: <1.5g/cm{sup 3}, 1.5-1.6g/cm{sup 3}, 1.6-2.0g/cm{sup 3}, 2.0-2.4g/cm{sup 3}, >2.4g/cm{sup 3}. The mode of occurrences of rare earth elements in Wangqing oil shale was studied by six-step SCEE. FSE results show that REEs in Wangqing oil shale exist mainly in inorganic minerals and more in excluded mineral, while SCEE results show that REEs of Wangqing oil shale is primarily occurred in minerals, including carbonate, Fe-Mn oxide, sulfide, and Si-minerals. FSE and SCEE results fully illustrate excluded mineral is mainly mode of occurrence of REEs in Wangqing oil shale, whereas inorganic minerals and organic matter is not that. The REE distribution pattern curves of FSE density and SCEE fraction products are similar with that of raw oil shale. The REE in different densities products has a close connection with terrigenous clastic rock, and the supply of terrestrial material is stable.
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Thermocatalytical processing of coal and shales
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhaksyntay Kairbekov
2012-12-01
Full Text Available The article investigates the questions of thermocatalytical conversion of organic mass of coal (OMC, it is shown that in the absence of a catalyst process is carried out by a radical process. Accumulated data on the properties for radicals of different structure and therefore different reaction capacity enables us to understand and interpret the conversion of OMC. Thermal conversion of OMC regarded as a kind of depolymerization, accompanied by decomposition of the functional groups with the formation of radicals, competing for hydrogen atom. Catalyst can change the direction and conditions of the process. Modern catalysts can reduce the process pressure up to 50 atm., with a high degree of coal conversion. We consider examples of simultaneous conversion of coal and shale, shale and masut, shale and tar.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hampton, W H
1928-05-29
The process of treating bituminiferous solid materials such as shale or the like to obtain valuable products therefrom, which comprises digesting a mixture of such material in comminuted condition with a suitable digestion liquid, such as an oil, recovering products vaporized in the digestion, and separating residual solid matter from the digestion liquid by centrifuging.
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Li, J.; Ding, W.; Dong, L.
2017-12-01
The black shale in the early Cambrian Yurtus Formation (>521 Ma) in the Tarim basin, northwestern China, is characterized by its high TOC value (up to 16%) andgreat lateral continuity. It has been proven to be high-quality hydrocarbon source rocks. Abundant phytoplanktons and small shelly fossils have been reported from the lower Yurtus chert. However, recent biomarker discovery of aryl isoprenoid hydrocarbons suggests the existence of green sulfur bacteria, which indicates that the water column was stratified and the photic zone was prevailingly euxinic. These seemingly contradictory observations hamper our further understanding of the paleoenvironment in which the Yurtus shale was deposited and its control on the accumulation of organic matter. In this study, we systematically collected samples from the Yurtus Formation at the Kungaikuotan Section, and measured the organic carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions and the content of trace element Barium (Ba). The strong negative excursions of nitrogen isotope ( -13‰) in the lower and upper parts of the Yurtus Formation are likely attributed to the biological activity of green and purple sulfur bacteria, which is consistent with our organic carbon isotope data as well as previous biomarker discovery. As green sulfur bacteria can only live in euxinic photic zone, it may indicate that the water column above this euxinic zone contains prolific organic matters which consume all the dissolved oxidants in surface ocean. It is well accepted that Ba flux can be used as an indicator for surface ocean primary productivity. Significant increase of barium content (from matter in the early Cambrian surface ocean mainly result from extremely high primary productivity. The abundant phytoplankton fossil record from this time period also supports this interpretation. In summary, high TOC in the Yurtus shale may derive from the extremely high primary productivity of phytoplanktons. Organic matter consumes all the dissolved
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Production of oil from Israeli oil shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Givoni, D.
1993-01-01
Oil shale can be utilized in two-ways: direct combustion to generate steam and power or retorting to produce oil or gas. PAMA has been developing both direct combustion and retorting processes. Its main effort is in the combustion. An oil shale fired steam boiler was erected in the Rotem industrial complex for demonstration purposes. PAMA has also been looking into two alternative retorting concepts - slow heating of coarse particles and fast heating of fine particles. The present paper provides operating data of oil shale processing in the following scheme: (a) retorting in moving bed, pilot and bench scale units, and (b) retorting in a fluidized bed, bench scale units. (author)
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Investigation of the dielectric properties of shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martemyanov, Sergey M.
2011-01-01
The article is dedicated to investigation of the dielectric properties of oil shale. Investigations for samples prepared from shale mined at the deposit in Jilin Province in China were done. The temperature and frequency dependences of rock characteristics needed to calculate the processes of their thermal processing are investigated. Frequency dependences for the relative dielectric constant and dissipation factor of rock in the frequency range from 0,1 Hz to 1 MHz are investigated. The temperature dependences for rock resistance, dielectric capacitance and dissipation factor in the temperature range from 20 to 600°C are studied. Key words: shale, dielectric properties, relative dielectric constant, dissipation factor, temperature dependence, frequency dependence
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ming Hu
2018-03-01
Full Text Available For the sake of figuring out the influential mechanisms of structural characteristics on the productivity of shale gas wells, the structural characteristics of the Jiaoshiba Block in the Fuling shale gasfield, Sichuan Basin, were analyzed. Then, based on well test data of more than 190 horizontal wells, the effects of structures on shale gas well productivity were discussed systematically, and the main structural factors of different structural units in the Jiaoshiba Block that influence the productivity of shale gas wells were clarified. The following results were obtained. First, the structural units in the Jiaoshiba Block were obviously different in structural characteristics and their deformation strength is different. Second, the influence of structural characteristics on shale gas well productivity is directly manifested in gas-bearing property and fracturing effect. The stronger the structural deformation and the more developed the large faults and natural fractures, the more easily shale gas escapes and the poorer the gas bearing property will be, and vice versa. Third, The stronger the structural deformation, the more developed the fractures, the greater the burial depth and the higher the compressive stress of negative structures, the worse the fracturing effect will be, and vice versa. And fourth, Tectonics is the key factor controlling the difference of shale gas productivity between different structural units in the Jiaoshiba Block, but the main structural factors influencing the productivity are different in different structural units. Keywords: Sichuan Basin, Fuling shale gasfield, Jiaoshiba, Shale gas, Structural characteristics, Gas bearing property, Fracturing, Productivity
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Market analysis of shale oil co-products. Summary report
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1980-12-01
This study examines the potential for separating, upgrading and marketing sodium mineral co-products together with shale oil production. The co-products investigated are soda ash and alumina which are derived from the minerals nahcolite and dawsonite. Five cases were selected to reflect the variance in mineral and shale oil content in the identified resource. In the five cases examined, oil content of the shale was varied from 20 to 30 gallons per ton. Two sizes of facilities were analyzed for each resource case to determine economies of scale between a 15,000 barrel per day demonstration unit and a 50,000 barrel per day full sized plant. Three separate pieces of analysis were conducted in this study: analysis of manufacturing costs for shale oil and co-products; projection of potential world markets for alumina, soda ash, and nahcolite; and determination of economic viability and market potential for shale co-products.
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Compaction Characteristics of Igumale Shale | Iorliam | Global ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
This paper reports the outcome of an investigation into the effect of different compactive energies on the compaction characteristics of Igumale shale, to ascertain its suitability as fill material in highway ... The study showed that Igumale shale is not suitable for use as base, subbase and filling materials in road construction.
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Mechanical Characterization of Mancos Shale
Broome, S.; Ingraham, M. D.; Dewers, T. A.
2015-12-01
A series of tests on Mancos shale have been undertaken to determine the failure surface and to characterize anisotropy. This work supports additional studies which are being performed on the same block of shale; fracture toughness, permeability, and chemical analysis. Mechanical tests are being conducted after specimens were conditioned for at least two weeks at 70% constant relative humidity conditions. Specimens are tested under drained conditions, with the constant relative humidity condition maintained on the downstream side of the specimen. The upstream is sealed. Anisotropy is determined through testing specimens that have been cored parallel and perpendicular to the bedding plane. Preliminary results show that when loaded parallel to bedding the shale is roughly 50% weaker. Test are run under constant mean stress conditions when possible (excepting indirect tension, unconfined compression, and hydrostatic). Tests are run in hydrostatic compaction to the desired mean stress, then differential stress is applied axially in displacement control to failure. The constant mean stress condition is maintained by decreasing the confining pressure by half of the increase in the axial stress. Results will be compared to typical failure criteria to investigate the effectiveness of capturing the behavior of the shale with traditional failure theory. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2015-6107 A.
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Heege, J.H. ter; Zijp, M.H.A.A.; Nelkamp, S.
2015-01-01
While extensive data and experiences are available for hydraulic fracturing and hydrocarbon production from shales in the U.S.A., such a record is lacking in many underexplored shale basins worldwide. As limited data is usually available in these basins, analysis of shale prospectivity and
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Shale Gas Exploration and Development Progress in China and the Way Forward
Chen, Jianghua
2018-02-01
Shale gas exploration in China started late but is progressing very quickly with the strong support from Central Government. China has 21.8 tcm technically recoverable shale gas resources and 764.3 bcm proved shale gas reserve, mainly in marine facies in Sichuan basin. In 2016, overall shale gas production in China is around 7.9 bcm, while it is set to reach 10 bcm in 2017 and 30 bcm in 2020. BP is the only remaining IOC actor in shale gas exploration in China partnering with CNPC in 2 blocks in Sichuan basin. China is encouraging shale gas business both at Central level and at Provincial level through establishing development plan, continuation of subsidies and research funding. Engineering services for shale gas development and infrastructures are developing, while the overall cost and gas marketing conditions will be key factors for the success in shale gas industry.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yuman Wang
2014-12-01
Full Text Available Searching for some reliable evidences that can verify the carbonification of organic matters in marine shales is a major scientific issue in selecting shale gas fairways in old strata. To this end, based on core, logging and testing data, the electric property of two organic-rich shale layers in the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Fm. and the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Fm. in the southern Sichuan Basin was compared to examine the carbonification signs of organic matters in the Qiongzhusi shale and its influence on gas occurrence in the shales. The following conclusions were reached: (1 the electric property experiment shows that the Qiongzhusi shale in the study area has had carbonification of organic matters. The low resistivity of dry samples from this highly mature organic-rich shale and ultra-low resistivity on downhole logs can be used to directly judge the degree of organic matter carbonification and the quality of source rocks; (2 in the Changning area, the Qiongzhusi shale shows low resistivity of dry samples and low to ultra-low resistivity on logs, indicating that organic matters are seriously carbonized, while in the Weiyuan area, the Qiongzhusi shale shows a basically normal resistivity on log curves, indicating its degree of graphitization between the Longmaxi Fm. and Qiongzhusi Fm. in the Changning area; (3 shale with medium-to-high resistivity is remarkably better than that with ultra-low resistivity in terms of gas generation potential, matrix porosity and gas adsorption capacity; (4 industrial gas flow has been tested in the organic shales with medium-to-high resistivity in the Jianwei–Weiyuan–Tongnan area in the north, where the Qiongzhusi shale is a favorable shale gas exploration target.
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Veen, J.H. ten; Verreussel, R.M.C.H.; Ventra, D.; Zijp, M.H.A.A.
2014-01-01
Shale gas reservoir stimulation procedures (e.g. hydraulic fracturing) require upfront prediction and planning that should be supported by a comprehensive reservoir characterization. Therefore, understanding shale depositional processes and associated vertical and lateral sedimentological
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Seeland, D.A.
1978-01-01
Paleocurrent maps of the fluvial lower Eocene Wind River Formation in the Wind River Basin of central Wyoming define promising uranium- and hydrocarbon-exploration target areas. The Wind River Formation is thought to have the greatest potential for uranium mineralization in areas where it includes arkosic channel sandstones derived from the granitic core of the Granite Mountains, as in the channel-sandstone bodies deposited in Eocene time by a 40-kilometer segment of the eastward-flowing paleo-Wind River that exended westward from near the town of Powder River on the east edge of the basin. Channel-sandstone bodies with a Granite Mountains source occur south of this segment of the paleo-Wind River and north of the Granite Mountains. The southwestern part of this area includes the Gas Hills uranium district, but the channel-sandstone bodies between the Gas Hills district and the 40-kilometer segment of the paleo-Wind River may also be mineralized. This area includes the southeasternmost part of the Wind River Basin southeast of Powder River and contains northeasterly trending channel-sandstone bodies derived from the Granite Mountains. Limited paleocurrent information from the margins of the Wind River Basin suggests that the paleo-Wind River in Paleocene time flowed eastward and had approximately the same location as the eastward-flowing paleo-Wind River of Eocene time. The channel-sandstone bodies of the paleo-Wind Rivers are potential hydrocarbon reservoirs, particularly where they are underlain or overlain by the organic-rich shale and siltstone of the Waltman Shale Member of the Fort Union Formation. If leaks of sulfur-containing gas have created a reducing environment in the Eocene paleo-Wind River channel-sandstone bodies, then I speculate that the areas of overlap of the channel-sandstone bodies and natural-gas fields in the underlying rocks may be particularly favorable areas in which to search for uranium deposits
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Seeland, D.A.
1975-01-01
Paleocurrent maps of the fluvial early Eocene Wind River Formation in the Wind River Basin of central Wyoming define promising uranium and hydrocarbon exploration target areas. The Wind River Formation is thought to have the greatest potential for uranium mineralization in areas where it includes arkosic channel sandstones derived from the granitic core of the Granite Mountains as in the channel sandstones deposited by the 25-mile segment of the Eocene Wind River extending westward from near the town of Powder River on the east edge of the basin. Channel sandstones with a Granite Mountain source occur south of this segment of the Eocene Wind River and north of the Granite Mountains. The southwestern part of this area includes the Gas Hills uranium district but channel sandstones between the Gas Hills district and the 25-mile segment of the Eocene Wind River are potentially mineralized. This area includes the entire southeasternmost part of the Wind River Basin southeast of Powder River and contains northeasterly trending channel sandstones derived from the Granite Mountains. Limited paleocurrent information from the margins of the Wind River Basin suggests that the Paleocene Wind River flowed eastward and had approximately the same location as the eastward-flowing Eocene Wind River. If leaks of sulfur-containing gas have created a reducing environment in the Eocene Wind River channel sandstones, then I speculate that the areas of overlap of the channel sandstones and natural gas fields in the underlying rocks may be particularly favorable areas in which to search for uranium deposits. The channel sandstones of the Paleocene and Eocene Wind Rivers are potential hydrocarbon reservoirs, particularly where underlain or overlain by the organic-rich shale and siltstone of the Waltman Shale Member of the Fort Union Formation
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The effect of maturation on the configurations of acyclic isoprenoid acids in sediments
Mackenzie, A. S.; Patience, R. L.; Yon, D. A.; Maxwell, J. R.
1982-05-01
Within a variety of sedimentary rocks of differing maturity, the configurations of a suite of acyclic isoprenoid acids have been examined by gas Chromatographic (in a few cases also by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis of their diastereoisomeric methyl and (-)-menthyl esters. The samples include the Eocene Messel (Germany) and Green River (U.S.) shales, the Permian Irati shale (Brazil) and a number of Lower Toarcian shales from the Paris Basin. The isomer distributions show that isomerisation occurs at the chiral centres with increasing maturation (to increase the number of isomers) and that the rate of isomerisation increases for centres (C-2,C-3) closest to the carboxyl group. These results suggest that adsorption of the carboxyl group to a catalyst surface may control the isomerisation rates by way of access to the catalyst.
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Precipitation Reconstructions and Periods of Drought in the Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming, USA
Follum, M.; Barnett, A.; Bellamy, J.; Gray, S.; Tootle, G.
2008-12-01
Due to recent drought and stress on water supplies in the Colorado River Compact States, more emphasis has been placed on the study of water resources in the Upper Green River Basin (UGRB) of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The research described here focuses on the creation of long-duration precipitation records for the UGRB using tree-ring chronologies. When combined with existing proxy streamflow reconstructions and drought frequency analysis, these records offer a detailed look at hydrologic variability in the UGRB. Approximately thirty-three existing tree ring chronologies were analyzed for the UGRB area. Several new tree ring chronologies were also developed to enhance the accuracy and the geographical diversity of the resulting tree-ring reconstructions. In total, three new Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and four new limber pine (Pinus flexilis) sites were added to the available tree-ring chronologies in this area. Tree-ring based reconstructions of annual (previous July through current June) precipitation were then created for each of the seventeen sub-watersheds in the UGRB. Reconstructed precipitation records extend back to at least 1654 AD, with reconstructions for some sub-basins beginning pre-1500. Variance explained (i.e. adjusted R2) ranged from 0.41 to 0.74, and the reconstructions performed well in a variety of verification tests. Additional analyses focused on stochastic estimation of drought frequency and return period, and detailed comparisons between reconstructed records and instrumental observations. Overall, this work points to the prevalence of severe, widespread drought in the UGRB. These analyses also highlight the relative wetness and lack of sustained dry periods during the instrumental period (1895-Present). Such long- term assessments are, in turn, vital tools as the Compact States contemplate the "Law of the River" in the face of climate change and ever-growing water demands.
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Assessment of industry needs for oil shale research and development
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hackworth, J.H.
1987-05-01
Thirty-one industry people were contacted to provide input on oil shale in three subject areas. The first area of discussion dealt with industry's view of the shape of the future oil shale industry; the technology, the costs, the participants, the resources used, etc. It assessed the types and scale of the technologies that will form the industry, and how the US resource will be used. The second subject examined oil shale R D needs and priorities and potential new areas of research. The third area of discussion sought industry comments on what they felt should be the role of the DOE (and in a larger sense the US government) in fostering activities that will lead to a future commercial US oil shale shale industry.
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Oil shales and the nuclear process heat
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Scarpinella, C.A.
1974-01-01
Two of the primary energy sources most dited as alternatives to the traditional fossil fuels are oil shales and nuclear energy. Several proposed processes for the extraction and utilization of oil and gas from shale are given. Possible efficient ways in which nuclear heat may be used in these processes are discussed [pt
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Isolation and Characterization of Blue Green Algae from Egyptian ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
meldemellawy
2014-02-20
Feb 20, 2014 ... aminotransferase (AMT) domains of the mycE and ndaF genes (Jungblut et al., 2006) allowing detection of microcystin and nodularin-producing cyanobacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Isolation and cultivation of blue green algae. Blue green algae had been isolated from soil of Rice field in river.
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Intergrated study of the Devonian-age black shales in eastern Ohio. Final report
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Gray, J.D.; Struble, R.A.; Carlton, R.W.; Hodges, D.A.; Honeycutt, F.M.; Kingsbury, R.H.; Knapp, N.F.; Majchszak, F.L.; Stith, D.A.
1982-09-01
This integrated study of the Devonian-age shales in eastern Ohio by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey is part of the Eastern Gas Shales Project sponsored by the US Department of Energy. The six areas of research included in the study are: (1) detailed stratigraphic mapping, (2) detailed structure mapping, (3) mineralogic and petrographic characterization, (4) geochemical characterization, (5) fracture trace and lineament analysis, and (6) a gas-show monitoring program. The data generated by the study provide a basis for assessing the most promising stratigraphic horizons for occurrences of natural gas within the Devonian shale sequence and the most favorable geographic areas of the state for natural gas exploration and should be useful in the planning and design of production-stimulation techniques. Four major radioactive units in the Devonian shale sequence are believed to be important source rocks and reservoir beds for natural gas. In order of potential for development as an unconventional gas resource, they are (1) lower and upper radioactive facies of the Huron Shale Member of the Ohio Shale, (2) upper Olentangy Shale (Rhinestreet facies equivalent), (3) Cleveland Shale Member of the Ohio Shale, and (4) lower Olentangy Shale (Marcellus facies equivalent). These primary exploration targets are recommended on the basis of areal distribution, net thickness of radioactive shale, shows of natural gas, and drilling depth to the radioactive unit. Fracture trends indicate prospective areas for Devonian shale reservoirs. Good geological prospects in the Devonian shales should be located where the fracture trends coincide with thick sequences of organic-rich highly radioactive shale.
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Pressurized fluidized-bed hydroretorting of Eastern oil shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Roberts, M.J.; Mensinger, M.C.; Rue, D.M.; Lau, F.S. (Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)); Schultz, C.W. (Alabama Univ., University, AL (United States)); Parekh, B.K. (Kentucky Univ., Lexington, KY (United States)); Misra, M. (Nevada Univ., Reno, NV (United States)); Bonner, W.P. (Tennessee Technological Univ., Cookeville, TN (United States))
1992-11-01
The Devonian oil shales of the Eastern United States are a significant domestic energy resource. The overall objective of the multi-year program, initiated in October 1987 by the US Department of Energy is to perform the research necessary to develop the Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Hydroretorting (PFH) process for producing oil from Eastern oil shales. The program also incorporates research on technologies in areas such as raw shale preparation, beneficiation, product separation, and waste disposal that have the potential of improving the economics and/or environmental acceptability of recovering oil from oil shales using the PFH process. The results of the original 3-year program, which was concluded in May 1991, have been summarized in a four-volume final report published by IGT. DOE subsequently approved a 1-year extension to the program to further develop the PFH process specifically for application to beneficiated shale as feedstock. Studies have shown that beneficiated shale is the preferred feedstock for pressurized hydroretorting. The program extension is divided into the following active tasks. Task 3. testing of process improvement concepts; Task 4. beneficiation research; Task 5. operation of PFH on beneficiated shale; Task 6. environmental data and mitigation analyses; Task 7. sample procurement, preparation, and characterization; and Task 8. project management and reporting. In order to accomplish all the program objectives, the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT), the prime contractor, worked with four other institutions: the University of Alabama/Mineral Resources Institute (MRI), the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UK-CAER), the University of Nevada (UN) at Reno, and Tennessee Technological University (TTU). This report presents the work performed during the program extension from June 1, 1991 through May 31, 1992.
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Shale Gas and Oil in Germany - Resources and Environmental Impacts
Ladage, Stefan; Blumenberg, Martin; Houben, Georg; Pfunt, Helena; Gestermann, Nicolai; Franke, Dieter; Erbacher, Jochen
2017-04-01
In light of the controversial debate on "unconventional" oil and gas resources and the environmental impacts of "fracking", the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) conducted a comprehensive resource assessment of shale gas and light tight oil in Germany and studied the potential environmental impacts of shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing from a geoscientific perspective. Here, we present our final results (BGR 2016), incorporating the majority of potential shale source rock formations in Germany. Besides shale gas, light tight oil has been assessed. According to our set of criteria - i.e. thermal maturity 0.6-1.2 %vitrinite reflectance (VR; oil) and >1.2 % VR (gas) respectively, organic carbon content > 2%, depth between 500/1000 m and 5000 m as well as a net thickness >20 m - seven potentially generative shale formations were indentified, the most important of them being the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) Posidonia shale with both shale gas and tight oil potential. The North German basin is by far the most prolific basin. The resource assessment was carried out using a volumetric in-place approach. Variability inherent in the input parameters was accounted for using Monte-Carlo simulations. Technically recoverable resources (TRR) were estimated using recent, production-based recovery factors of North American shale plays and also employing Monte-Carlo simulations. In total, shale gas TRR range between 320 and 2030 bcm and tight oil TRR between 13 and 164 Mio. t in Germany. Tight oil potential is therefore considered minor, whereas the shale gas potential exceeds that of conventional resources by far. Furthermore an overview of numerical transport modelling approaches concerning environmental impacts of the hydraulic fracturing is given. These simulations are based on a representative lithostratigraphy model of the North-German basin, where major shale plays can be expected. Numerical hydrogeological modelling of frac fluid
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Biogenic gas in the Cambrian-Ordovcian Alum Shale (Denmark and Sweden)
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schulz, H.M.; Wirth, R.; Biermann, S.; Arning, E.T. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam - Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Potsdam (Germany); Krueger, M.; Straaten, N. [BGR Hannover (Germany); Bechtel, A. [Montanuniv. Leoben (Austria); Berk, W. van [Technical Univ. of Clausthal (Germany); Schovsbo, N.H. [Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland - GEUS, Copenhagen (Denmark); Crabtree, Stephen [Gripen Gas (Sweden)
2013-08-01
Shale gas is mainly produced from thermally mature black shales. However, biogenic methane also represents a resource which is often underestimated. Today biogenic methane is being produced from the Upper Devonian Antrim Shale in the Michigan Basin which was the most successfully exploited shale gas system during the 1990-2000 decade in the U.S.A. before significant gas production from the Barnett Shale started (Curtis et al., 2008). The Cambro-Ordovician Alum Shale in northern Europe has thermal maturities ranging from overmature in southern areas (Denmark and southern Sweden) to immature conditions (central Sweden). Biogenic methane is recorded during drilling in central Sweden. The immature Alum Shale in central Sweden has total organic carbon (TOC) contents up to 20 wt%. The hydrogen index HI ranges from 380 to 560 mgHC/gTOC at very low oxygen index (OI) values of around 4 mg CO{sub 2}/gTOC, Tmax ranges between 420 - 430 C. The organic matter is highly porous. In general, the Alum Shale is a dense shale with intercalated sandy beds which may be dense due to carbonate cementation. Secondary porosity is created in some sandy beds due to feldspar dissolution and these beds serve as gas conduits. Methane production rates with shale as substrate in the laboratory are dependent on the kind of hydrocarbon-degrading microbial enrichment cultures used in the incubation experiments, ranging from 10-620 nmol/(g*d). In these experiments, the CO{sub 2} production rate was always higher than for methane. Like the northern part of North America, also Northern European has been covered by glaciers during the Pleistocene and similar geological processes may have developed leading to biogenic shale gas formation. For the Antrim Shale one hypothesis suggests that fresh waters, recharged from Pleistocene glaciation and modern precipitation, suppressed basinal brine salinity along the northern margins of the Michigan Basin to greater depths and thereby enhancing methanogenesis
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Fluid flow from matrix to fractures in Early Jurassic shales
Houben, M.E.; Hardebol, N.J.; Barnhoorn, A.; Boersma, Quinten; Carone, A.; Liu, Y.; de Winter, D.A.M.; Peach, C.J.; Drury, M.R.
2017-01-01
The potential of shale reservoirs for gas extraction is largely determined by the permeability of the rock. Typical pore diameters in shales range from the μm down to the nm scale. The permeability of shale reservoirs is a function of the interconnectivity between the pore space and the natural
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Fluid flow from matrix to fractures in Early Jurassic shales
Houben, M. E.; Hardebol, N.J.; Barnhoorn, A.; Boersma, Q.D.; Carone, A.; Liu, Y.; de Winter, D. A.M.; Peach, C. J.; Drury, M. R.
2017-01-01
The potential of shale reservoirs for gas extraction is largely determined by the permeability of the rock. Typical pore diameters in shales range from the μm down to the nm scale. The permeability of shale reservoirs is a function of the interconnectivity between the pore space and the natural
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Fingerprinting Marcellus Shale waste products from Pb isotope and trace metal perspectives
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Johnson, Jason D.; Graney, Joseph R.
2015-01-01
Highlights: • Dry drilled, uncontaminated cuttings from Marcellus Shale and surrounding units. • Unoxidized and oxidized samples leached short and long term with H 2 O or dilute HCl. • Pb isotope ratios have distinctly different values from Marcellus Shale samples. • Mo and other trace metals can be used as Marcellus Shale environmental tracers. • Marcellus Shale leachate concentrations can exceed EPA contaminant screening levels. - Abstract: Drill cuttings generated during unconventional natural gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin, U.S.A., generally contain a very large component of organic-rich black shale because of extensive lateral drilling into this target unit. In this study, element concentrations and Pb isotope ratios obtained from leached drill cuttings spanning 600 m of stratigraphic section were used to assess the potential for short and long term environmental impacts from Marcellus Shale waste materials, in comparison with material from surrounding formations. Leachates of the units above, below and within the Marcellus Shale yielded Cl/Br ratios of 100–150, similar to produced water values. Leachates from oxidized and unoxidized drill cuttings from the Marcellus Shale contain distinct suites of elevated trace metal concentrations, including Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Sb, U, V and Zn. The most elevated Mo, Ni, Sb, U, and V concentrations are found in leachates from the lower portion of the Marcellus Shale, the section typically exploited for natural gas production. In addition, lower 207 Pb/ 206 Pb ratios within the lower Marcellus Shale (0.661–0.733) provide a distinctive fingerprint from formations above (0.822–0.846) and below (0.796–0.810), reflecting 206 Pb produced as a result of in situ 238 U decay within this organic rich black shale. Trace metal concentrations from the Marcellus Shale leachates are similar to total metal concentrations from other black shales. These metal concentrations can exceed screening
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Application of binomial-edited CPMG to shale characterization.
Washburn, Kathryn E; Birdwell, Justin E
2014-09-01
Unconventional shale resources may contain a significant amount of hydrogen in organic solids such as kerogen, but it is not possible to directly detect these solids with many NMR systems. Binomial-edited pulse sequences capitalize on magnetization transfer between solids, semi-solids, and liquids to provide an indirect method of detecting solid organic materials in shales. When the organic solids can be directly measured, binomial-editing helps distinguish between different phases. We applied a binomial-edited CPMG pulse sequence to a range of natural and experimentally-altered shale samples. The most substantial signal loss is seen in shales rich in organic solids while fluids associated with inorganic pores seem essentially unaffected. This suggests that binomial-editing is a potential method for determining fluid locations, solid organic content, and kerogen-bitumen discrimination. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Trace elements in oil shale. Progress report, 1976--1979
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Chappell, W.R.
1979-01-01
The overall objective of the program is to evaluate the environmental and health consequences of the release of toxic trace elements (As, B, F, Mo, Se) by shale oil production and use. Some of the particularly significant results are: The baseline geochemical survey shows that stable trace elements maps can be constructed for numerous elements and that the trends observed are related to geologic and climatic factors. Shale retorted by above-ground processes tends to be very homogeneous (both in space and in time) in trace element content. This implies that the number of analytical determinations required of processed shales is not large. Leachate studies show that significant amounts of B, F, And Mo are released from retorted shales and while B and Mo are rapidly flushed out, F is not. On the other hand, As, Se, and most other trace elements ae not present in significant quantities. Significant amounts of F and B are also found in leachates of raw shales. Very large concentrations of reduced sulfur species are found in leachates of processed shale. Upon oxidation a drastic lowering in pH is observed. Preliminary data indicates that this oxidation is catalyzed by bacteria. Very high levels of B and Mo are taken up in some plants growing on processed shale with and without soil cover. These amounts depend upon the process and various site specific characteristics. In general, the amounts taken up decrease with increasing soil cover. On the other hand, we have not observed significant uptake of As, Se, and F into plants. There is a tendency for some trace elements to associate with specific organic fractions, indicating that organic chelation or complexation may play an important role. In particular, most of the Cd, Se, and Cr in shale oil is associated with the organic fraction containing most of the nitrogen-containing compounds.
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Multiphysical Testing of Soils and Shales
Ferrari, Alessio
2013-01-01
Significant advancements in the experimental analysis of soils and shales have been achieved during the last few decades. Outstanding progress in the field has led to the theoretical development of geomechanical theories and important engineering applications. This book provides the reader with an overview of recent advances in a variety of advanced experimental techniques and results for the analysis of the behaviour of geomaterials under multiphysical testing conditions. Modern trends in experimental geomechanics for soils and shales are discussed, including testing materials in variably saturated conditions, non-isothermal experiments, micro-scale investigations and image analysis techniques. Six theme papers from leading researchers in experimental geomechanics are also included. This book is intended for postgraduate students, researchers and practitioners in fields where multiphysical testing of soils and shales plays a fundamental role, such as unsaturated soil and rock mechanics, petroleum engineering...
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Process for recovering oil from shale, etc
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1920-08-20
A process is described for recovering oil from oil-shale and the like, by the direct action of the hot gases obtained by burning the carbonized shale residue. It is immediately carried out in separate adjacent chambers, through which the feed goes from one to the other intermittently, from the upper to the lower.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Doumbouya, M.; Kacemi, K.E.; Kitane, S.
2012-01-01
Like the use of coal ash from power plants as an addition to cement, oil shale are used for cement production on an industrial scale in Estonia, China, USA and Germany. Oil shale can be utilized in manufacturing the cement. In addition to the utilization of these by-products after combustion, it can also reduce the required temperature for the clinkering reactions during the production of Portland clinker. We performed a study on the Moroccan oil shale to maximize the use of oil shale ash in the manufacturing of Portland cement. We found that Moroccan oil shale ash can be used up to 30% with 70% Portland clinker without altering its principle properties. The corresponding temperature required to generate the required liquid for the clinkering reactions as well as the essential ingredients for clinker was found to be around 850 to 1000 deg. C. The operating temperatures for this optimized blend ratio were found to 1000 deg. C. The resulting Portland clinker from this ratio will need further testing in accordance with international standards for Portland cement to examine properties like strength and setting time. (author)
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Attenuation of Chemical Reactivity of Shale Matrixes following Scale Precipitation
Li, Q.; Jew, A. D.; Kohli, A. H.; Alalli, G.; Kiss, A. M.; Kovscek, A. R.; Zoback, M. D.; Brown, G. E.; Maher, K.; Bargar, J.
2017-12-01
Introduction of fracture fluids into shales initiates a myriad of fluid-rock reactions that can strongly influence migration of fluid and hydrocarbon through shale/fracture interfaces. Due to the extremely low permeability of shale matrixes, studies on chemical reactivity of shales have mostly focused on shale surfaces. Shale-fluid interactions inside within shale matrixes have not been examined, yet the matrix is the primary conduit through which hydrocarbons and potential contaminants are transmitted. To characterize changes in matrix mineralogy, porosity, diffusivity, and permeability during hydraulic stimulation, we reacted Marcellus (high clay and low carbonate) and Eagle Ford (low clay and high carbonate) shale cores with fracture fluids for 3 weeks at elevated pressure and temperature (80 oC, and 77 bars). In the carbonate-poor Marcellus system, fluid pH increased from 2 to 4, and secondary Fe(OH)3 precipitates were observed in the fluid. Sulfur X-ray fluorescence maps show that fluids had saturated and reacted with the entire 1-cm-diameter core. In the carbonate-rich Eagle Ford system, pH increased from 2 to 6 due to calcite dissolution. When additional Ba2+ and SO42- were present (log10(Q/K)=1.3), extensive barite precipitation was observed in the matrix of the Eagle Ford core (and on the surface). Barite precipitation was also observed on the surface of the Marcellus core, although to a lesser extent. In the Marcellus system, the presence of barite scale attenuated diffusivity in the matrix, as demonstrated by sharply reduced Fe leaching and much less sulfide oxidation. Systematic studies in homogeneous solution show that barite scale precipitation rates are highly sensitive to pH, salinity, and the presence of organic compounds. These findings imply that chemical reactions are not confined to shale/fluid interfaces but can penetrate into shale matrices, and that barite scale formation can clog diffusion pathways for both fluid and hydrocarbon.
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Brazil, L.
2017-12-01
The Shale Network's extensive database of water quality observations enables educational experiences about the potential impacts of resource extraction with real data. Through open source tools that are developed and maintained by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI), researchers, educators, and citizens can access and analyze the very same data that the Shale Network team has used in peer-reviewed publications about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water. The development of the Shale Network database has been made possible through collection efforts led by an academic team and involving numerous individuals from government agencies, citizen science organizations, and private industry. Thus far, CUAHSI-supported data tools have been used to engage high school students, university undergraduate and graduate students, as well as citizens so that all can discover how energy production impacts the Marcellus Shale region, which includes Pennsylvania and other nearby states. This presentation will describe these data tools, how the Shale Network has used them in developing educational material, and the resources available to learn more.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zuqing Chen
2016-03-01
Full Text Available The accumulation pattern of the marine shale gas in South China is different from that in North America. The former has generally thin reservoirs and complex preservation conditions, so it is difficult to make a fine description of the structural features of shale formations and to reflect accurately the distribution pattern of high-quality shale by using the conventional 2D and 3D seismic exploration technology, which has an adverse effect on the successful deployment of horizontal wells. In view of this, high-precision 3D seismic prospecting focusing on lithological survey was implemented to make an accurate description of the distribution of shale gas sweet spots so that commercial shale gas production can be obtained. Therefore, due to the complex seismic geological condition of Jiaoshiba area in Fuling, SE Sichuan Basin, the observation system of high-precision 3D seismic acquisition should have such features as wide-azimuth angles, small trace intervals, high folds, uniform vertical and horizontal coverage and long spread to meet the needs of the shale gas exploration in terms of structural interpretation, lithological interpretation and fracture prediction. Based on this idea, the first implemented high-precision 3D seismic exploration project in Jiaoshiba area played an important role in the discovery of the large Jiaoshiba shale gas field. Considering that the high-quality marine shale in the Sichuan Basin shows the characteristics of multi-layer development from the Silurian system to the Cambrian system, the strategy of shale gas stereoscopic exploration should be implemented to fully obtain the oil and gas information of the shallow, medium and deep strata from the high-precision 3D seismic data, and ultimately to expand the prospecting achievements in an all-round way to balance the high upstream exploration cost, and to continue to push the efficient shale gas exploration and development process in China.
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Joint DoD/DoE Shale Oil Project. Volume 3. Testing of Refined Shale Oil Fuels.
1983-12-01
10-9. GROWTH RATINGS OF CLADOSPORIUM RESINAE AT VARIOUS INCUBATION STAGES ......................... 10-25 S 0 xv - LIST OF TABLES (Continued) TABLE 10...test_nC are sho’ T, in Trbl]e .3 d :: ab ffr stead..--staoe zerfrrmance was noted wcrh the snale fel. Wh’le a ..6 :o:n: = in Scecifiz Fuel Consumption...both shale DFM and shale JP-5 support heavy growth of Cladosporium resinae . Short-term engine performance tests were conducted on two gas turbine
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Nitrogen fixation by legumes in retorted shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hersman, L E; Molitoris, E; Klein, D A
1981-01-01
A study was made to determine whether retorted shale additions would significantly affect symbiotic N/sub 2/ fixation. Results indicate that small additions of the shale may stimulate plant growth but with higher concentrations plants are stressed, resulting in a decreased biomass and a compensatory effect of an increased number of nodules and N/sub 2/ fixation potential. (JMT)
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Heterogeneity of shale documented by micro-FTIR and image analysis.
Chen, Yanyan; Mastalerz, Maria; Schimmelmann, Arndt
2014-12-01
In this study, four New Albany Shale Devonian and Mississippian samples, with vitrinite reflectance [Ro ] values ranging from 0.55% to 1.41%, were analyzed by micro-FTIR mapping of chemical and mineralogical properties. One additional postmature shale sample from the Haynesville Shale (Kimmeridgian, Ro = 3.0%) was included to test the limitation of the method for more mature substrates. Relative abundances of organic matter and mineral groups (carbonates, quartz and clays) were mapped across selected microscale regions based on characteristic infrared peaks and demonstrated to be consistent with corresponding bulk compositional percentages. Mapped distributions of organic matter provide information on the organic matter abundance and the connectivity of organic matter within the overall shale matrix. The pervasive distribution of organic matter mapped in the New Albany Shale sample MM4 is in agreement with this shale's high total organic carbon abundance relative to other samples. Mapped interconnectivity of organic matter domains in New Albany Shale samples is excellent in two early mature shale samples having Ro values from 0.55% to 0.65%, then dramatically decreases in a late mature sample having an intermediate Ro of 1.15% and finally increases again in the postmature sample, which has a Ro of 1.41%. Swanson permeabilities, derived from independent mercury intrusion capillary pressure porosimetry measurements, follow the same trend among the four New Albany Shale samples, suggesting that micro-FTIR, in combination with complementary porosimetric techniques, strengthens our understanding of porosity networks. In addition, image processing and analysis software (e.g. ImageJ) have the capability to quantify organic matter and total organic carbon - valuable parameters for highly mature rocks, because they cannot be analyzed by micro-FTIR owing to the weakness of the aliphatic carbon-hydrogen signal. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal
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Analysis of the environmental control technology for oil shale development
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
de Nevers, N.; Eckhoff, D.; Swanson, S.; Glenne, B.; Wagner, F.
1978-02-01
The environmental control technology proposed in the various oil shale projects which are under development are examined. The technologies for control of air pollution, water pollution, and for the disposal, stabilization, and vegetation of the processed shale were thoroughly investigated. Although some difficulties may be encountered in any of these undertakings, it seems clear that the air and water pollution problems can be solved to meet any applicable standard. There are no published national standards against which to judge the stabilization and vegetation of the processed shale. However, based on the goal of producing an environmentally and aesthetically acceptable finished processed shale pile, it seems probable that this can be accomplished. It is concluded that the environmental control technology is available to meet all current legal requirements. This was not the case before Colorado changed their applicable Air Pollution regulations in August of 1977; the previous ones for the oil shale region were sufficiently stringent to have caused a problem for the current stage of oil shale development. Similarly, the federal air-quality, non-deterioration regulations could be interpreted in the future in ways which would be difficult for the oil shale industry to comply with. The Utah water-quality, non-deterioration regulations could also be a problem. Thus, the only specific regulations which may be a problem are the non-deterioration parts of air and water quality regulations. The unresolved areas of environmental concern with oil shale processing are mostly for the problems not covered by existing environmental law, e.g., trace metals, polynuclear organics, ground water-quality changes, etc. These may be problems, but no evidence is yet available that these problems will prevent the successful commercialization of oil shale production.
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Life cycle water consumption for shale gas and conventional natural gas.
Clark, Corrie E; Horner, Robert M; Harto, Christopher B
2013-10-15
Shale gas production represents a large potential source of natural gas for the nation. The scale and rapid growth in shale gas development underscore the need to better understand its environmental implications, including water consumption. This study estimates the water consumed over the life cycle of conventional and shale gas production, accounting for the different stages of production and for flowback water reuse (in the case of shale gas). This study finds that shale gas consumes more water over its life cycle (13-37 L/GJ) than conventional natural gas consumes (9.3-9.6 L/GJ). However, when used as a transportation fuel, shale gas consumes significantly less water than other transportation fuels. When used for electricity generation, the combustion of shale gas adds incrementally to the overall water consumption compared to conventional natural gas. The impact of fuel production, however, is small relative to that of power plant operations. The type of power plant where the natural gas is utilized is far more important than the source of the natural gas.
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Producing electricity from Israel oil shale with PFBC technology
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Grinberg, A.; Keren, M.; Podshivalov, V.; Anderson, J.
2000-01-01
Results of Israeli oil shale combustion at atmospheric pressure in the AFBC commercial boiler manufactured by Foster Wheeler Energia Oy (Finland) and in the pressurized test facility of ABB Carbon AB (Finspong, Sweden) confirm suitability of fluidized-bed technologies in case of oil shale. The results approve possibility to use the PFBC technology in case of oil shale after solving of some problems connected with great amounts of fine fly ash. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1994-09-01
Modifications to the water resources protection strategy detailed in the remedial action plan for the Green River, Utah, disposal site are presented. The modifications are based on new information, including ground water quality data collected after remedial action was completed and on a revised assessment of disposal cell design features, surface conditions, and site hydrogeology. The modifications will result in compliance with the U.S. EPA proposed ground water standards (52 FR 36000 (1987))
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Some problems of oil shale retorting in Estonia
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oepik, I.
1994-01-01
Oil shale in Estonia will be competitive in the long term as a primary resource for power generating. The price of energy of Estonian oil shale is at present approximately 4 times lower than of coal. The price of electricity is anticipated to grow up to EEK 1.0/kWh in year 2020. The electricity price EEK 0.2/kWh at present in Estonia does not include capital costs needed for refurbishing of Estonian oil-shale-consuming power stations between the years 2000-2010. While all the prices and calculations of the enterprise are presented with no inflation adjustment, the other operation costs of oil shale retorting are anticipated for the prognosed period to remain at the present level: power consumption kWh 280/t crude oils and other operation costs (excluding labour, raw material and power consumption) EEK 100/t of oil
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Conacher, H R.J.
1916-12-01
Oil shales contain two distinct types of organic material, one is comparable to the woody material in coal and the other consists of yellow bodies. When distilled, the latter yields the liquid product typical of oil shale, whereas the woody material produces large amounts of ammonia. The yellow bodies have been described by various investigators as fossil algae, spores, or dried-up globules of petroleum. In this study it was concluded that the yellow bodies were fragments of resins set free by the decay and oxidation of the vegetable matter with which they were originally associated.
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Discussion on the exploration & development prospect of shale gas in the Sichuan Basin
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dazhong Dong
2015-01-01
Full Text Available The Sichuan Basin, a hotspot and one of the most successful areas for shale gas exploration and development, can largely reflect and have a big say in the future prospect of shale gas in China. Through an overall review on the progress in shale gas exploration and development in the Sichuan Basin, we obtained the following findings: (1 the Sichuan Basin has experienced the marine and terrestrial depositional evolution, resulting in the deposition of three types of organic-matter-rich shales (i.e. marine, transitional, and terrestrial, and the occurrence of six sets of favorable shale gas enrichment strata (i.e. the Sinian Doushantuo Fm, the Cambrian Qiongzhusi Fm, the Ordovician Wufeng–Silurian Longmaxi Fm, the Permian Longtan Fm, the Triassic Xujiahe Fm, and the Jurassic Zhiliujing Fm; (2 the five key elements for shale gas accumulation in the Wufeng-Longmaxi Fm are deep-water shelf facies, greater thickness of organic-rich shales, moderate thermal evolution, abundant structural fractures, reservoir overpressure; and (3 the exploration and development of shale gas in this basin still confronts two major challenges, namely, uncertain sweet spots and potential prospect of shale gas, and the immature technologies in the development of shale gas resources at a depth of more than 3500 m. In conclusion, shale gas has been discovered in the Jurassic, Triassic and Cambrian, and preliminary industrial-scale gas has been produced in the Ordovician-Silurian Fm in the Sichuan Basin, indicating a promising prospect there; commercial shale gas can be produced there with an estimated annual gas output of 30–60 billion m3; and shale gas exploration and production experiences in this basin will provide valuable theoretical and technical support for commercial shale gas development in China.
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Shale gas - uncertain destiny?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Signoret, Stephane
2013-01-01
This article outlines that, even if it would be allowed, the exploitation of shale gas in France would need ten years to start, and no one can say what would be our needs then and what would be the situation of the gas market at that time. Even if the government decided to forbid hydraulic fracturing, there could be some opportunity for experimentation with a search for alternative technology. The article notices that risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and extraction of non conventional hydrocarbons, i.e. water pollution and consumption and land use, are variously perceived in different European countries (Germany, Romania, Poland) where important American actors are present (Chevron, Exxon) to exploit shale gases. In the USA, the economic profitability seems in fact to rapidly decrease
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Developments in production of synthetic fuels out of Estonian shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Aarna, Indrek
2010-09-15
Estonia is still the world leader in utilization of oil shale. Enefit has cooperated with Outotec to develop a new generation of solid heat carrier technology - Enefit280, which is more efficient, environmentally friendlier and has higher unit capacity. Breakeven price of oil produced in Enefit280 process is competitive with conventional oils. The new technology has advantages that allow easy adaptation to other oil shales around the world. Hydrotreated shale oil liquids have similar properties to crude oil cuts. Design for a shale oil hydrotreater unit can use process concepts, hardware components, and catalysts commercially proven in petroleum refining services.
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Zhu, Zhenhong; Yao, Genshun; Lou, Zhanghua; Jin, Aimin; Zhu, Rong; Jin, Chong; Chen, Chao
2018-05-01
Multiple sets of organic-rich shales developed in the Upper Paleozoic of the northwestern Guizhong Depression in South China. However, the exploration of these shales is presently at a relatively immature stage. The Upper Paleozoic shales in the northwestern Guizhong Depression, including the Middle Devonian Luofu shale, the Nabiao shale, and the Lower Carboniferous Yanguan shale, were investigated in this study. Mineral composition analysis, organic matter analysis (including total organic carbon (TOC) content, maceral of kerogen and the vitrinite reflection (Ro)), pore characteristic analysis (including porosity and permeability, pore type identification by SEM, and pore size distribution by nitrogen sorption), methane isothermal sorption test were conducted, and the distribution and thickness of the shales were determined, Then the characteristics of the two target shales were illustrated and compared. The results show that the Upper Paleozoic shales have favorable organic matter conditions (mainly moderate to high TOC content, type I and II1 kerogen and high to over maturity), good fracability potential (brittleness index (BI) > 40%), multiple pore types, stable distribution and effective thickness, and good methane sorption capacity. Therefore, the Upper Paleozoic shales in the northern Guizhong Depression have good shale gas potential and exploration prospects. Moreover, the average TOC content, average BI, thickness of the organic-rich shale (TOC > 2.0 wt%) and the shale gas resources of the Middle Devonian shales are better than those of the Lower Carboniferous shale. The Middle Devonian shales have better shale gas potential and exploration prospects than the Lower Carboniferous shales.
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Evaluation of excavation experience: Pierre shale. Final report
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Abel, J.F. Jr.; Gentry, D.W.
1975-01-01
Pierre shale and its stratigraphic equivalents represent a potentially favorable geologic environment for underground storage of hazardous waste products. These rock formations cover great areal and vertical extents, and represent some of the least permeable rock formations within the continental United States. There are, however, several engineering problems associated with constructing underground openings in Pierre shale. This formation is relatively weak and tends to deteriorate rather rapidly if not protected from the mine environment. It will be necessary to place all underground openings below the surficially weathered upper 50 to 70 feet of Pierre shale which contains groundwater moving on fracture permeability. The optimum site for disposal of hazardous waste in Pierre shale, or its stratigraphic equivalents, would be a seismically stable platform bounded on all sides by faults. The optimum size of individual openings would be the minimum necessary for access, storage, and retrieval of waste components. Underground excavations in Pierre shale must be made with care, must be of limited dimensions, must be widely spaced, must be protected from prolonged contact with the mine environment, must be supported immediately after excavation, and must be sited to avoid areas of faulting and(or) intense jointing. Underground openings constructed with boring machines and supported with wet shotcrete are recommended
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Method of distillation of sulfurous bituminous shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hallback, A J.S.; Bergh, S V
1918-04-22
A method of distillation of sulfur-containing bituminous shales is characterized by passing the hot sulfur-containing and oil-containing gases and vapors formed during the distillation through burned shale containing iron oxide, so that when these gases and vapors are thereafter cooled they will be, as far as possible, free from sulfur compounds. The patent contains six more claims.
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Energy (in)security in Poland the case of shale gas
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Johnson, Corey; Boersma, Tim
2013-01-01
The large scale extraction of natural gas from shale rock layers in North America using hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, has prompted geologists, economists and politicians in various parts of the world to ask whether there are new reserves of this precious resource to be found under their soils. It has also raised a host of questions about the potential environmental impacts of extracting it. Drawing on research on both sides of the Atlantic, this paper assesses the most pressing issues for research and policy makers related to shale gas extraction. The paper first provides a survey of environmental and economic issues related to shale gas. It then turns to a case study of Poland, whose policy makers have been among the most fervent proponents of shale gas development in the European Union. We examine the status of shale gas extraction in that country and what the barriers are to overcome before commercial extraction can in fact take place, if at all. - Highlights: ► We examine geologic, economic, environmental and political issues of shale gas. ► Poland is used to assess prospects for shale gas development in Europe. ► Debate in Poland has largely been framed as an energy security issue. ► A number of significant hurdles may prevent large scale development there.
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Cracking mechanism of shale cracks during fracturing
Zhao, X. J.; Zhan, Q.; Fan, H.; Zhao, H. B.; An, F. J.
2018-06-01
In this paper, we set up a model for calculating the shale fracture pressure on the basis of Huang’s model by the theory of elastic-plastic mechanics, rock mechanics and the application of the maximum tensile stress criterion, which takes into account such factors as the crustal stress field, chemical field, temperature field, tectonic stress field, the porosity of shale and seepage of drilling fluid and so on. Combined with the experimental data of field fracturing and the experimental results of three axis compression of shale core with different water contents, the results show that the error between the present study and the measured value is 3.85%, so the present study can provide technical support for drilling engineering.
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Economic Impacts Analysis of Shale Gas Investment in China
Han, Shangfeng; Zhang, Baosheng; Wang, Xuecheng
2018-01-01
Chinese government has announced an ambitious shale gas extraction plan, which requires significant investment. This has the potential to draw investment from other areas and may affect the whole China’s economy. There is few study to date has quantified these shale gas investment’s effects on Chinese economy. The aim of this paper is to quantify the economic effect and figures out whether shale gas investment in China is a good choice or not. Input-output analysis has been utilized in this study to estimate the economic impacts in four different Chinese regions. Our findings show that shale gas investment will result in approximately 868, 427, 115 and 42 Billion RMB economic impacts in Sichuan, Chongqing, Inner Mongolia and Guizhou, respectively. The total economic impact is only around 1453 Billion RMB, which is not significant compared to the economic impact of coalbed methane investment. Considering the potential risks of environmental issues, we suggest that it may be a better strategy for the government, at least in the current situation, to slow down shale gas development investment.
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Structural Evolution and Mobile Shale Deformation in the Eastern Niger Delta
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wiener, R. W.; Aikhionbare, D. O. L.
2002-01-01
Regional cross-sections and restorations of the eastern delta constructed from 2D and 3D seismic data show the structural evolution of paired extensional contractional belts and the kinematic and geometric evolution of mobile shale. The delta consists of an updip extensional belt and downdip zones of transitional and contractional deformation linked by a regional detachment. The extensional belt is characterized by zones of N-dipping (counterregional) and S-dipping (regional) normal faults.In the regional fault trend, sediment accommodation space is created largely by lateral movement of mobile substrate due to sediment loading and gravity. The transitional belt is characterized by low relief, shale-cored detachment folds and normal faults. The contractional belt consists of 2 parts, the high relief shale-cored detachment fold belt (mobile shale) and the fold/thrust belt: In the mobile shale belt, anticlines are generally symmetric and characterized by parallel-folded cover and highly variable thickness in the underlying ductile shale zone.Palinspastic restoration of the mobile shale by area balance shows a high degree of lateral and vertical mobility. Isostatic restoration of the depositional wedge that is the precursor to the mobile shale suggests lateral movement of 10s of kms from the extensional to the contractional domain. The fold and thrust belt is characterized by a train of asymmetric fault-related folds. The zone of ductile substrate is thin in this area, which may account for the change in structural style from high relief detachment folds in the mobile shale belt to a more classic fold/thrust belt style to the south
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Shope, Christopher L.; Gerner, Steven J.
2014-01-01
Salinity loads throughout the Colorado River Basin have been a concern over recent decades due to adverse impacts on population, natural resources, and regional economics. With substantial financial resources and various reclamation projects, the salt loading to Lake Powell and associated total dissolved-solids concentrations in the Lower Colorado River Basin have been substantially reduced. The Colorado River between its confluence with the Dolores River and Lake Powell traverses a physiographic area where saline sedimentary formations and evaporite deposits are prevalent. However, the dissolved-solids loading in this area is poorly understood due to the paucity of water-quality data. From 2003 to 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation conducted four synoptic sampling events to quantify the salinity loading throughout the study reach and evaluate the occurrence and impacts of both natural and anthropogenic sources. The results from this study indicate that under late-summer base-flow conditions, dissolved-solids loading in the reach is negligible with the exception of the Green River, and that variations in calculated loads between synoptic sampling events are within measurement and analytical uncertainties. The Green River contributed approximately 22 percent of the Colorado River dissolved-solids load, based on samples collected at the lower end of the study reach. These conclusions are supported by water-quality analyses for chloride and bromide, and the results of analyses for the stable isotopes of oxygen and deuterium. Overall, no significant sources of dissolved-solids loading from tributaries or directly by groundwater discharge, with the exception of the Green River, were identified in the study area.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Matthews, M.L.; Alkema, K.
1991-03-01
This Remedial Action Plan (RAP) has been developed to serve a threefold purpose. It presents the series of activities that are proposed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to accomplish long-term stabilization and control of radioactive materials at the inactive uranium processing site located near Green River, Utah. It provides a characterization of the present conditions of the site. It also serves to document the concurrence of the state of Utah and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the remedial action. This agreement, upon execution by the DOE and the state of Utah, and concurrence by the NRC, becomes Appendix 8 of the Cooperative Agreement
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chenji Wei
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Gas transport in shale gas reservoirs is largely affected by rock properties such as permeability. These properties are often sensitive to the in-situ stress state changes. Accurate modeling of shale gas transport in shale reservoir rocks considering the stress sensitive effects on rock petrophysical properties is important for successful shale gas extraction. Nonlinear elasticity in stress sensitive reservoir rocks depicts the nonlinear stress-strain relationship, yet it is not thoroughly studied in previous reservoir modeling works. In this study, an improved coupled flow and geomechanics model that considers nonlinear elasticity is proposed. The model is based on finite element methods, and the nonlinear elasticity in the model is validated with experimental data on shale samples selected from the Longmaxi Formation in Sichuan Basin China. Numerical results indicate that, in stress sensitive shale rocks, nonlinear elasticity affects shale permeability, shale porosity, and distributions of effective stress and pore pressure. Elastic modulus change is dependent on not only in-situ stress state but also stress history path. Without considering nonlinear elasticity, the modeling of shale rock permeability in Longmaxi Formation can overestimate permeability values by 1.6 to 53 times.
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Legal Regime of Shale Gas Extraction
Ovidiu – Horia Maican
2013-01-01
Some countries with large reserves intend to promote shale gas production, in order to reduce their dependency on imported gas. Shale gas will be an important new aspect in the world energy scene, with many effects. European Union wants secure and affordable sources of energy. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel and a vital component of European Union's energy strategy. One of the most important aspects is that gas produces significantly cleaner energy than other fossil fuels. From a lega...
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Shale: an overlooked option for US nuclear waste disposal
Neuzil, Christopher E.
2014-01-01
Toss a dart at a map of the United States and, more often than not, it will land where shale can be found underground. A drab, relatively featureless sedimentary rock that historically attracted little interest, shale (as used here, the term includes clay and a range of clay-rich rocks) is entering Americans’ consciousness as a new source of gas and oil. But shale may also offer something entirely different—the ability to safely and permanently house high-level nuclear waste.
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Shale gas production: potential versus actual greenhouse gas emissions
O'Sullivan, Francis Martin; Paltsev, Sergey
2012-01-01
Estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shale gas production and use are controversial. Here we assess the level of GHG emissions from shale gas well hydraulic fracturing operations in the United States during 2010. Data from each of the approximately 4000 horizontal shale gas wells brought online that year are used to show that about 900 Gg CH[subscript 4] of potential fugitive emissions were generated by these operations, or 228 Mg CH[subscript 4] per well—a figure inappropriately ...
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Using Neutrons to Study Fluid-Rock Interactions in Shales
DiStefano, V. H.; McFarlane, J.; Anovitz, L. M.; Gordon, A.; Hale, R. E.; Hunt, R. D.; Lewis, S. A., Sr.; Littrell, K. C.; Stack, A. G.; Chipera, S.; Perfect, E.; Bilheux, H.; Kolbus, L. M.; Bingham, P. R.
2015-12-01
Recovery of hydrocarbons by hydraulic fracturing depends on complex fluid-rock interactions that we are beginning to understand using neutron imaging and scattering techniques. Organic matter is often thought to comprise the majority of porosity in a shale. In this study, correlations between the type of organic matter embedded in a shale and porosity were investigated experimentally. Selected shale cores from the Eagle Ford and Marcellus formations were subjected to pyrolysis-gas chromatography, Differential Thermal Analysis/Thermogravimetric analysis, and organic solvent extraction with the resulting affluent analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The pore size distribution of the microporosity (~1 nm to 2 µm) in the Eagle Ford shales was measured before and after solvent extraction using small angle neutron scattering. Organics representing mass fractions of between 0.1 to 1 wt.% were removed from the shales and porosity generally increased across the examined microporosity range, particularly at larger pore sizes, approximately 50 nm to 2 μm. This range reflects extraction of accessible organic material, including remaining gas molecules, bitumen, and kerogen derivatives, indicating where the larger amount of organic matter in shale is stored. An increase in porosity at smaller pore sizes, ~1-3 nm, was also present and could be indicative of extraction of organic material stored in the inter-particle spaces of clays. Additionally, a decrease in porosity after extraction for a sample was attributed to swelling of pores with solvent uptake. This occurred in a shale with high clay content and low thermal maturity. The extracted hydrocarbons were primarily paraffinic, although some breakdown of larger aromatic compounds was observed in toluene extractions. The amount of hydrocarbon extracted and an overall increase in porosity appeared to be primarily correlated with the clay percentage in the shale. This study complements fluid transport neutron
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Selenium in the upper Blackfoot River watershed, southeastern Idaho, 2001-12
Mebane, Christopher A.; Mladenka, Greg; Van Every, Lynn; Williams, Marshall L.; Hardy, Mark A.; Garbarino, John R.
2014-11-05
The upper Blackfoot River in southeastern Idaho receives runoff from 12 large phosphate mines. Waste shales that are removed to access the phosphate ore are highly enriched with selenium, resulting in elevated selenium in runoff from the mine waste dumps. In 2001, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began monitoring streamflow, selenium, and other water-quality parameters at a single location near the outlet of the upper Blackfoot River to the Blackfoot Reservoir. Water samples primarily were collected by a flow triggered, automated pump sampler, supplemented by manual point and equal-width integrated manual samples.
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Development of Shale Gas Supply Chain Network under Market Uncertainties
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jorge Chebeir
2017-02-01
Full Text Available The increasing demand of energy has turned the shale gas and shale oil into one of the most promising sources of energy in the United States. In this article, a model is proposed to address the long-term planning problem of the shale gas supply chain under uncertain conditions. A two-stage stochastic programming model is proposed to describe and optimize the shale gas supply chain network. Inherent uncertainty in final products’ prices, such as natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL, is treated through the utilization of a scenario-based method. A binomial option pricing model is utilized to approximate the stochastic process through the generation of scenario trees. The aim of the proposed model is to generate an appropriate and realistic supply chain network configuration as well as scheduling of different operations throughout the planning horizon of a shale gas development project.
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Characterization of nanoporous shales with gas sorption
Joewondo, N.; Prasad, M.
2017-12-01
The understanding of the fluid flow in porous media requires the knowledge of the pore system involved. Fluid flow in fine grained shales falls under different regime than transport regime in conventional reservoir due to the different average pore sizes in the two materials; the average pore diameter of conventional sandstones is on the micrometer scale, while of shales can be as small as several nanometers. Mercury intrusion porosimetry is normally used to characterize the pores of conventional reservoir, however with increasingly small pores, the injection pressure required to imbibe the pores becomes infinitely large due to surface tension. Characterization of pores can be expressed by a pore size distribution (PSD) plot, which reflects distribution of pore volume or surface area with respect to pore size. For the case of nanoporous materials, the surface area, which serves as the interface between the rock matrix and fluid, becomes increasingly large and important. Physisorption of gas has been extensively studied as a method of nanoporous solid characterization (particularly for the application of catalysis, metal organic frameworks, etc). The PSD is obtained by matching the experimental result to the calculated theoretical result (using Density Functional Theory (DFT), a quantum mechanics based modelling method for molecular scale interactions). We present the challenges and experimental result of Nitrogen and CO2 gas sorption on shales with various mineralogy and the interpreted PSD obtained by DFT method. Our result shows significant surface area contributed by the nanopores of shales, hence the importance of surface area measurements for the characterization of shales.
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Shale gas: the new energetic deal. Technical, ecological and geostrategic issues
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Charon, Guillaume
2014-09-01
The author proposes a view on the shale gas industry, and explains how this resource deeply transforms the energy world and economic and geostrategic power relations. In order to make things clear, the author notably indicates how many wind turbines would replace shale gas production, what environmental risks are and how to avoid them, what is the impact of shale gas on energy price, why most of major companies missed this turn and why some producing countries are against shale gas, and in which countries shale gas will probably be developed. The chapters address the following topics: non conventional gas, exploration and production, transport, storage and commercialisation, productions costs with simulation examples, economic assessment, strategy of actors, environmental assessment, debate, world overview
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Impact of Shale Gas Development on Water Resource in Fuling, China
Yang, Hong; Huang, Xianjin; Yang, Qinyuan; Tu, Jianjun
2015-04-01
As a low-carbon energy, shale gas rapidly developed in U.S. in last years due to the innovation of the technique of hydraulic fracture, or fracking. Shale gas boom produces more gas with low price and reduced the reliance on fuel import. To follow the American shale gas success, China made an ambitious plan of shale gas extraction, 6.5 billion m3 by 2015. To extract shale gas, huge amount water is needed to inject into each gas well. This will intensify the competition of water use between industry, agricultural and domestic sectors. It may finally exacerbate the water scarcity in China. After the extraction, some water was returned to the ground. Without adequate treatment, the flowback water can introduce heavy metal, acids, pesticides, and other toxic material into water and land. This may inevitably worsen the water and land contamination. This study analysed the potential water consumption and wastewater generation in shale gas development in Fuling, Southwest China. The survey found the average water consumption is 30,000 cubic meter for one well, higher than shale well in U.S. Some 2%-20% water flowed back to the ground. The water quality monitoring showed the Total Suspended Solid (TSS) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were the main factors above those specified by China's water regulation. Shale gas is a lower-carbon energy, but it is important to recognize the water consuming and environmental pollution during the fracking. Strict monitoring and good coordination during the shale gas exploitation is urgently needed for the balance of economic development, energy demand and environmental protection.
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The role of alkenes produced during hydrous pyrolysis of a shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Leif, R.N.; Simoneit, B.R.T. [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States). College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences
2000-07-01
Hydrous pyrolysis experiments conducted on Messel shale with D{sub 2}O demonstrated that a large amount of deuterium becomes incorporated into the hydrocarbons generated from the shale kerogen. In order to understand the pathway of deuterium (and protium) exchange and the role of water during hydrous pyrolysis, we conducted a series of experiments using aliphatic compounds (1,13-tetradecadiene, 1-hexadecene, eicosane and dotriacontane) as probe molecules. These compounds were pyrolyzed in D{sub 2}O, shale/D{sub 2}O, and shale/H{sub 2}O and the products analyzed by GC-MS. In the absence of powdered shale, the incorporation of deuterium from D{sub 2}O occurred only in olefinic compounds via double bond isomerization. The presence of shale accelerated deuterium incorporation into the olefins and resulted in a minor amount of deuterium incorporation in the saturated n-alkanes. The pattern of deuterium substitution of the diene closely matched the deuterium distribution observed in the n-alkanes generated from the shale kerogen in the D{sub 2}O/shale pyrolyses. The presence of the shale also resulted in reduction (hydrogenation) of olefins to saturated n-alkanes with concomitant oxidation of olefins to ketones. These results show that under hydrous pyrolysis conditions, kerogen breakdown generates n-alkanes and terminal n-alkenes by free radical hydrocarbon cracking of the aliphatic kerogen structure. The terminal n-alkenes rapidly isomerize to internal alkenes via acid-catalyzed isomerization under hydrothermal conditions, a significant pathway of deuterium (and protium) exchange between water and the hydrocarbons. These n-alkenes simultaneously undergo reduction to n-alkanes (major) or oxidation to ketones (minor) via alcohols formed by the hydration of the alkenes. (Author)
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Hydrogen retorting of oil shales from Eastern Canada
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Furimsky, E. (CANMET, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)); Synnott, J.; Boorman, R.S.; Salter, R.S.
1984-04-01
The liquid production potential of thirty oil shale samples from Eastern Canada was determined by Fischer assay retort and pyrochem retort. For all shales, the presence of hydrogen during pyrochem retorting resulted in a significant increase in oil yields compared to Fischer assay yields. Ten oil shale samples were selected for detailed evaluation in the pyrochem retort in the presence of nitrogen and hydrogen. Besides increasing yields, the presence of hydrogen lowered the specific gravity of liquid products and the content of sulphur but increased the content of nitrogen. This was attributed to the stabilization of precursors to nitrogen compounds which prevented their polymerization. (J.H.K.)
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Shale oil specialty markets: Screening survey for United States applications
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1987-12-01
EG and G requested J. E. Sinor Consultants Inc. to carry out an initial screening study on the possibilities for producing specialty chemicals from oil shale. Raw shale oil is not an acceptable feedstock to refineries and there are not enough user of heavy fuel oil in the western oil shale region to provide a dependable market. The only alternatives are to hydrotreat the oil, or else ship it long distances to a larger market area. Either of these alternatives results in a cost penalty of several dollars per barrel. Instead of attempting to enter the large-volume petroleum products market, it was hypothesized that a small shale oil facility might be able to produce specialty chemicals with a high enough average value to absorb the high costs of shipping small quantities to distant markets and still provide a higher netback to the plant site than sales to the conventional petroleum products market. This approach, rather than attempting to refine shale oil or to modify its characteristics to satisfy the specifications for petroleum feedstocks or products, focuses instead on those particular characteristics which distinguish shale oil from petroleum, and attempts to identify applications which would justify a premium value for those distinctive characteristics. Because byproducts or specialty chemicals production has been a prominent feature of oil shale industries which have flourished for periods of time in various countries, a brief review of those industries provides a starting point for this study. 9 figs., 32 tabs.
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Shale gas: don't burn your bridges
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Dupin, L.; Casalonga, S.
2011-01-01
As debates take place in the French Parliament to forbid the extraction of shale in gas in France, the author outlines that, according to some experts, even though some sites might be very interesting, only a fraction of their content could be exploited. He also outlines the actual danger of this exploitation for the environment, notably because hydraulic fracturing has to be used. Although the main operators are American, French big companies possess the required know-how and are gaining experience abroad. Moreover, it seems that shale gas exploitation does not possess a significant job creation potential. The situation of different countries with respect to shale gas exploitation is briefly presented: United States, Canada, China, and Poland. The United States policy on this issue is more precisely described in a last article
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Liquid oil production from shale gas condensate reservoirs
Sheng, James J.
2018-04-03
A process of producing liquid oil from shale gas condensate reservoirs and, more particularly, to increase liquid oil production by huff-n-puff in shale gas condensate reservoirs. The process includes performing a huff-n-puff gas injection mode and flowing the bottom-hole pressure lower than the dew point pressure.
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Oil shale energy and some alternatives in Estonia
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oepik, I.
2002-01-01
An academic lecture delivered by prof. Ilmar Oepik at the Thermal Engineering Department of Tallinn Technical University in Dec. 2000 to mark the 120 semesters since the cum laude diploma of a mechanical engineer discusses about ineffective utilization of oil shale and developing renewable resources as an alternative to oil shale
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cairncross, B
1980-01-01
Borehole data from an area close to the northern margin of the Karoo Basin 110 m thick coal reveal a bearing succession of the Vryheid Formation overlying Dwyka tillite. The lowermost sediments reflect processes of deglaciation with a complex array of glaciolacustrine, glaciofluvial and alluvial-outwash fan deposits. Above this paraglacial milieu, tundra-type peat bogs developed in inactive areas and account for the two thick basal coal seams (No. 1 and 2 seams). During accumulation of peat which was later to form the extensive No. 2 coal seam, active clastic sedimentation was confined to laterally restricted river channels which incised into the underlying peat. Lateral migration was inhibited by vegetation stabilized river banks and channel deposits are characterized by vertically accreted upward-fining cycles. Channel fill consists of coarse-grinder bedload sediment deposited in anastomosing streams. Flood episodes are marked by widespread, but thin (< 1 m), shale zones that intercalate with the channel sandstones. Both sandstone and shale units are completely enveloped by No. 2 coal seams. This clastic parting influences No. 2 coal seam distribution and ash content. 23 references
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Framing Violence and Serial Murder in My Friend Dahmer and Green River Killer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Harriet Earle
2017-03-01
Full Text Available The comics form has not remained untouched by true crime’s massive surge in status across popular culture, especially in America. Comics as a form is uniquely positioned to represent violent and graphic narratives in such a way as to maximise reader affect and create a chronicle of crime that is both entertaining and captivating, guiding and being guided by the reader. Two comics have received massive critical acclaim for their portrayals of ‘famous’ American serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer in Derf’s 'My Friend Dahmer' (2012 and Arthur Shawcross in Jeff Jensen & Jonathan Case’s 'Green River Killer' (2011. This article considers the framing techniques deployed in both comics. I consider how these two comics, distinct in their artistic presentation and their focus, frame their respective subjects and represent the complexities of serial murder. To conclude, I perform a close analysis of one framing aspect of 'My Friend Dahmer' and expand on what the execution of this technique can tell us about comics as a true crime form.
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Stress dependence of permeability of intact and fractured shale cores.
van Noort, Reinier; Yarushina, Viktoriya
2016-04-01
Whether a shale acts as a caprock, source rock, or reservoir, understanding fluid flow through shale is of major importance for understanding fluid flow in geological systems. Because of the low permeability of shale, flow is thought to be largely confined to fractures and similar features. In fracking operations, fractures are induced specifically to allow for hydrocarbon exploration. We have constructed an experimental setup to measure core permeabilities, using constant flow or a transient pulse. In this setup, we have measured the permeability of intact and fractured shale core samples, using either water or supercritical CO2 as the transporting fluid. Our measurements show decreasing permeability with increasing confining pressure, mainly due to time-dependent creep. Furthermore, our measurements show that for a simple splitting fracture, time-dependent creep will also eliminate any significant effect of this fracture on permeability. This effect of confinement on fracture permeability can have important implications regarding the effects of fracturing on shale permeability, and hence for operations depending on that.
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Shale-gas wells as virtual storage for supporting intermittent renewables
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Knudsen, Brage Rugstad; Foss, Bjarne
2017-01-01
Mature shale-gas wells possess a property that enables cyclic production and shut-in without incurring revenue losses. Based on this property, we suggest that fields with mature shale-gas wells may act as virtual gas storage for supplying fast-ramping gas power plants which balance intermittent renewable generation. By enabling gas supply to power plants to circumvent intermediate third-party storage, we argue that the proposed integration facilitates demand-driven gas production, and discuss how the scheme may support utilization of renewables and reduce supply-related greenhouse-gas emissions in electricity generation. - Highlights: • A novel integration strategy of shale gas and renewable electricity generation. • Mature shale-gas wells enable shut-ins without incurring revenue losses. • This property enables the use mature shale-gas wells as virtual gas storage. • Proposed scheme facilitates demand-driven gas production. • Omitting intermediate gas storage reduces GHG emissions from producer to end-user.
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Breakthrough and prospect of shale gas exploration and development in China
Dazhong Dong; Yuman Wang; Xinjing Li; Caineng Zou; Quanzhong Guan; Chenchen Zhang; Jinliang Huang; Shufang Wang; Hongyan Wang; Honglin Liu; Wenhua Bai; Feng Liang; Wen Lin; Qun Zhao; Dexun Liu
2016-01-01
In the past five years, shale gas exploration and development has grown in a leaping-forward way in China. Following USA and Canada, China is now the third country where industrial shale gas production is realized, with the cumulative production exceeding 60 × 108 m3 until the end of 2015. In this paper, the main achievements of shale gas exploration and development in China in recent years were reviewed and the future development prospect was analyzed. It is pointed out that shale gas explor...
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Cyclone oil shale retorting concept. [Use it all retorting process
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Harak, A.E.; Little, W.E.; Faulders, C.R.
1984-04-01
A new concept for above-ground retorting of oil shale was disclosed by A.E. Harak in US Patent No. 4,340,463, dated July 20, 1982, and assigned to the US Department of Energy. This patent titled System for Utilizing Oil Shale Fines, describes a process wherein oil shale fines of one-half inch diameter and less are pyrolyzed in an entrained-flow reactor using hot gas from a cyclone combustor. Spent shale and supplemental fuel are burned at slagging conditions in this combustor. Because of fines utilization, the designation Use It All Retorting Process (UIARP) has been adopted. A preliminary process engineering design of the UIARP, analytical tests on six samples of raw oil shale, and a preliminary technical and economic evaluation of the process were performed. The results of these investigations are summarized in this report. The patent description is included. It was concluded that such changes as deleting air preheating in the slag quench and replacing the condenser with a quench-oil scrubber are recognized as being essential. The addition of an entrained flow raw shale preheater ahead of the cyclone retort is probably required, but final acceptance is felt to be contingent on some verification that adequate reaction time cannot be obtained with only the cyclone, or possibly some other twin-cyclone configuration. Sufficient raw shale preheating could probably be done more simply in another manner, perhaps in a screw conveyor shale transporting system. Results of the technical and economic evaluations of Jacobs Engineering indicate that further investigation of the UIARP is definitely worthwhile. The projected capital and operating costs are competitive with costs of other processes as long as electric power generation and sales are part of the processing facility.
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Lithium recovery from shale gas produced water using solvent extraction
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jang, Eunyoung; Jang, Yunjai; Chung, Eunhyea
2017-01-01
Shale gas produced water is hypersaline wastewater generated after hydraulic fracturing. Since the produced water is a mixture of shale formation water and fracturing fluid, it contains various organic and inorganic components, including lithium, a useful resource for such industries as automobile and electronics. The produced water in the Marcellus shale area contains about 95 mg/L lithium on average. This study suggests a two-stage solvent extraction technique for lithium recovery from shale gas produced water, and determines the extraction mechanism of ions in each stage. All experiments were conducted using synthetic shale gas produced water. In the first-stage, which was designed for the removal of divalent cations, more than 94.4% of Ca"2"+, Mg"2"+, Sr"2"+, and Ba"2"+ ions were removed by using 1.0 M di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as an extractant. In the second-stage, for lithium recovery, we could obtain a lithium extraction efficiency of 41.2% by using 1.5 M D2EHPA and 0.3 M tributyl phosphate (TBP). Lithium loss in the first-stage was 25.1%, and therefore, the total amount of lithium recovered at the end of the two-step extraction procedure was 30.8%. Through this study, lithium, one of the useful mineral resources, could be selectively recovered from the shale gas produced water and it would also reduce the wastewater treatment cost during the development of shale gas. - Highlights: • Lithium was extracted from shale gas produced water using an organic solvent. • Two-stage solvent extraction technique was applied. • Divalent cations were removed in the first stage by D2EHPA. • Lithium was selectively recovered in the second stage by using TBP with D2EHPA.
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Future strategies for oil shale development as a new indigenous energy resource in Jordan
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jaber, J.O.; Tarawneh, T.
2011-01-01
Indigenous oil shale deposits could satisfy Jordan's demand for liquid and gaseous fuels as well as electricity for many centuries. Markets also exist for raw and retorted oil shale, spent shale, and for sulfur recovered during the upgrading and refining of crude shale oil. Although the potential benefits of oil shale development are substantial, complex and expensive facilities would be required, and these have serious economic, environmental, and social implications for the Kingdom and its people. In January 2006, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a grant to the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation to support the analysis of current oil shale processing technologies and the application of international expertise to the development of a oil shale industry in Jordan. The goal of the technical assistance project was to help the Government of Jordan (GoJ) establish short and long-term strategies for oil shale development and to facilitate the commercial production of shale oil in the country. This paper discusses the results of the project. The Kingdom's current energy situation and its previous work on oil shale are summarized, and the incentives and restraints on oil shale commercialization are described. Impediments to development are identified, and possible governmental responses are assessed. (author)
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The influence of global sea level changes on European shale distribution and gas exploration
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Turner, P.; Cornelius, C.T.; Clarke, H. [Cuadrilla Resources Ltd., Staffordshire (United Kingdom)
2010-07-01
Technological advances in directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technology have unlocked new supplies of shale gas from reservoirs that were previously considered to be uneconomic. Several companies, both experienced majors and small independents, are currently evaluating the unconventional resource potential of mainland Europe. This paper demonstrated that global sea level changes govern the distribution of marine black shales. The Hallam Curve was used in this study to identify periods of prospective gas shale deposition. In general, these correspond to post-glacial periods of relatively high sea level. Under-filled marginal sedimentary basins are key exploration targets. The geochemical and petrophysical characteristics of the shales deposited under these conditions are often comparable to North American shales, particularly the Barnett Shale which is currently in production. Many orogenic events influence European shales in terms of organic maturity, hydrocarbon generation and fracture generation. The main prospective horizons in ascending stratigraphic sequence are the Alum Shale, Llandovery Shale, Fammenian/Frasnian Shale, Serpukhovian Shale, Toarcian Shale, Kimmeridge Clay and the Tertiary Eocene and Oligocene shales common to central Europe. This paper presented the authors initial exploration strategy, with particular focus on the Lower Palaeozoic of central Europe, the Namurian of northwest England and the Jurassic Posidonia Formation of the Roer Valley Graben in Holland. The potential obstacles to unconventional exploration in Europe include restricted access to surface locations, high water usage, a lack of convenient pipeline infrastructure, strict environmental regulations, a high population density and lack of suitable drilling rigs and well completion equipment. 13 refs., 7 figs.
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Observations of the release of non-methane hydrocarbons from fractured shale.
Sommariva, Roberto; Blake, Robert S; Cuss, Robert J; Cordell, Rebecca L; Harrington, Jon F; White, Iain R; Monks, Paul S
2014-01-01
The organic content of shale has become of commercial interest as a source of hydrocarbons, owing to the development of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"). While the main focus is on the extraction of methane, shale also contains significant amounts of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs). We describe the first real-time observations of the release of NMHCs from a fractured shale. Samples from the Bowland-Hodder formation (England) were analyzed under different conditions using mass spectrometry, with the objective of understanding the dynamic process of gas release upon fracturing of the shale. A wide range of NMHCs (alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatics, and bicyclic hydrocarbons) are released at parts per million or parts per billion level with temperature- and humidity-dependent release rates, which can be rationalized in terms of the physicochemical characteristics of different hydrocarbon classes. Our results indicate that higher energy inputs (i.e., temperatures) significantly increase the amount of NMHCs released from shale, while humidity tends to suppress it; additionally, a large fraction of the gas is released within the first hour after the shale has been fractured. These findings suggest that other hydrocarbons of commercial interest may be extracted from shale and open the possibility to optimize the "fracking" process, improving gas yields and reducing environmental impacts.
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Shale gases, a windfall for France?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tonnac, Alain de; Perves, Jean-Pierre
2013-11-01
After having recalled the definition and origin of shale gases, the different non conventional gases and their exploitation techniques (hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling) this report examines whether these gases are an opportunity for France. Some characteristics and data of the fossil and gas markets are presented and commented: world primary energy consumption, proved reserves of non conventional gases and their locations, European regions which may possess reserves of shale gases and coal-bed methane, origins of gas imports in France. The second part addresses shale gas deposits and their exploitation: discussion of the influence of the various rock parameters, evolution of production. The third part discusses the exploitation techniques and specific drilling tools. The issue of exploitation safety and security is addressed as well as the associated controversies: about the pollution of underground waters, about the fact that deep drillings result in pollution, about the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and injections of chemical products, about the hold on ground and site degradation, about water consumption, about pollution due to gas pipeline leakage, about seismic risk, about noise drawbacks, about risks for health, about exploration and production authorization and license, and about air pollution and climate. The last part addresses the French situation and its future: status of the energy bill, recommendations made by a previous government, cancellation of authorizations, etc. Other information are provided in appendix about non conventional hydrocarbons, about shale gas exploitation in the USA, and about the Lacq gas
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Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1992-01-01
During fiscal year 1992, the reserves generated $473 million in revenues, a $181 million decrease from the fiscal year 1991 revenues, primarily due to significant decreases in oil and natural gas prices. Total costs were $200 million, resulting in net cash flow of $273 million, compared with $454 million in fiscal year 1991. From 1976 through fiscal year 1992, the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves generated more than $15 billion in revenues and a net operating income after costs of $12.5 billion. In fiscal year 1992, production at the Naval Petroleum Reserves at maximum efficient rates yielded 26 million barrels of crude oil, 119 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and 164 million gallons of natural gas liquids. From April to November 1992, senior managers from the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves held a series of three workshops in Boulder, Colorado, in order to build a comprehensive Strategic Plan as required by Secretary of Energy Notice 25A-91. Other highlights are presented for the following: Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1--production achievements, crude oil shipments to the strategic petroleum reserve, horizontal drilling, shallow oil zone gas injection project, environment and safety, and vanpool program; Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 2--new management and operating contractor and exploration drilling; Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 3--steamflood; Naval Oil Shale Reserves--protection program; and Tiger Team environmental assessment of the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Parakhonsky, E.
1995-01-01
Danger of catching fire in oil shale underground mines has considerably increased lately because of essential increase in mechanization level and frequent violation of fire-safety regulations. The largest underground fire in Estonia took place in the most mechanized mine 'Estonia' in the end of 1988 and lasted 81 days. The fire started in one of the conveyor drifts where two belt-conveyors with rubber-rope belts and a fire pipeline were installed. At the start of the fire and beginning of extinguishing work this pipeline contained no water. Driving heads of these conveyors were installed with automatic extinguishing equipment and with different primary means against fire. When the first group of the Johvi military mine-rescue squad reached the mine they established that the conveyor drift, pillars and a part of rail drift between them were caught by fire. The conveyor belt, oil shale and feeds of conveyor drives were burning. The flame had propagated about 350 metres along the rail and conveyor drifts but the smoke had spread 4 kilometres already. Air temperature near the burning area was about 40-60 deg C, rocks from the roof supported by pillars had crashed down. The mine air was polluted by combustion products. The fire caused a noticeable pollution of mine and surface waters with phenols formed at oil shale combustion. Their limit concentration was exceeded for more than 400 times. To decrease this number, an intensive saturation of waters with atmosphere air was started. For this purpose special dams were constructed on water-diversion ditches ensuring a 0.5-0.7 m difference in water levels. Nevertheless, the phenol concentration in Rannapungerya River and Lake Peipsi still exceeded the normal level 5-6 times. However, the actual maximum concentration of phenols was considerably lower than the lethal doses for fish and other water organisms. Their mass extinction in the river or in the lake was observed neither during nor after the fire. One may conclude the
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Woo, J. U.; Kim, J. H.; Rhie, J.; Kang, T. S.
2016-12-01
Microseismic monitoring is a crucial process to evaluate the efficiency of hydro-fracking and to understand the development of fracture networks. Consequently, it can provide valuable information for designing the post hydro-fracking stages and estimating the stimulated rock volumes. The fundamental information is a set of source parameters of microseismic events. The most important parameter is the hypocenter of event, and thus the accurate hypocenter determination is a key for the successful microseismic monitoring. The accuracy of hypocenters for a given dataset of seismic phase arrival times is dependent on that of the velocity model used in the seismic analysis. In this study, we evaluated how a 3-D model can affect the accuracy of hypocenters. We used auto-picked P- and S-wave travel-time data of about 8,000 events at the commercial shale gas production site in the Horn River Basin, Canada. The initial hypocenters of the events were determined using a single-difference linear inversion algorithm with a 1-D velocity model obtained from the well-logging data. Then we iteratively inverted travel times of events for the 3-D velocity perturbations and relocated their hypocenters using double-difference algorithm. Significant reduction of the errors in the final hypocenter was obtained. This result indicates that the 3-D model is useful for improving the performance of microseismic monitoring.
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Climate impact of potential shale gas production in the EU
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Forster, D.; Perks, J. [AEA Technology plc, London (United Kingdom)
2012-07-15
Existing estimates of GHG emissions from shale gas production and available abatement options were used to obtain improved estimates of emissions from possible shale gas exploitation in the EU. GHG emissions per unit of electricity generated from shale gas were estimated to be around 4 to 8% higher than for electricity generated by conventional pipeline gas from within Europe. These additional emissions arise in the pre-combustion stage, predominantly in the well completion phase when the fracturing fluid is brought back to the surface together with released methane. If emissions from well completion are mitigated, through flaring or capture, and utilised, then this difference is reduced to 1 to 5%. The analysis suggests that the emissions from shale gas-based power generation (base case) are 2 to 10% lower than those from electricity generated from sources of conventional pipeline gas located outside of Europe (in Russia and Algeria), and 7 to 10% lower than those from electricity generated from LNG imported into Europe. However, under our 'worst case' shale gas scenario, where all flow back gases at well completion are vented, emissions from electricity generated from shale gas would be similar to the upper emissions level for electricity generated from imported LNG and for gas imported from Russia.
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Climate impact of potential shale gas production in the EU
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Forster, D.; Perks, J. [AEA Technology plc, London (United Kingdom)
2012-07-15
Existing estimates of GHG emissions from shale gas production and available abatement options were used to obtain improved estimates of emissions from possible shale gas exploitation in the EU. GHG emissions per unit of electricity generated from shale gas were estimated to be around 4 to 8% higher than for electricity generated by conventional pipeline gas from within Europe. These additional emissions arise in the pre-combustion stage, predominantly in the well completion phase when the fracturing fluid is brought back to the surface together with released methane. If emissions from well completion are mitigated, through flaring or capture, and utilised, then this difference is reduced to 1 to 5%. The analysis suggests that the emissions from shale gas-based power generation (base case) are 2 to 10% lower than those from electricity generated from sources of conventional pipeline gas located outside of Europe (in Russia and Algeria), and 7 to 10% lower than those from electricity generated from LNG imported into Europe. However, under our 'worst case' shale gas scenario, where all flow back gases at well completion are vented, emissions from electricity generated from shale gas would be similar to the upper emissions level for electricity generated from imported LNG and for gas imported from Russia.
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Regulating hydraulic fracturing in shale gas plays: The case of Texas
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rahm, Dianne
2011-01-01
The ability to economically produce natural gas from unconventional shale gas reservoirs has been made possible recently through the application of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. This new technique has radically changed the energy future of the United States. The U.S. has shifted from a waning producer of natural gas to a growing producer. The Energy Information Administration forecasts that by 2035 nearly half of U.S. natural gas will come from shale gas. Texas is a major player in these developments. Of the eight states and coastal areas that account for the bulk of U.S. gas, Texas has the largest proved reserves. Texas' Barnett Shale already produces six percent of the continental U.S.' gas and exploration of Texas' other shale gas regions is just beginning. Shale gas production is highly controversial, in part because of environmental concerns. Some U.S. states have put hydraulic fracturing moratoriums in place because of fear of drinking water contamination. The federal government has gotten involved and some states, like Texas, have accused it of overreaching. The contention over shale gas drilling in the U.S. may be a bellwether for other parts of the world that are now moving forward with their own shale gas production. - Highlights: → Shale gas production through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques has transformed natural gas production in the United States and portents to do so for the world. → Hydraulic fracturing is highly controversial in part because of fears of environmental impacts particularly on drinking water resources. → The boom in shale gas production is not likely to be stopped because of the amount of resource available, the need for the resource, and the amount of money to be made from production.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Onyinyechi I. Ogbonna
2016-08-01
Full Text Available Background: Oil exploration operations decreased the cultivable lands of rural people in the study area, leading to the establishment of the Green River Project (GRP. This study assessed the effectiveness and constraints of private sector extension services of GRP in Imo and Rivers States, Nigeria. Objectives: To analyse the roles and effectiveness of, as well as constraints to, the GRP in the area. Method: A multistage sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, chi square and t-test were used to analyse the data. Results: Roles of GRP in farming technologies dissemination included training of farmers on fish pond construction technique and maintenance of good pH levels. There was significant improvement in standard of living (X2 = 15.7; p ≤ 0.05 and size of production (t = 6.398; p ≤ 0.05 of the respondents after participation. In terms of the effectiveness of private sector deliveries on public policies, the programme had effect on beneficiaries’ access to credit, education of wards and poverty reduction. But it is worthy to note that the observed changes may not have been solely caused by the GRP, given that there could be many other factors affecting fish farming, either positively or negatively. Serious implementation constraints to effective performance of GRP included organisational, input and sustainability constraints. Conclusion: It was recommended that there should be timely provision of sufficient inputs to farmers and measures to improve organisation of private sector extension services in the area in order to enhance development.
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Petrology of the Devonian gas-bearing shale along Lake Erie helps explain gas shows
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Broadhead, R.F.; Potter, P.E.
1980-11-01
Comprehensive petrologic study of 136 thin sections of the Ohio Shale along Lake Erie, when combined with detailed stratigraphic study, helps explain the occurrence of its gas shows, most of which occur in the silty, greenish-gray, organic poor Chagrin Shale and Three Lick Bed. Both have thicker siltstone laminae and more siltstone beds than other members of the Ohio Shale and both units also contain more clayshales. The source of the gas in the Chagrin Shale and Three Lick Bed of the Ohio Shale is believed to be the bituminous-rich shales of the middle and lower parts of the underlying Huron Member of the Ohio Shale. Eleven petrographic types were recognized and extended descriptions are provided of the major ones - claystones, clayshales, mudshales, and bituminous shales plus laminated and unlaminated siltstones and very minor marlstones and sandstones. In addition three major types of lamination were identified and studied. Thirty-two shale samples were analyzed for organic carbon, whole rock hydrogen and whole rock nitrogen with a Perkin-Elmer 240 Elemental Analyzer and provided the data base for source rock evaluation of the Ohio Shale.
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Proceedings of the first thermomechanical workshop for shale
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1986-03-01
Chapter 2 provides a description of the three federal regulations that pertain to the development of a high-level nuclear waste repository regardless of the rock type. Chapter 3 summarizes the reference shale repository conditions selected for this workshop. A room-and-pillar configuration was considered at an extraction ratio of about 0.25. The depth was assumed to be 700 m. Chapter 4 gives a summary of several case histories that were considered to be valuable in gaining an understanding of some of the design and construction features that might be unique in creating underground openings in shale. Chapter 5 assesses the data and information needs, availability, technology for acquisition, and the research and development necessary for analytical/numerical modeling in heat transfer, fluid flow, and thermomechanics. Chapter 6 assesses data and information needs in the laboratory and considerations associated with shale rock characterization. Chapter 7 assesses the data and information needs, availability, technology for acquisition, and the research and development necessary for field/in situ testing. Chapter 8 presents the consensus of the workshop participants that there is a definite need to advance the state of knowledge concerning the thermomechanical behavior of shales and to gain experience in applying this knowledge to the design of room-and-pillar excavations. Finally, Chapter 9 provides a summary of the research and development needs in the various interacting activities of repository development, including analytical/numerical modeling, laboratory testing, and field/in situ testing. The main conclusion of the workshop was that a need exists for an aggressive program in laboratory, field, numerical modeling, and design studies to provide a thermomechanical, technological base for comparison of shale types and shale regions/areas/sites
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Volume fracturing of deep shale gas horizontal wells
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tingxue Jiang
2017-03-01
Full Text Available Deep shale gas reservoirs buried underground with depth being more than 3500 m are characterized by high in-situ stress, large horizontal stress difference, complex distribution of bedding and natural cracks, and strong rock plasticity. Thus, during hydraulic fracturing, these reservoirs often reveal difficult fracture extension, low fracture complexity, low stimulated reservoir volume (SRV, low conductivity and fast decline, which hinder greatly the economic and effective development of deep shale gas. In this paper, a specific and feasible technique of volume fracturing of deep shale gas horizontal wells is presented. In addition to planar perforation, multi-scale fracturing, full-scale fracture filling, and control over extension of high-angle natural fractures, some supporting techniques are proposed, including multi-stage alternate injection (of acid fluid, slick water and gel and the mixed- and small-grained proppant to be injected with variable viscosity and displacement. These techniques help to increase the effective stimulated reservoir volume (ESRV for deep gas production. Some of the techniques have been successfully used in the fracturing of deep shale gas horizontal wells in Yongchuan, Weiyuan and southern Jiaoshiba blocks in the Sichuan Basin. As a result, Wells YY1HF and WY1HF yielded initially 14.1 × 104 m3/d and 17.5 × 104 m3/d after fracturing. The volume fracturing of deep shale gas horizontal well is meaningful in achieving the productivity of 50 × 108 m3 gas from the interval of 3500–4000 m in Phase II development of Fuling and also in commercial production of huge shale gas resources at a vertical depth of less than 6000 m.
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Determination of Porosity in Shale by Double Headspace Extraction GC Analysis.
Zhang, Chun-Yun; Li, Teng-Fei; Chai, Xin-Sheng; Xiao, Xian-Ming; Barnes, Donald
2015-11-03
This paper reports on a novel method for the rapid determination of the shale porosity by double headspace extraction gas chromatography (DHE-GC). Ground core samples of shale were placed into headspace vials and DHE-GC measurements of released methane gas were performed at a given time interval. A linear correlation between shale porosity and the ratio of consecutive GC signals was established both theoretically and experimentally by comparing with the results from the standard helium pycnometry method. The results showed that (a) the porosity of ground core samples of shale can be measured within 30 min; (b) the new method is not significantly affected by particle size of the sample; (c) the uncertainties of measured porosities of nine shale samples by the present method range from 0.31 to 0.46 p.u.; and (d) the results obtained by the DHE-GC method are in a good agreement with those from the standard helium pycnometry method. In short, the new DHE-GC method is simple, rapid, and accurate, making it a valuable tool for shale gas-related research and applications.
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Market analysis of shale oil co-products. Appendices
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1980-12-01
Data are presented in these appendices on the marketing and economic potential for soda ash, aluminia, and nahcolite as by-products of shale oil production. Appendices 1 and 2 contain data on the estimated capital and operating cost of an oil shales/mineral co-products recovery facility. Appendix 3 contains the marketing research data.
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Preliminary geotechnical evaluation of deep borehole facilities for nuclear waste disposal in shales
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nataraj, M.S.; New Orleans Univ., LA
1991-01-01
This study is concerned with a preliminary engineering evaluation of borehole facilities for nuclear waste disposal in shales. Some of the geotechnical properties of Pierre, Rhinestreet, and typical illite shale have been collected. The influence of a few geotechnical properties on strength and deformation of host material is briefly examined. It appears that Pierre shale is very unstable and requires support to prevent collapse. Typical illite shale is more stable than Rhinestreet shale, although it undergoes relatively more deformation. 16 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs
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[Chemical hazards arising from shale gas extraction].
Pakulska, Daria
2015-01-01
The development of the shale industry is gaining momentum and hence the analysis of chemical hazards to the environment and health of the local population is extreiely timely and important. Chemical hazards are created during the exploitation of all minerals, but in the case of shale gas production, there is much more uncertainty as regards to the effects of new technologies application. American experience suggests the increasing risk of environmental contamination, mainly groundwater. The greatest, concern is the incomplete knowledge of the composition of fluids used for fracturing shale rock and unpredictability of long-term effects of hydraulic fracturing for the environment and health of residents. High population density in the old continent causes the problem of chemical hazards which is much larger than in the USA. Despite the growing public discontent data on this subject are limited. First of all, there is no epidemiological studies to assess the relationship between risk factors, such as air and water pollution, and health effects in populations living in close proximity to gas wells. The aim of this article is to identify and discuss existing concepts on the sources of environmental contamination, an indication of the environment elements under pressure and potential health risks arising from shale gas extraction.
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Quantitative effects of the shale oil revolution
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Belu Mănescu, Cristiana; Nuño, Galo
2015-01-01
The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the so-called “shale oil revolution” on oil prices and economic growth. We employ a general equilibrium model of the world oil market in which Saudi Arabia is the dominant firm, with the rest of the producers as a competitive fringe. Our results suggest that most of the expected increase in US oil supply due to the shale oil revolution has already been incorporated into prices and that it will produce an additional increase of 0.2% in the GDP of oil importers in the period 2010–2018. We also employ the model to analyze the collapse in oil prices in the second half of 2014 and conclude that it was mainly due to positive unanticipated supply shocks. - Highlights: • We analyze the impact of the “shale oil revolution” on oil prices and economic growth. • We employ a general equilibrium model of the oil market in which Saudi Arabia is the dominant firm. • We find that most of the shale oil revolution is already priced in. • We also analyze the decline in oil prices in the second half of 2014. • We find that unanticipated supply shocks played the major role in the fall.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shaw, P.
1978-12-01
Trace elements and their mobilization constitute an important consideration in the development of new fossil fuel technologies. Shale oil produced by in situ retorting of oil shale is an alternative fossil energy source. This study deals with the analysis of trace elements in various shale oil products using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). INAA offers several advantages for those elements for which it is applicable. The greatest advantage is the lack of sample preparation prior to analysis, which greatly simplifies the process and prevents sample contamination. The elements for which analyses are reported in this study are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, bromine, cerium, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iodine, iron, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulfur, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc
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Research and information needs for management of oil shale development
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1983-05-01
This report presents information and analysis to assist BLM in clarifying oil shale research needs. It provides technical guidance on research needs in support of their regulatory responsibilities for onshore mineral activities involving oil shale. It provides an assessment of research needed to support the regulatory and managerial role of the BLM as well as others involved in the development of oil shale resources on public and Indian lands in the western United States.
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Patent analysis to identify shale gas development in China and the United States
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lee, Woo Jin; Sohn, So Young
2014-01-01
Shale gas has become an increasingly important form of hydrocarbon energy, and related technologies reflect the geographical characteristics of the countries where the gas is extracted and stored. The United States (U.S.) produces most of the world’s shale gas, while China has the world’s largest shale gas reserves. In this research, we focused on identifying the trends in shale-gas related technologies registered to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and to the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China (SIPO) respectively. To cluster shale-gas related technologies, we text-mined the abstracts of patent specifications. It was found that in the U.S., the key advanced technologies were related to hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, and slick water areas, whereas China had a focus on proppants. The results of our study are expected to assist energy experts in designing energy policies related to technology importation. - Highlights: • We analyzed shale gas-related patent applications in the USPTO and SIPO. • We clustered shale gas patents by text mining patent abstract. • Differences were observed in shale gas technologies developed in the U.S. and China. • We proposed the policies of shale gas exploration and development based on patent analysis
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A comprehensive environmental impact assessment method for shale gas development
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Renjin Sun
2015-03-01
Full Text Available The great success of US commercial shale gas exploitation stimulates the shale gas development in China, subsequently, the corresponding supporting policies were issued in the 12th Five-Year Plan. But from the experience in the US shale gas development, we know that the resulted environmental threats are always an unavoidable issue, but no uniform and standard evaluation system has yet been set up in China. The comprehensive environment refers to the combination of natural ecological environment and external macro-environment. In view of this, we conducted a series of studies on how to set up a comprehensive environmental impact assessment system as well as the related evaluation methodology and models. First, we made an in-depth investigation into shale gas development procedures and any possible environmental impacts, and then compared, screened and modified environmental impact assessment methods for shale gas development. Also, we established an evaluating system and assessment models according to different status of the above two types of environment: the correlation matrix method was employed to assess the impacts on natural ecological environment and the optimization distance method was modified to evaluate the impacts on external macro-environment. Finally, we substitute the two subindexes into the comprehensive environmental impact assessment model and achieved the final numerical result of environmental impact assessment. This model can be used to evaluate if a shale gas project has any impact on environment, compare the impacts before and after a shale gas development project, or the impacts of different projects.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rotariu, G. J.
1982-02-01
recognize that the rate of development, the magnitude of development, and the technology mix that will actually take place remain uncertain. Although we emphasize that other energy and mineral resources besides oil shale may be developed, the conclusions reached in this study reflect only those impacts that would be felt from the oil shale scenario. Socioeconomic impacts in the region reflect the uneven growth rate implied by the scenario and will be affected by the timing of industry developments, the length and magnitude of the construction phase of development, and the shift in employment profiles predicted in the scenario. The facilities in the southern portion of the oil shale region, those along the Colorado River and Parachute Creek, show a peak in the construction work force in the mid-1980s, whereas those f acil it i es in the Piceance Creek Bas into the north show a construction peak in the late 1980s. Together, the facilities will require a large construction work force throughout the decade, with a total of 4800 construction workers required in 1985. Construction at the northern sites and second phase construction in the south will require 6000 workers in 1988. By 1990, the operation work force will increase to 7950. Two important characteristics of oil shale development emerge from the work force estimates: (1) peak-year construction work forces will be 90-120% the size of the permanent operating work force; and (2) the yearly changes in total work force requirements will be large, as much as 900 in one year at one facility. To estimate population impacts on individual communities, we devised a population distribution method that is described in Sec. IV. Variables associated with the projection of population impacts are discussed and methodologies of previous assessments are compared. Scenario-induced population impacts estimated by the Los Alamos method are compared to projections of a model employed by the Colorado West Area Council of Governments. Oil shale
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Ter Heege, Jan; Zijp, Mart; Nelskamp, Susanne; Douma, Lisanne; Verreussel, Roel; Ten Veen, Johan; de Bruin, Geert; Peters, Rene
2015-01-01
Sweet spot identification in underexplored shale gas basins needs to be based on a limited amount of data on shale properties in combination with upfront geological characterization and modelling, because actual production data is usually absent. Multidisciplinary reservoir characterization and
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Heege, J.H. ter; Zijp, M.H.A.A.; Nelskamp, S.; Douma, L.A.N.R.; Verreussel, R.M.C.H.; Veen, J.H. ten; Bruin, G. de; Peters, M.C.A.M.
2015-01-01
Sweet spot identification in underexplored shale gas basins needs to be based on a limited amount of data on shale properties in combination with upfront geological characterization and modelling, because actual production data is usually absent. Multidisciplinary reservoir characterization and
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A Reactive Transport Model for Marcellus Shale Weathering
Li, L.; Heidari, P.; Jin, L.; Williams, J.; Brantley, S.
2017-12-01
Shale formations account for 25% of the land surface globally. One of the most productive shale-gas formations is the Marcellus, a black shale that is rich in organic matter and pyrite. As a first step toward understanding how Marcellus shale interacts with water, we developed a reactive transport model to simulate shale weathering under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, constrained by soil chemistry and water data. The simulation was carried out for 10,000 years, assuming bedrock weathering and soil genesis began right after the last glacial maximum. Results indicate weathering was initiated by pyrite dissolution for the first 1,000 years, leading to low pH and enhanced dissolution of chlorite and precipitation of iron hydroxides. After pyrite depletion, chlorite dissolved slowly, primarily facilitated by the presence of CO2 and organic acids, forming vermiculite as a secondary mineral. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important controls on weathering include the presence of reactive gases (CO2 and O2), specific surface area, and flow velocity of infiltrating meteoric water. The soil chemistry and mineralogy data could not be reproduced without including the reactive gases. For example, pyrite remained in the soil even after 10,000 years if O2 was not continuously present in the soil column; likewise, chlorite remained abundant and porosity remained small with the presence of soil CO2. The field observations were only simulated successfully when the specific surface areas of the reactive minerals were 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than surface area values measured for powdered minerals, reflecting the lack of accessibility of fluids to mineral surfaces and potential surface coating. An increase in the water infiltration rate enhanced weathering by removing dissolution products and maintaining far-from-equilibrium conditions. We conclude that availability of reactive surface area and transport of H2O and gases are the most important
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Process of distilling bituminous shale
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Mayet, M
1859-05-19
This new process consists of placing at the end of a tube or the end of one or more retorts, an aspirating pump and compressor or a blower with two valves doing the same work or, better yet, a fan for sucking the vapor from the shale as it is formed in order to prevent its accumulating in the retorts and being decomposed. A second tube, pierced with little holes, placed in series with the pump, blower, or fan, acts as a vessel or receiver for the water. The vapors from the shale are compressed by the aspirator in the receiver for the water and condensed completely, without loss of gas and disinfect themselves for the most part.
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Tuttle, Michele L.W.; Fahy, Juli; Grauch, Richard I.; Ball, Bridget A.; Chong, Geneva W.; Elliott, John G.; Kosovich, John J.; Livo, Keith E.; Stillings, Lisa L.
2007-01-01
Results of chemical and some isotopic analyses of soil, shale, and water extracts collected from the surface, trenches, and pits in the Mancos Shale are presented in this report. Most data are for sites on the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (GGNCA) in southwestern Colorado. For comparison, data from a few sites from the Mancos landscape near Hanksville, Utah, are included. Twelve trenches were dug on the GGNCA from which 258 samples for whole-rock (total) analyses and 187 samples for saturation paste extracts were collected. Sixteen of the extract samples were duplicated and subjected to a 1:5 water extraction for comparison. A regional soil survey across the Mancos landscape on the GGNCA generated 253 samples for whole-rock analyses and saturation paste extractions. Seventeen gypsum samples were collected on the GGNCA for sulfur and oxygen isotopic analysis. Sixteen samples were collected from shallow pits in the Mancos Shale near Hanksville, Utah.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hines, A.L.
1980-08-15
The adsorption of hydrogen sulfide on retorted oil shale was studied at 10, 25, and 60/sup 0/C using a packed bed method. Equilibrium isotherms were calculated from the adsorption data and were modeled by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Polanyi equations. The isosteric heat of adsorption was calculated at three adsorbent loadings and was found to increase with increased loading. A calculated heat of adsorption less than the heat of condensation indicated that the adsorption was primarily due to Van der Waals' forces. Adsorption capacities were also found as a function of oil shale retorting temperature with the maximum uptake occurring on shale that was retorted at 750/sup 0/C.
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Shale disposal of U.S. high-level radioactive waste.
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Sassani, David Carl; Stone, Charles Michael; Hansen, Francis D.; Hardin, Ernest L.; Dewers, Thomas A.; Martinez, Mario J.; Rechard, Robert Paul; Sobolik, Steven Ronald; Freeze, Geoffrey A.; Cygan, Randall Timothy; Gaither, Katherine N.; Holland, John Francis; Brady, Patrick Vane
2010-05-01
This report evaluates the feasibility of high-level radioactive waste disposal in shale within the United States. The U.S. has many possible clay/shale/argillite basins with positive attributes for permanent disposal. Similar geologic formations have been extensively studied by international programs with largely positive results, over significant ranges of the most important material characteristics including permeability, rheology, and sorptive potential. This report is enabled by the advanced work of the international community to establish functional and operational requirements for disposal of a range of waste forms in shale media. We develop scoping performance analyses, based on the applicable features, events, and processes identified by international investigators, to support a generic conclusion regarding post-closure safety. Requisite assumptions for these analyses include waste characteristics, disposal concepts, and important properties of the geologic formation. We then apply lessons learned from Sandia experience on the Waste Isolation Pilot Project and the Yucca Mountain Project to develop a disposal strategy should a shale repository be considered as an alternative disposal pathway in the U.S. Disposal of high-level radioactive waste in suitable shale formations is attractive because the material is essentially impermeable and self-sealing, conditions are chemically reducing, and sorption tends to prevent radionuclide transport. Vertically and laterally extensive shale and clay formations exist in multiple locations in the contiguous 48 states. Thermal-hydrologic-mechanical calculations indicate that temperatures near emplaced waste packages can be maintained below boiling and will decay to within a few degrees of the ambient temperature within a few decades (or longer depending on the waste form). Construction effects, ventilation, and the thermal pulse will lead to clay dehydration and deformation, confined to an excavation disturbed zone within
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A comprehensive environmental impact assessment method for shale gas development
Sun, Renjin; Wang, Zhenjie
2015-01-01
The great success of US commercial shale gas exploitation stimulates the shale gas development in China, subsequently, the corresponding supporting policies were issued in the 12th Five-Year Plan. But from the experience in the US shale gas development, we know that the resulted environmental threats are always an unavoidable issue, but no uniform and standard evaluation system has yet been set up in China. The comprehensive environment refers to the combination of natural ecological environm...
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The Geopolitical Impact of Shale Gas : The Modelling Approach
Auping, W.L.; De Jong, S.; Pruyt, E.; Kwakkel, J.H.
2014-01-01
The US’ shale gas revolution, a spectacular increase in natural gas extraction from previously unconventional sources, has led to considerable lower gas prices in North America. This study focusses on consequences of the shale gas revolution on state stability of traditional oil and gas exporting
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Residential radon in Kansas City-black shales aren't the prime suspect
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Spencer, C.G.
1993-01-01
The US EPA preliminary assessment of potential radon risk (EPA, 1986) depicted a large area of the mid-continent in which radon levels might be elevated due to the presence of uranium-rich black shales. A preliminary study (Hilpman, Coveney ampersand Spencer, 1988) indicated that a significant percentage of homes in the greater Kansas City area had radon screening levels above 4 pCi/L. However, their lab tests with crushed black shale, and radon tests in limestone mines with black shale floors showed that the shale did not yield extremely high radon levels. This expanded study presents additional results of screening tests in homes, and correlates those results to bedrock geology and soil type. High radon levels in the Kansas city area are not due primarily to black shale sources. The highest readings are associated with limestone and non-organic shale. Mean radon level is higher in younger cyclothemic deposits, and a loessial soil. The EPA initial assessment overstated the radon risk attributable to black uraniferous shale sources. Assessment of the overall potential risk for the greater Kansas City area requires further evaluation of other sources
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Coupled Fracture and Flow in Shale in Hydraulic Fracturing
Carey, J. W.; Mori, H.; Viswanathan, H.
2014-12-01
Production of hydrocarbon from shale requires creation and maintenance of fracture permeability in an otherwise impermeable shale matrix. In this study, we use a combination of triaxial coreflood experiments and x-ray tomography characterization to investigate the fracture-permeability behavior of Utica shale at in situ reservoir conditions (25-50 oC and 35-120 bars). Initially impermeable shale core was placed between flat anvils (compression) or between split anvils (pure shear) and loaded until failure in the triaxial device. Permeability was monitored continuously during this process. Significant deformation (>1%) was required to generate a transmissive fracture system. Permeability generally peaked at the point of a distinct failure event and then dropped by a factor of 2-6 when the system returned to hydrostatic failure. Permeability was very small in compression experiments (fashion as pressure increased. We also observed that permeability decreased with increasing fluid flow rate indicating that flow did not follow Darcy's Law, possibly due to non-laminar flow conditions, and conformed to Forscheimer's law. The coupled deformation and flow behavior of Utica shale, particularly the large deformation required to initiate flow, indicates the probable importance of activation of existing fractures in hydraulic fracturing and that these fractures can have adequate permeability for the production of hydrocarbon.
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Release of Particulate Iron Sulfide during Shale-Fluid Interaction.
Kreisserman, Yevgeny; Emmanuel, Simon
2018-01-16
During hydraulic fracturing, a technique often used to extract hydrocarbons from shales, large volumes of water are injected into the subsurface. Although the injected fluid typically contains various reagents, it can become further contaminated by interaction with minerals present in the rocks. Pyrite, which is common in organic-rich shales, is a potential source of toxic elements, including arsenic and lead, and it is generally thought that for these elements to become mobilized, pyrite must first dissolve. Here, we use atomic force microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy to show that during fluid-rock interaction, the dissolution of carbonate minerals in Eagle Ford shale leads to the physical detachment, and mobilization, of embedded pyrite grains. In experiments carried out over a range of pH, salinity, and temperature we found that in all cases pyrite particles became detached from the shale surfaces. On average, the amount of pyrite detached was equivalent to 6.5 × 10 -11 mol m -2 s -1 , which is over an order of magnitude greater than the rate of pyrite oxidation expected under similar conditions. This result suggests that mechanical detachment of pyrite grains could be an important pathway for the mobilization of arsenic in hydraulic fracturing operations and in groundwater systems containing shales.
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Chen, Qing; Tian, Yuanyuan; Li, Peng; Yan, Changhui; Pang, Yu; Zheng, Li; Deng, Hucheng; Zhou, Wen; Meng, Xianghao
2017-01-01
Shale gas is an effective gas resource all over the world. The evaluation of pore structure plays a critical role in exploring shale gas efficiently. Nitrogen adsorption experiment is one of the significant approaches to analyze pore size structure of shale. Shale is extremely heterogeneous due to component diversity and structure complexity. Therefore, adsorption isotherms for homogeneous adsorbents and empirical isotherms may not apply to shale. The shape of adsorption-desorption curve indi...
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The influence of soluble organic matter on shale reservoir characterization
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Lei Pan
2016-06-01
Full Text Available Shale with a maturity within the “oil window” contains a certain amount of residual soluble organic matter (SOM. This SOM have an important influence on characterization of shale reservoir. In this study, two shale samples were collected from the Upper Permian Dalong Formation in the northwestern boundary of Sichuan Basin. Their geochemistry, mineral composition, and pore structure (surface area and pore volume were investigated before and after removing the SOM by means of extraction via dichloromethane or trichloromethane. The results show that the TOC, S1, S2, and IH of the extracted samples decrease significantly, but the mineral composition has no evident change as compared with their raw samples. Thus, we can infer that the original pore structure is thought to be unaffected from the extraction. The SOM occupies pore volume and hinders pores connectivity. The extraction greatly increases the surface area and pore volume of the samples. The residual SOM in the shale samples occur mainly in the micropores and smaller mesopores, and their occupied pore size range seems being constrained by the maturity. For the lower mature shale samples, the SOM is mainly hosted in organic pores that are less than 5 nm in size. For the middle mature shale samples, the micropores and some mesopores ranging between 2 and 20 nm in size are the main storage space for the SOM.
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Shale gas policy in the United Kingdom: An argumentative discourse analysis
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cotton, Matthew; Rattle, Imogen; Van Alstine, James
2014-01-01
Shale gas has become an energy policy priority in the United Kingdom in light of profitable extraction activities in the United States. Since 2012 the Coalition Government has created key economic drivers to encourage shale exploration, whilst growing activism in affected site communities has stirred significant media and academic commentary. This study examines the growing national debate as a matter of discourse, adopting an argumentative discourse analytic approach to assess data collected from stakeholder interviews (n=21) and key policy actor statements quoted in broadsheet newspapers. We explore three dominant “storylines” emerging in relation to shale gas policy: (1) “cleanliness and dirt” concerns the relative framing of the environmental benefits and harms of shale gas; (2) “energy transitions – pathways and diversions” concerns geographic metaphors of transitions to carbon intensive and low-carbon energy systems; and (3) “geographies of environmental justice” concerns divisions of economic benefit distribution, environmental impact and procedural fairness. We find that central government policy rhetoric emphasises economic development, regulatory oversight and distribution of benefits to site communities, whilst minimising discussion of the implications of shale gas for anthropogenic climate change. The role of these discourses in influencing shale gas policy is discussed. - Highlights: • We examine the discourses emerging in relation to shale gas policy in the United Kingdom. • We use a combination of stakeholder interviews and a broadsheet newspaper search. • Three “storylines” emerge: “cleanliness and dirt”, “energy transitions” and “geographies of environmental justice”. • UK policy rhetoric emphasises economic development, regulatory oversight and distribution of benefits to site communities. • The issue of climate change is marginalised in UK shale gas policy
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Characterisation of organic carbon in black shales of the Kachchh ...
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
46
2Petroleum Geochemistry and Microbiology Group, National Geophysical Research Institute, .... gypsiferous shale of the Naredi Formation of early Eocene age (Biswas 1992). The shale .... This inference also helps us to explain the existence.
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PROSPECTS OF «SHALE REVOLUTION» AND RUSSIAN-CHINESE ENERGY DIALOGUE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Чэнь Чэн
2015-12-01
Full Text Available The article touches upon the analysis of the prospects of the “shale revolution” at the world gas market and the assessment of influence that could be exerted on the development of the Russian-Chinese energy dialogue by the growing production of this type of fuel. The author examines the advantages and disadvantages of shale gas in comparison with traditional natural gas, considering the practicability of exploring such energy resource for Russia and China. Shale gas may in the future provide significant reserves of natural gas. This will lead to a significant change in the elasticity of demand in all regional markets, including the Asian one. However, the supply of shale gas from the US to Eurasia expected in a few years will not endanger the supply of pipeline gas from Russia to China. Russian gas is more competitive than the American one due to the fact that the costs of production and transportation of natural gas from Russia is much lower than the costs for shale gas from the US. The most important difference is that natural gas unlike shale is environmentally friendly. The potential "shale revolution" will not make serious adjustments in the Russian-Chinese energy dialogue. This is due to a number of circumstances. First, it is important for China to develop its economy based on environmentally friendly fuel. Secondly, from the point of view of geography and convenience of transit of energy resources Russia is an ideal partner for China. Moreover, Moscow has repeatedly proven to be reliable in carrying out commitments on oil and gas contracts.
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The Shale Gas potential of Lower Carboniferous Sediments in Germany
Kerschke, D.; Mihailovic, A.; Schulz, H., -M.; Horsfield, B.
2012-04-01
Organic-rich Carboniferous sediments are proven source rocks for conventional gas systems in NW Europe and are likely gas shale candidates. Within the framework of GeoEnergie, an initiative to strengthen scientific excellence, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the influence of palaeogeography and basin dynamics on sedimentology and diagenesis is being investigated. Our aim is to unravel the evolution of shale gas-relevant properties which control gas prospectivity and production parameters like porosity, brittleness, etc. for the Lower Carboniferous in Germany. Northern Germany is underlain by thick, mudstone-bearing Carboniferous successions with a wide range of thermal maturities. Some of these mudstone horizons are rich in organic carbon which is either of marine and/or terrigenous origin. During the Carboniferous deposition of fine-grained, TOC-rich basinal sediments changed into shallow marine to paralic siliciclastic sediments (carbonates during the Lower Carboniferous) in the north, and grade into coarse-grained sediments close to the uprising Variscan mountains in the south. As a result different architectural elements including TOC-rich fine-grained sediments like basinal shales, fine-grained parts of turbidites, and shallow marine mudstones occur in both the Lower and the Upper Carboniferous section. A high shale gas potential occurs in basinal shales of Namurian age with marine organic material and TOC contents of up to 8 % (Rhenish Alum Shales). Such sediments with thermal maturities between 1.3 to 3.0 % vitrinite reflectance and sufficient quartz contents occur in wide areas of present-day Central European Basins System (CEBS), and are at favourable depth for shale gas exploration predominantly along the southern CEBS margin.
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Numerical simulation and fracture identification of dual laterolog in organic shale
Maojin, Tan; Peng, Wang; Qiong, Liu
2012-09-01
Fracture is one of important spaces in shale oil and shale gas reservoirs, and fractures identification and evaluation are an important part in organic shale interpretation. According to the fractured shale gas reservoir, a physical model is set up to study the dual laterolog logging responses. First, based on the principle of dual laterolog, three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) is used to simulate the dual laterolog responses in various formation models with different fractures widths, different fracture numbers, different fractures inclination angle. All the results are extremely important for the fracture identification and evaluation in shale reservoirs. Appointing to different base rock resistivity models, the fracture models are constructed respectively through a number of numerical simulation, and the fracture porosity can be calculated by solving the corresponding formulas. A case study about organic shale formation is analyst and discussed, and the fracture porosity is calculated from dual laterolog. The fracture evaluation results are also be validated right by Full borehole Micro-resistivity Imaging (FMI). So, in case of the absence of borehole resistivity imaging log, the dual laterolog resistivity can be used to estimate the fracture development.
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Natural gas : the green fuel of the future
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Taylor, R.S.; Harbinson, S.W. [Halliburton Energy Services, Calgary, AB (Canada); Tertzakian, P. [ARC Financial, Calgary, AB (Canada); Wall, T.; Wilkinson, J. [Apache Canada Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Graham, M. [EnCana Corp., Calgary, AB (Canada); Young, P.J. [DYAD Consulting, Cambridge, MA (United States)
2010-07-01
Studies have shown that the demand for crude oil exceeds supply and other energy sources are needed to met the shortfall. Natural gas and coal are the only 2 current energy sources that have the global capacity to, by themselves, address increased energy demand in a timely manner. Both these resources have been used primarily for power generation and heating. This paper discussed the transition that will likely occur in which natural gas and coal will be used increasingly as transportation fuels. It presented data comparing the environmental impact of using methane versus coal and proposed natural gas as the future green fuel. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted to obtain a better understanding of the current Canadian natural gas market. The strengths include recent discoveries in the Horn River Basin and the Montney plays in British Columbia which are expected to triple natural gas production within the next decade. The weaknesses include an oversupply of gas compared to current demand; gas prices are currently in a range that are barely economic for many shale plays; and Canadian gas is disadvantaged for sales in the United States by additional pipeline transportation costs. The opportunities include global export opportunities of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the proposed Kitimat LNG export facility and others off the west coast of Canada. The threat facing natural gas development is the strong competition for market share with coal. However, emissions data and energy efficiencies provide evidence to support the choice to use natural gas. 5 refs., 2 tabs., 26 figs.
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Natural gas : the green fuel of the future
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Taylor, R.S.; Harbinson, S.W.; Tertzakian, P.; Wall, T.; Wilkinson, J.; Graham, M.; Young, P.J.
2010-01-01
Studies have shown that the demand for crude oil exceeds supply and other energy sources are needed to met the shortfall. Natural gas and coal are the only 2 current energy sources that have the global capacity to, by themselves, address increased energy demand in a timely manner. Both these resources have been used primarily for power generation and heating. This paper discussed the transition that will likely occur in which natural gas and coal will be used increasingly as transportation fuels. It presented data comparing the environmental impact of using methane versus coal and proposed natural gas as the future green fuel. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted to obtain a better understanding of the current Canadian natural gas market. The strengths include recent discoveries in the Horn River Basin and the Montney plays in British Columbia which are expected to triple natural gas production within the next decade. The weaknesses include an oversupply of gas compared to current demand; gas prices are currently in a range that are barely economic for many shale plays; and Canadian gas is disadvantaged for sales in the United States by additional pipeline transportation costs. The opportunities include global export opportunities of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the proposed Kitimat LNG export facility and others off the west coast of Canada. The threat facing natural gas development is the strong competition for market share with coal. However, emissions data and energy efficiencies provide evidence to support the choice to use natural gas. 5 refs., 2 tabs., 26 figs.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Justice, P M
1917-09-19
Light paraffin oils and other oils for motors are obtained from shale, and benzene, toluene, and solvent naphtha are obtained from coal by a process in which the coal or shale is preferably powered to pass through a mesh of 64 to the inch and is heated with a mixture of finely ground carbonate or the like which under the action of heat gives off carbonic acid, and with small iron scrap or its equivalent which is adapted to increase the volume of hydrocarbons evolved. The temperature of the retort is maintained between 175 and 800/sup 0/C., and after all the vapors are given off at the higher temperature a fine jet of water may be injected into the retort and the temperature increased. The produced oil is condensed and purified by fractional distillation, and the gas formed is stored after passing it through a tower packed with coke saturated with a non-volatile oil with recovery of an oil of light specific gravity which is condensed in the tower. The residuum from the still in which the produced oil is fractionated may be treated with carbonate and iron, as in the first stage of the process, and the distillate therefrom passed to a second retort containing manganese dioxide and iron scrap preferably in the proportion of one part or two. The mixture, e.g., one containing shale or oil with six to thirteen percent of oxygen, to which is added three to eight per cent of carbonate, and from one and a half to four per cent of scrap iron, is conveyed by belts and an overhead skip to a hopper of a retort in a furnace heated by burners supplied with producer gas. The retort is fitted with a detachable lid and the vapors formed are led by a pipe to a vertical water-cooled condenser with a drain-cock which leads the condensed oils to a tank, from which a pipe leads to a packed tower for removing light oils and from which the gas passes to a holder.
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Is Shale Development Drilling Holes in the Human Capital Pipeline?
Rickman, Dan S.; Wang, Hongbo; Winters, John V.
2016-01-01
Using the Synthetic Control Method (SCM) and a novel method for measuring changes in educational attainment we examine the link between educational attainment and shale oil and gas extraction for the states of Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia. The three states examined are economically-small, relatively more rural, and have high levels of shale oil and gas reserves. They also are varied in that West Virginia is intensive in shale gas extraction, while the other two are intensive in sh...
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Combustion of Jordanian oil shale using circulating fluidized bed
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hamdan, M.; Al-Azzam, S.
1998-11-01
this study re[resents design and manufacturing of a lab-scale circulating fluidized bed (C.F.B) to burn low grade fuel such as Jordanian oil shale. Hydrodynamic properties of C.F.B. were studied like minimum fluidization velocity, circulation flux and carryover rate. a hot run was firstly conducted by the combustion of L.P.G. to start up the combustion process. It proceeds until reaching the minimum burning temperature of oil shale particles, at which time the LPG supply was gradually reduced and oil shale feeding started. soon after reaching a self sustainable condition of oil shale particles, the LPG supply was cut off. The main combustion variables were investigated such as air to fuel ratios, temperature profiles across the bed, exhaust gas analysis and combustion efficiency. a combustion intensity of 859 kg/hr.m 2 and combustion efficiency of 96% were achieved. (authors). 19 refs., 9 tab., 18 fig
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Assessment of industry needs for oil shale research and development. Final report
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hackworth, J.H.
1987-05-01
Thirty-one industry people were contacted to provide input on oil shale in three subject areas. The first area of discussion dealt with industry`s view of the shape of the future oil shale industry; the technology, the costs, the participants, the resources used, etc. It assessed the types and scale of the technologies that will form the industry, and how the US resource will be used. The second subject examined oil shale R&D needs and priorities and potential new areas of research. The third area of discussion sought industry comments on what they felt should be the role of the DOE (and in a larger sense the US government) in fostering activities that will lead to a future commercial US oil shale shale industry.
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Lin, Xiao-Sheng; Tang, Jie; Li, Zhao-Yang; Li, Hai-Yi
2016-01-01
Liao River basin in Jilin Province is the place of origin of the Dongliao River. This study gives a comprehensive analysis of the vegetation coverage in the region and provides a potential theoretical basis for ecological restoration. The seasonal variation of vegetation greenness and dynamics based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in major land cover types in the region was studied. Analyzing the relationship NDVI, temperature and rainfall, we derived a set of predictor variables from 2001 to 2012 using the MODIS Terra level 1 Product (MOD02QKM). The results showed a general increasing trend in NDVI value in the region, while 34.63 % of the region showed degradation. NDVI values begin to rise from April when plants are regreening and they drop in September when temperature are decreasing and the leaves are falling in the study area and temperature was found decreasing during the period of 2001-2012 while rainfall showed an increasing trend. This model could be used to observe the change in vegetation greenness and the dynamic effects of temperature and rainfall. This study provided important data for the environmental protection of the basin area. And we hope to provide scientific analysis for controlling water and soil erosion, maintaining the sustainable productivity of land resources, enhancing the treatment of water pollution and stimulating the virtuous cycle of the ecological system.
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Chemical hazards arising from shale gas extraction
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daria Pakulska
2015-02-01
Full Text Available The development of the shale industry is gaining momentum and hence the analysis of chemical hazards to the environment and health of the local population is extremely timely and important. Chemical hazards are created during the exploitation of all minerals, but in the case of shale gas production, there is much more uncertainty as regards to the effects of new technologies application. American experience suggests the increasing risk of environmental contamination, mainly groundwater. The greatest concern is the incomplete knowledge of the composition of fluids used for fracturing shale rock and unpredictability of long-term effects of hydraulic fracturing for the environment and health of residents. High population density in the old continent causes the problem of chemical hazards which is much larger than in the USA. Despite the growing public discontent data on this subject are limited. First of all, there is no epidemiological studies to assess the relationship between risk factors, such as air and water pollution, and health effects in populations living in close proximity to gas wells. The aim of this article is to identify and discuss existing concepts on the sources of environmental contamination, an indication of the environment elements under pressure and potential health risks arising from shale gas extraction. Med Pr 2015;66(1:99–117
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Pore Scale Analysis of Oil Shale/Sands Pyrolysis
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lin, Chen-Luh [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Miller, Jan [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
2011-03-01
There are important questions concerning the quality and volume of pore space that is created when oil shale is pyrolyzed for the purpose of producing shale oil. In this report, 1.9 cm diameter cores of Mahogany oil shale were pyrolyzed at different temperatures and heating rates. Detailed 3D imaging of core samples was done using multiscale X-ray computed tomography (CT) before and after pyrolysis to establish the pore structure. The pore structure of the unreacted material was not clear. Selected images of a core pyrolyzed at 400oC were obtained at voxel resolutions from 39 microns (Οm) to 60 nanometers (nm). Some of the pore space created during pyrolysis was clearly visible at these resolutions and it was possible to distinguish between the reaction products and the host shale rock. The pore structure deduced from the images was used in Lattice Boltzmann simulations to calculate the permeability in the pore space. The permeabilities of the pyrolyzed samples of the silicate-rich zone were on the order of millidarcies, while the permeabilities of the kerogen-rich zone after pyrolysis were very anisotropic and about four orders of magnitude higher.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Baioumy, Hassan M. [Central Metallurgical R and D Institute, PO Box 87 Helwan, Cairo (Egypt); Ismael, Ismael S. [Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Suez (Egypt)
2010-07-01
Non-marine (Jurassic) and marine (Cretaceous) black shales from Egypt were subjected to mineralogical and geochemical analyses to examine the controlling factors of their compositional variations. Non-marine black shales are composed of kaolinite and quartz with traces of gypsum, illite, calcite, feldspars, and dolomite, while marine black shales from the Red Sea area are composed of smectite, kaolinite, quartz, calcite, and dolomite with traces of feldspars. Abu Tartur marine black shales are composed of smectite and quartz with traces of feldspars and gypsum. Non-marine black shales show considerably higher Nb, Ta, Hf, and Zr contents and Th/Yb ratios compared to the marine black shales. On the other hand, marine black shales show considerably higher Cr, V, and Zn contents with positive correlations between these elements and organic carbon (C{sub org.}){sub .} Red Sea black shales have higher Ni/Co, V/Cr, and U/Al ratios. Chondrite normalized values of the medium and heavy rare earth elements (MREEs and HREEs, respectively) are higher in the non-marine black shales compared to the marine black shales. Pyrite from non-marine black shales is characterized by high positive {delta}{sup 34}S isotope values (average of + 9.3 permille). Pyrite from Red Sea black shales has low negative {delta}{sup 34}S values (average of -16.7 permille), pyrite from black shales of the lower member of the Duwi Formation has positive {delta}{sup 34}S values (average of 5.8 permille), while pyrite from marine black shales of the middle member has negative {delta}{sup 34}S values (average of -0.83 permille). Source area composition, weathering conditions, depositional environments, and type of organic matter are considered to be the probable controlling factors of these variations. The more felsic constituents in the source area of non-marine black shales is responsible for the relatively high Nb, Ta, Hf, and Zr contents and Th/Yb ratio. Relatively high kaolinite contents and Chemical
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Strandberg, Marek
2000-01-01
Plans for the continued use of oil shale may lead the development of this country into an impasse. To this day no plans have been made for transition from the use of energy based on fossil fuels to that based on renewable resources. Without having any clear strategic plan politicians have been comforting both themselves and the population with promises to tackle the problem when the right time comes. Today the only enterprise whose cash flows and capital would really make it possible to reform the power industry is the firm Eesti Energia (Estonian Energy). However, its sole present shareholder - the state - prefers the sale of the firm's shares to carrying out a radical reform. At the same time, local consumers are likely to rather be willing to pay for the expensive electric energy produced from renewable resources than for that produced from fossil fuels, the price of which will also remain high due to the pollution tax. Practically it is impossible to buy a globally balanced environment for money - pollution taxes are but punitive mechanisms. The investments made into the oil-shale industry will also reinforce the cultural distance of North-East Estonia from the rest of Estonia - the uniform and prevalently Russian-speaking industrial area will be preserved as long as capital will continue to flow into the oil shale industry concentrated there. The way out would be for industries to make wider use of ecological and ecosystemic technologies and for the state to enforce ecologically balanced economic and social policies. (author)
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Shale Oil Value Enhancement Research
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
James W. Bunger
2006-11-30
Raw kerogen oil is rich in heteroatom-containing compounds. Heteroatoms, N, S & O, are undesirable as components of a refinery feedstock, but are the basis for product value in agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, surfactants, solvents, polymers, and a host of industrial materials. An economically viable, technologically feasible process scheme was developed in this research that promises to enhance the economics of oil shale development, both in the US and elsewhere in the world, in particular Estonia. Products will compete in existing markets for products now manufactured by costly synthesis routes. A premium petroleum refinery feedstock is also produced. The technology is now ready for pilot plant engineering studies and is likely to play an important role in developing a US oil shale industry.
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Customer value in green power purchases
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Welsh, L.
1998-01-01
A discussion about generating electricity from renewable energy sources was presented. The Environment Canada/ENMAX green power contract stipulates that in order for electricity to quality as green power it must be generated by renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, combustion of sustainably produced biomass, or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity. The contract also includes emissions reduction credit (ERC) ownership for greenhouse gases, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and toxics. By using green power in some of its own facilities the government demonstrates its support for renewable energy sources, and provides the initial market for the industry to build up its capacity to service larger markets. The emission reduction credits 'earned' could be added to the government inventories as environmental assets
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Method of concentrating oil shale by flotation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Larsson, M
1941-01-28
A method is described of concentrating oil shale by flotation. It is characterized by grinding the shale to a grain size which, roughly speaking, is less than 0.06 mm. and more conveniently should be less than 0.05 mm., and followed by flotation. During the process the brown foam formed is separated as concentrate, while the black-brown to all-black foam is separated as a middle product, ground fine again, and thereafter floated once more. The patent contains five additional claims.
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Inter-layered clay stacks in Jurassic shales
Pye, K.; Krinsley, D. H.
1983-01-01
Scanning electron microscopy in the backscattered electron mode is used together with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to show that Lower Jurassic shales from the North Sea Basin contain large numbers of clay mineral stacks up to 150 microns in size. Polished shale sections are examined to determine the size, shape orientation, textural relationships, and internal compositional variations of the clays. Preliminary evidence that the clay stacks are authigenic, and may have formed at shallow burial depths during early diagenesis, is presented.
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Ferrar, Kyle J; Kriesky, Jill; Christen, Charles L; Marshall, Lynne P; Malone, Samantha L; Sharma, Ravi K; Michanowicz, Drew R; Goldstein, Bernard D
2013-01-01
Concerns for health and social impacts have arisen as a result of Marcellus Shale unconventional natural gas development. Our goal was to document the self-reported health impacts and mental and physical health stressors perceived to result from Marcellus Shale development. Two sets of interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of community members living proximal to Marcellus Shale development, session 1 March-September 2010 (n = 33) and session 2 January-April 2012 (n = 20). Symptoms of health impacts and sources of psychological stress were coded. Symptom and stressor counts were quantified for each interview. The counts for each participant were compared longitudinally. Participants attributed 59 unique health impacts and 13 stressors to Marcellus Shale development. Stress was the most frequently-reported symptom. Over time, perceived health impacts increased (P = 0·042), while stressors remained constant (P = 0·855). Exposure-based epidemiological studies are needed to address identified health impacts and those that may develop as unconventional natural gas extraction continues. Many of the stressors can be addressed immediately.
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Lahann, R.W.; Swarbrick, R.E.
2011-01-01
Basin model studies which have addressed the importance of smectite conversion to illite as a source of overpressure in the Gulf of Mexico have principally relied on a single-shale compaction model and treated the smectite reaction as only a fluid-source term. Recent fluid pressure interpretation and shale petrology studies indicate that conversion of bound water to mobile water, dissolution of load-bearing grains, and increased preferred orientation change the compaction properties of the shale. This results in substantial changes in effective stress and fluid pressure. The resulting fluid pressure can be 1500-3000psi higher than pressures interpreted from models based on shallow compaction trends. Shale diagenesis changes the mineralogy, volume, and orientation of the load-bearing grains in the shale as well as the volume of bound water. This process creates a weaker (more compactable) grain framework. When these changes occur without fluid export from the shale, some of the stress is transferred from the grains onto the fluid. Observed relationships between shale density and calculated effective stress in Gulf of Mexico shelf wells confirm these changes in shale properties with depth. Further, the density-effective stress changes cannot be explained by fluid-expansion or fluid-source processes or by prediagenesis compaction, but are consistent with a dynamic diagenetic modification of the shale mineralogy, texture, and compaction properties during burial. These findings support the incorporation of diagenetic modification of compaction properties as part of the fluid pressure interpretation process. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Removing heavy metals from wastewaters with use of shales accompanying the coal beds.
Jabłońska, Beata; Siedlecka, Ewa
2015-05-15
A possibility of using clay waste rocks (shales) from coal mines in the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewaters is considered in this paper. Raw and calcined (600 °C) shales accompanying the coal beds in two Polish coal mines were examined with respect to their adsorptive capabilities for Pb, Ni and Cu ions. The mineralogical composition of the shales was determined and the TG/DTG analysis was carried out. The granulometric compositions of raw and calcined shales were compared. Tests of adsorption for various Pb(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) concentrations were conducted and the pH before and after adsorption was analyzed. The results indicate that the shales from both coal mines differ in adsorptive capabilities for particular metal ions. The calcination improved the adsorptive capabilities for lead, but worsened them for nickel. The examined shales have good adsorptive capabilities, and could be used as inexpensive adsorbents of heavy metal ions, especially in the regions where resources of shale are easy accessible in the form of spoil tips. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
J. Fisher
2015-06-01
Full Text Available A new genus and species of Ichneutinae s. l., Colemanus keeleyorum Fisher, is described from the Eocene Green River Formation in Colorado, USA. Colemanus was placed on a phylogenetic hypothesis using morphological data. Using a parsimony criterion, Colemanus is placed within Proteropini (Ichneutinae s. l.. Reconstructions of well-preserved regions (mesosomal dorsum and wings are included. A previously described species from lower Oligocene Baltic amber is transferred to Colemanus, resulting in the new combination C. contortus (Brues, 1933.
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Beneficiation-hydroretort processing of US oil shales: Volume 2
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
None
1989-01-01
This report has been divided into three volumes. Volume I describes the MRI beneficiation work. In addition, Volume I presents the results of joint beneficiation-hydroretorting studies and provides an economic analysis of the combined beneficiation-hydroretorting approach for processing Eastern oil shales. Volume II presents detailed results of hydroretorting tests made by HYCRUDE/IGT on raw and beneficiated oil shales prepared by MRI. Volume III comprises detailed engineering design drawings and supporting data developed by the Roberts and Schaefer Company, Engineers and Contractors, Salt Lake City, Utah, in support of the capital and operating costs for a conceptual beneficiation plant processing an Alabama oil shale.
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Ding, M.; Hjelm, R.; Watkins, E.; Xu, H.; Pawar, R.
2015-12-01
Oil/gas produced from unconventional reservoirs has become strategically important for the US domestic energy independence. In unconventional realm, hydrocarbons are generated and stored in nanopores media ranging from a few to hundreds of nanometers. Fundamental knowledge of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes that control fluid flow and propagation within nano-pore confinement is critical for maximizing unconventional oil/gas production. The size and confinement of the nanometer pores creates many complex rock-fluid interface interactions. It is imperative to promote innovative experimental studies to decipher physical and chemical processes at the nanopore scale that govern hydrocarbon generation and mass transport of hydrocarbon mixtures in tight shale and other low permeability formations at reservoir pressure-temperature conditions. We have carried out laboratory investigations exploring quantitative relationship between pore characteristics of the Wolfcamp shale from Western Texas and the shale interaction with fluids at reservoir P-T conditions using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We have performed SANS measurements of the shale rock in single fluid (e.g., H2O and D2O) and multifluid (CH4/(30% H2O+70% D2O)) systems at various pressures up to 20000 psi and temperature up to 150 oF. Figure 1 shows our SANS data at different pressures with H2O as the pressure medium. Our data analysis using IRENA software suggests that the principal changes of pore volume in the shale occurred on smaller than 50 nm pores and pressure at 5000 psi (Figure 2). Our results also suggest that with increasing P, more water flows into pores; with decreasing P, water is retained in the pores.
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Reserves in western basins: Part 1, Greater Green River basin
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
1993-10-01
This study characterizes an extremely large gas resource located in low permeability, overpressured sandstone reservoirs located below 8,000 feet drill depth in the Greater Green River basin, Wyoming. Total in place resource is estimated at 1,968 Tcf. Via application of geologic, engineering and economic criteria, the portion of this resource potentially recoverable as reserves is estimated. Those volumes estimated include probable, possible and potential categories and total 33 Tcf as a mean estimate of recoverable gas for all plays considered in the basin. Five plays (formations) were included in this study and each was separately analyzed in terms of its overpressured, tight gas resource, established productive characteristics and future reserves potential based on a constant $2/Mcf wellhead gas price scenario. A scheme has been developed to break the overall resource estimate down into components that can be considered as differing technical and economic challenges that must be overcome in order to exploit such resources: in other words, to convert those resources to economically recoverable reserves. Total recoverable reserves estimates of 33 Tcf do not include the existing production from overpressured tight reservoirs in the basin. These have estimated ultimate recovery of approximately 1.6 Tcf, or a per well average recovery of 2.3 Bcf. Due to the fact that considerable pay thicknesses can be present, wells can be economic despite limited drainage areas. It is typical for significant bypassed gas to be present at inter-well locations because drainage areas are commonly less than regulatory well spacing requirements.
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Improving horizontal completions on heterogeneous tight shales
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Suarez-Rivera, Roberto; Deenadayalu, Chaitanya; Chertov, Maxim; Novalo Hartanto, Ricardo; Gathogo, Patrick [Schlumberger (United States); Kunjir, Rahul [University of Utah (United States)
2011-07-01
Evaluation of the two formation characteristics conducive to economic well production is important when tight shale formation characterization and completion design are being considered. This paper presents the basic understanding required to improve the efficiency of horizontal completions in oil and gas producing shales. Guidelines are defined for effective perforation and fracturing to improve the efficiency and sustainability of horizontal completions using extensive laboratory characterization of mechanical properties on core, core/log integration and continuous mapping of these properties by logging-while-drilling (LWD) methods. The objective is to improve completion design efficiency. This is accomplished by suitable selection of perforation intervals based on an understanding of the relevant physical processes and rock characterization. Conditions at two reservoir regions, the near-wellbore and the far-wellbore, are outlined and are essential to completion design. From the study, it can be concluded that tight shales are strongly anisotropic and cannot be approximated using isotropic models.
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A reactive transport model for Marcellus shale weathering
Heidari, Peyman; Li, Li; Jin, Lixin; Williams, Jennifer Z.; Brantley, Susan L.
2017-11-01
Shale formations account for 25% of the land surface globally and contribute a large proportion of the natural gas used in the United States. One of the most productive shale-gas formations is the Marcellus, a black shale that is rich in organic matter and pyrite. As a first step toward understanding how Marcellus shale interacts with water in the surface or deep subsurface, we developed a reactive transport model to simulate shale weathering under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, constrained by soil and water chemistry data. The simulation was carried out for 10,000 years since deglaciation, assuming bedrock weathering and soil genesis began after the last glacial maximum. Results indicate weathering was initiated by pyrite dissolution for the first 1000 years, leading to low pH and enhanced dissolution of chlorite and precipitation of iron hydroxides. After pyrite depletion, chlorite dissolved slowly, primarily facilitated by the presence of CO2 and organic acids, forming vermiculite as a secondary mineral. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important controls on weathering include the presence of reactive gases (CO2 and O2), specific surface area, and flow velocity of infiltrating meteoric water. The soil chemistry and mineralogy data could not be reproduced without including the reactive gases. For example, pyrite remained in the soil even after 10,000 years if O2 was not continuously present in the soil column; likewise, chlorite remained abundant and porosity remained small if CO2 was not present in the soil gas. The field observations were only simulated successfully when the modeled specific surface areas of the reactive minerals were 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than surface area values measured for powdered minerals. Small surface areas could be consistent with the lack of accessibility of some fluids to mineral surfaces due to surface coatings. In addition, some mineral surface is likely interacting only with equilibrated pore
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Dual pore-connectivity and flow-paths affect shale hydrocarbon production
Hu, Q.; Barber, T.; Zhang, Y.; Md Golam, K.
2017-12-01
Aided with integrated characterization approaches of droplet contact angle measurement, mercury intrusion capillary pressure, low-pressure gas physisorption, scanning electron microscopy, and small angle neutron scattering, we have systematically studied how pore connectivity and wettability are associated with mineral and organic matter phases of shales (Barnett, Bakken, Eagle Ford), as well as their influence on macroscopic fluid flow and hydrocarbon movement, from the following complementary tests: vacuum saturation with vacuum-pulling on dry shale followed with tracer introduction and high-pressure intrusion, tracer diffusion into fluid-saturated shale, fluid and tracer imbibition into partially-saturated shale, and Wood's metal intrusion followed with imaging and elemental mapping. The first three tests use tracer-bearing fluids (hydrophilic API brine and hydrophobic n-decane) fluids with a suite of wettability tracers of different sizes and reactivities developed in our laboratory. These innovative and integrated approaches indicate a Dalmatian wettability behavior at a scale of microns, limited connectivity (50-100 nm), which is linked to the steep initial decline and low overall recovery because of the limited connection of hydrocarbon molecules in the shale matrix to the stimulated fracture network.
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Multi-physics and multi-scale characterization of shale anisotropy
Sarout, J.; Nadri, D.; Delle Piane, C.; Esteban, L.; Dewhurst, D.; Clennell, M. B.
2012-12-01
Shales are the most abundant sedimentary rock type in the Earth's shallow crust. In the past decade or so, they have attracted increased attention from the petroleum industry as reservoirs, as well as more traditionally for their sealing capacity for hydrocarbon/CO2 traps or underground waste repositories. The effectiveness of both fundamental and applied shale research is currently limited by (i) the extreme variability of physical, mechanical and chemical properties observed for these rocks, and by (ii) the scarce data currently available. The variability in observed properties is poorly understood due to many factors that are often irrelevant for other sedimentary rocks. The relationships between these properties and the petrophysical measurements performed at the field and laboratory scales are not straightforward, translating to a scale dependency typical of shale behaviour. In addition, the complex and often anisotropic micro-/meso-structures of shales give rise to a directional dependency of some of the measured physical properties that are tensorial by nature such as permeability or elastic stiffness. Currently, fundamental understanding of the parameters controlling the directional and scale dependency of shale properties is far from complete. Selected results of a multi-physics laboratory investigation of the directional and scale dependency of some critical shale properties are reported. In particular, anisotropic features of shale micro-/meso-structures are related to the directional-dependency of elastic and fluid transport properties: - Micro-/meso-structure (μm to cm scale) characterization by electron microscopy and X-ray tomography; - Estimation of elastic anisotropy parameters on a single specimen using elastic wave propagation (cm scale); - Estimation of the permeability tensor using the steady-state method on orthogonal specimens (cm scale); - Estimation of the low-frequency diffusivity tensor using NMR method on orthogonal specimens (example
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Origin of uraniferous phosphate beds in Wilkins Peak member of Green River Formation, Wyoming
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mott, L.V.; Drever, J.I.
1983-01-01
The distribution of uranium and phosphorus was studied in four drill cores from the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation in Wyoming. Of the studied occurrences of anomalously high uranium concentrations, 13% were associated with localized organic matter, and the remainder were associated with stratiform phosphate-rich beds. The uranium probably substitutes for calcium in apatite in these beds. It is proposed that the apatite forms by replacement of calcite during times of flooding of the normally highly saline lake. The flood waters bring in phosphorus and cause a decrease in both pH and ratio of bicarbonate to phosphate, which favors the replacement. Uranium is incorporated in the apatite as the apatite forms or soon after. No special source, other than weathering of volcanic ash, is required for the phosphorus or the uranium. The uraniferous phosphatic beds do not appear to have any economic potential at the present time. Misleadingly high concentrations of both uranium and phosphorus are observed in outcrop samples as a result of selective leaching of other components
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1991-10-01
This modification to the Green River Final Remedial Action Plan (FRAP) represents the changes made to the document in accordance with a joint agreement between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) outlined in a letter dated August 7, 1991. As specified in this letter, methylene chloride will no longer be analyzed in groundwater samples collected from on-site monitor wells. All references to methylene chloride sampling have been deleted from the FRAP, as indicated by the pages in Section 2.0 of this document
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Shale gas. A provisional assessment of climate change and environmental impacts
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wood, R.; Gilbert, P.; Sharmina, M.; Anderson, K.; Footitt, A.; Glynn, S.; Nicholls, F.
2011-01-01
This report, commissioned by The Co-operative, provides a provisional review and assessment of the risks and benefits of shale gas development, with the aim of informing The Co-operative's position on this 'unconventional' fuel source. The analysis within the report addresses two specific issues associated with the extraction and combustion of shale gas. Firstly, it outlines potential UK and global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from a range of scenarios building on current predictions of shale gas resources. Secondly, it explores the health and environmental risks associated with shale gas extraction. It should be stressed that a key issue in assessing these issues has been a paucity of reliable data. To date shale gas has only been exploited in the US and, while initial estimates have been made, it is difficult to quantify the possible resources in other parts of the globe, including the UK. Equally, information on health and environmental aspects is of variable quality and only now is there any systematic effort being undertaken to better understand these issues. Therefore, while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in the report, it can only be as accurate as the information on which it draws. It is clear however, that while shale gas extraction, at a global level, does not involve the high energy and water inputs at the scale of other unconventional fuels, such as oil derived from tar sands, it does pose significant potential risks to human health and the environment. Principally, the potential for hazardous chemicals to enter groundwater via the extraction process must be subject to more thorough research prior to any expansion of the industry being considered. Additionally, while being promoted as a transition route to a low carbon future, none of the available evidence indicates that this is likely to be the case. It is difficult to envisage any situation other than shale gas largely being used in addition to other
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Ground disposal of oil shale wastes: a review with an indexed annotated bibliography through 1976
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Routson, R.C.; Bean, R.M.
1977-12-01
This review covers the available literature concerning ground-disposed wastes and effluents of a potential oil shale industry. Ground disposal has been proposed for essentially all of the solid and liquid wastes produced (Pfeffer, 1974). Since an oil shale industry is not actually in operation, the review is anticipatory in nature. The section, Oil Shale Technology, provides essential background for interpreting the literature on potential shale oil wastes and the topics are treated more completely in the section entitled Environmental Aspects of the Potential Disposal of Oil Shale Wastes to Ground. The first section of the annotated bibliography cites literature concerning potential oil shale wastes and the second section cites literature concerning oil shale technology. Each section contains references arranged historically by year. An index is provided.
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Zhubayev, Alimzhan; Houben, Maartje|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/370588843; Smeulders, David; Barnhoorn, Auke|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304843636
2014-01-01
The Posidonia Shale Formation (PSF) is one of the possible resource shales for unconventional gas in Northern Europe and currently is of great interest to hydrocarbon exploration and production. Due to low permeability of shales, economically viable production requires hydraulic fracturing of the
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What place for shale gas in fighting climate change?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2010-09-01
Along with petroleum and coal, natural gas is the primary cause of global warming. Equiterre believes that the energy sector must be completely decarbonised by 2050 if catastrophic consequences caused by this warming are to be avoided. The Utica shale formation in the Saint Lawrence Valley has been the object of much prospecting activity. The aim of the present study is therefore to determine if the development of shale gas can play a transitional role in the move towards a decarbonised energy system. To do this, Equiterre considers that gas should be substituted for more polluting fuels as quickly as possible and that thereafter it should be rapidly replaced by carbon-free fuels. Equiterre also considers, however, that the establishment of a shale gas industry in Quebec would only increase the overall volume of greenhouse gas emissions. Equiterre concludes that the setting up of a shale gas industry in Quebec is a purely commercial proposition which, at the best, would contribute nothing to the struggle to combat climate change.
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Geochemical controls on groundwater chemistry in shales
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Von Damm, K.L.
1989-01-01
The chemistry of groundwaters is one of the most important parameters in determining the mobility of species within a rock formation. A three pronged approach was used to determine the composition of, and geochemical controls, on groundwaters specifically within shale formations: (1) available data were collected from the literature, the US Geological Survey WATSTORE data base, and field sampling, (2) the geochemical modeling code EQ3/6 was used to simulate interaction of various shales and groundwaters, and (3) several types of shale were reacted with synthetic groundwaters in the laboratory. The comparison of model results to field and laboratory data provide a means of validating the models, as well as a means of deconvoluting complex field interactions. Results suggest that groundwaters in shales have a wide range in composition and are primarily of the Na-Cl-HCO 3 - type. The constancy of the Na:Cl (molar) ratio at 1:1 and the Ca:Mg ratio from 3:1 to 1:1 suggests the importance of halite and carbonates in controlling groundwater compositions. In agreement with the reaction path modeling, most of the groundwaters are neutral to slightly alkaline at low temperatures. Model and experimental results suggest that reaction (1) at elevated temperatures, or (2) in the presence of oxygen will lead to more acidic conditions. Some acetate was found to be produced in the experiments; depending on the constraints applied, large amounts of acetate were produced in the model results. 13 refs., 1 tab
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Shale Gas Development and Drinking Water Quality.
Hill, Elaine; Ma, Lala
2017-05-01
The extent of environmental externalities associated with shale gas development (SGD) is important for welfare considerations and, to date, remains uncertain (Mason, Muehlenbachs, and Olmstead 2015; Hausman and Kellogg 2015). This paper takes a first step to address this gap in the literature. Our study examines whether shale gas development systematically impacts public drinking water quality in Pennsylvania, an area that has been an important part of the recent shale gas boom. We create a novel dataset from several unique sources of data that allows us to relate SGD to public drinking water quality through a gas well's proximity to community water system (CWS) groundwater source intake areas.1 We employ a difference-in-differences strategy that compares, for a given CWS, water quality after an increase in the number of drilled well pads to background levels of water quality in the geographic area as measured by the impact of more distant well pads. Our main estimate finds that drilling an additional well pad within 1 km of groundwater intake locations increases shale gas-related contaminants by 1.5–2.7 percent, on average. These results are striking considering that our data are based on water sampling measurements taken after municipal treatment, and suggest that the health impacts of SGD 1 A CWS is defined as the subset of public water systems that supplies water to the same population year-round. through water contamination remains an open question.
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Organic Substances from Unconventional Oil and Gas Production in Shale
Orem, W. H.; Varonka, M.; Crosby, L.; Schell, T.; Bates, A.; Engle, M.
2014-12-01
Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) production has emerged as an important element in the US and world energy mix. Technological innovations in the oil and gas industry, especially horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, allow for the enhanced release of oil and natural gas from shale compared to conventional oil and gas production. This has made commercial exploitation possible on a large scale. Although UOG is enormously successful, there is surprisingly little known about the effects of this technology on the targeted shale formation and on environmental impacts of oil and gas production at the surface. We examined water samples from both conventional and UOG shale wells to determine the composition, source and fate of organic substances present. Extraction of hydrocarbon from shale plays involves the creation and expansion of fractures through the hydraulic fracturing process. This process involves the injection of large volumes of a water-sand mix treated with organic and inorganic chemicals to assist the process and prop open the fractures created. Formation water from a well in the New Albany Shale that was not hydraulically fractured (no injected chemicals) had total organic carbon (TOC) levels that averaged 8 mg/L, and organic substances that included: long-chain fatty acids, alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds, alkyl benzenes, and alkyl phenols. In contrast, water from UOG production in the Marcellus Shale had TOC levels as high as 5,500 mg/L, and contained a range of organic chemicals including, solvents, biocides, scale inhibitors, and other organic chemicals at thousands of μg/L for individual compounds. These chemicals and TOC decreased rapidly over the first 20 days of water recovery as injected fluids were recovered, but residual organic compounds (some naturally-occurring) remained up to 250 days after the start of water recovery (TOC 10-30 mg/L). Results show how hydraulic fracturing changes the organic
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Measurement of water activity from shales through thermo hygrometer
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rabe, Claudio [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Civil. Grupo de Tecnologia e Engenharia de Petroleo (GTEP)
2004-07-01
This paper presents a campaign of lab tests to obtain the water activity from shales and its pore fluid originated from offshore and onshore basin. The results of water activity from shales indicate that the values rang from 0.754 to 0.923 and for the pore fluid are between 0.987 and 0.940. The results show that the water activity of interstitial water can be obtained in 6 days and the rock in 10 days using the thermo hygrometer used. The degree of saturation, water content, kind and tenor of expansible and hydratable clay mineral, total and interconnected porosity, salinity of interstitial fluid and the capillary pressure of shale samples affected the results of water activity. (author)
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Microbial production of natural gas from coal and organic-rich shale
Orem, William
2013-01-01
Natural gas is an important component of the energy mix in the United States, producing greater energy yield per unit weight and less pollution compared to coal and oil. Most of the world’s natural gas resource is thermogenic, produced in the geologic environment over time by high temperature and pressure within deposits of oil, coal, and shale. About 20 percent of the natural gas resource, however, is produced by microorganisms (microbes). Microbes potentially could be used to generate economic quantities of natural gas from otherwise unexploitable coal and shale deposits, from coal and shale from which natural gas has already been recovered, and from waste material such as coal slurry. Little is known, however, about the microbial production of natural gas from coal and shale.
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Department of the Interior — KMZ file Format –This data set contains the Oil Shale Leases for the State of Colorado, derived from Legal Land Descriptions (LLD) contained in the US Bureau of Land...
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Indicative energy technology assessment of UK shale gas extraction
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hammond, Geoffrey P.; O’Grady, Áine
2017-01-01
Highlights: • UK shale gas ‘fracking’ is at a very early stage with an uncertain size of resource. • Shale gas extraction might benefit UK fuel security, as well as jobs and growth. • Potentially harmful environmental ‘side-effects’ must be monitored and regulated. • Gas bills for UK household and industrial consumers are unlikely to fall sharply. • Costs & benefits of shale gas fracking are unevenly distributed between communities. - Abstract: There is at present much interest in unconventional sources of natural gas, especially in shale gas which is obtained by hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. Boreholes are drilled and then lined with steel tubes so that a mixture of water and sand with small quantities of chemicals – the fracking fluid – can be pumped into them at very high pressure. The sand grains that wedge into the cracks induced in the shale rock by a ‘perforating gun’ then releases gas which returns up the tubes. In the United Kingdom (UK) exploratory drilling is at an early stage, with licences being issued to drill a limited number of test boreholes around the country. However, such activities are already meeting community resistance and controversy. Like all energy technologies it exhibits unwanted ‘side-effects’; these simply differ in their level of severity between the various options. Shale gas may make, for example, a contribution to attaining the UK’s statutory ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions targets, but only if appropriate and robust regulations are enforced. The benefits and disadvantages of shale gas fracking are therefore discussed in order to illustrate a ‘balance sheet’ approach. It is also argued that it is desirable to bring together experts from a range of disciplines in order to carry out energy technology assessments. That should draw on and interact with national and local stakeholders: ‘actors’ both large and small. Community engagement in a genuinely participative process – where the
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SWOT Analysis of Urban Greening Maintenance and Management in the Central Pearl River Delta
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
Yanning; ZHENG; Fang; JIANG
2013-01-01
We take Shunde District,Foshan City in Guangdong Province for example,to carry out SWOT analysis of urban greening maintenance and management.The strengths of greening management and maintenance in Shunde District are as follows:(i)The greening area and quality are continuously improved in the downtown of Shunde District;(ii)The management and maintenance work is carried out well;(iii)The management and maintenance level tends to be increasingly perfected.The weaknesses of greening management and maintenance are as follows:(i)The fees for greening management and maintenance are very low;(ii)There is corner as yet untouched in the junction of some town streets;(iii)The greening management and maintenance technicians are unprofessional;(iv)The greening management is not in place;(v)There is management vacancy phenomenon in the management and maintenance of regional green space;(vi)The design and construction phase is flawed.Finally,based on the analysis of strengths and weaknesses of greening,we put forth the recommendations for the development of management and maintenance in urban green space.
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How did the US economy react to shale gas production revolution? An advanced time series approach
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bilgili, Faik; Koçak, Emrah; Bulut, Ümit; Sualp, M. Nedim
2016-01-01
This paper aims at examining the impacts of shale gas revolution on industrial production in the US. To this end, this paper, first, throughout literature review, exposes the features of shale gas revolution in the US in terms of energy technology and energy markets. However, the potential influences of shale gas extraction on the US economy are not explicit in the existing literature. Thus, considering mainly the output of shale gas revolution on the US economy in this research, later, the paper conducts econometric models to reveal if there exists significant effect(s) of shale gas revolution on the US economy. Therefore, the paper employs unit root tests and cointegration tests by following relevant US monthly data from January 2008 to December 2013. Then, this paper observes long run impact of shale gas production on industrial production in the US through dynamic ordinary least squares estimation with dummy structural breaks and conducts Granger causality test based on vector error correction model. The dynamic ordinary least squares estimator explores that shale gas production has a positive effect on industrial production. Besides, the Granger causality test presents that shale gas production Granger causes industrial production in the long run. Based on the findings of the long run estimations, the paper yields that industrial production is positively related to shale gas production. Eventually, upon its findings, this paper asserts that (i) the shale gas revolution in the US has considerable positive effects on the US economy within the scope of the validity of the growth hypothesis, (ii) new technologies might be developed to mitigate the possible negative environmental effects of shale gas production, (iii) the countries having shale gas reserves, as in US, may follow energy policies to utilize their shale reserves more in the future to meet their energy demand and to increase their economic welfare. - Highlights: • Explores the US shale gas revolution
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Reasons for the low flowback rates of fracturing fluids in marine shale
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yongjun Lu
2018-02-01
Full Text Available In this paper, marine shale cores taken from Zhaotong, Changning and Weiyuan Blocks in South China were used as samples to investigate the interaction between fracturing fluids and shale and the retention mechanisms. Firstly, adsorption, swelling, dissolution pore, dissolution fluid mineralization degree and ionic composition were experimentally studied to reveal the occurrence of water in shale and the reason for a high mineralization degree. Then, the mechanisms of water retention and mineralization degree increase were simulated and calculated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM analysis shows that there are a large number of micro fractures originated from clay minerals in the shale. Mineral dissolution rates of shale immersed in ultrasonic is around 0.5–0.7%. The ionic composition is in accordance with that of formation water. The clay minerals in core samples are mainly composed of chlorites and illites with a small amount of illites/smectites, but no montmorillonites (SS, and its content is between 18% and 20%. It is verified by XRD and infrared spectroscopy that the fracturing fluid doesn't flow into the space between clay mineral layers, so it can't lead to shale swelling. Thus, the retention of fracturing fluids is mainly caused by the adsorption at the surface of the newly fractured micro fractures in shale in a mode of successive permeation, and its adsorptive saturation rates is proportional to the pore diameters. It is concluded that the step-by-step extraction of fracturing fluids to shale and the repulsion of nano-cracks to ion are the main reasons for the abrupt increase of mineralization degree in the late stage of flowing back. In addition, the liquid carrying effect of methane during the formation of a gas reservoir is also a possible reason. Based on the experimental and field data, fracturing fluid flowback rates and gas production rates of 9 wells were analyzed. It is indicated that the same block follows an overall
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Application of organic petrography in North American shale petroleum systems: A review
Hackley, Paul C.; Cardott, Brian J.
2016-01-01
Organic petrography via incident light microscopy has broad application to shale petroleum systems, including delineation of thermal maturity windows and determination of organo-facies. Incident light microscopy allows practitioners the ability to identify various types of organic components and demonstrates that solid bitumen is the dominant organic matter occurring in shale plays of peak oil and gas window thermal maturity, whereas oil-prone Type I/II kerogens have converted to hydrocarbons and are not present. High magnification SEM observation of an interconnected organic porosity occurring in the solid bitumen of thermally mature shale reservoirs has enabled major advances in our understanding of hydrocarbon migration and storage in shale, but suffers from inability to confirm the type of organic matter present. Herein we review organic petrography applications in the North American shale plays through discussion of incident light photographic examples. In the first part of the manuscript we provide basic practical information on the measurement of organic reflectance and outline fluorescence microscopy and other petrographic approaches to the determination of thermal maturity. In the second half of the paper we discuss applications of organic petrography and SEM in all of the major shale petroleum systems in North America including tight oil plays such as the Bakken, Eagle Ford and Niobrara, and shale gas and condensate plays including the Barnett, Duvernay, Haynesville-Bossier, Marcellus, Utica, and Woodford, among others. Our review suggests systematic research employing correlative high resolution imaging techniques and in situ geochemical probing is needed to better document hydrocarbon storage, migration and wettability properties of solid bitumen at the pressure and temperature conditions of shale reservoirs.
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Water Resources Management for Shale Energy Development
Yoxtheimer, D.
2015-12-01
The increase in the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons, especially natural gas, from shale formations has been facilitated by advents in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies. Shale energy resources are very promising as an abundant energy source, though environmental challenges exist with their development, including potential adverse impacts to water quality. The well drilling and construction process itself has the potential to impact groundwater quality, however if proper protocols are followed and well integrity is established then impacts such as methane migration or drilling fluids releases can be minimized. Once a shale well has been drilled and hydraulically fractured, approximately 10-50% of the volume of injected fluids (flowback fluids) may flow out of the well initially with continued generation of fluids (produced fluids) throughout the well's productive life. Produced fluid TDS concentrations often exceed 200,000 mg/L, with elevated levels of strontium (Sr), bromide (Br), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), barium (Ba), chloride (Cl), radionuclides originating from the shale formation as well as fracturing additives. Storing, managing and properly disposisng of these fluids is critical to ensure water resources are not impacted by unintended releases. The most recent data in Pennsylvania suggests an estimated 85% of the produced fluids were being recycled for hydraulic fracturing operations, while many other states reuse less than 50% of these fluids and rely moreso on underground injection wells for disposal. Over the last few years there has been a shift to reuse more produced fluids during well fracturing operations in shale plays around the U.S., which has a combination of economic, regulatory, environmental, and technological drivers. The reuse of water is cost-competitive with sourcing of fresh water and disposal of flowback, especially when considering the costs of advanced treatment to or disposal well injection and lessens
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ruple, John [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Keiter, Robert [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
2010-03-01
Oil shale and oil sands resources located within the intermountain west represent a vast, and as of yet, commercially untapped source of energy. Development will require water, and demand for scarce water resources stands at the front of a long list of barriers to commercialization. Water requirements and the consequences of commercial development will depend on the number, size, and location of facilities, as well as the technologies employed to develop these unconventional fuels. While the details remain unclear, the implication is not – unconventional fuel development will increase demand for water in an arid region where demand for water often exceeds supply. Water demands in excess of supplies have long been the norm in the west, and for more than a century water has been apportioned on a first-come, first-served basis. Unconventional fuel developers who have not already secured water rights stand at the back of a long line and will need to obtain water from willing water purveyors. However, uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of some senior water claims combine with indeterminate interstate river management to cast a cloud over water resource allocation and management. Quantitative and qualitative water requirements associated with Endangered Species protection also stand as barriers to significant water development, and complex water quality regulations will apply to unconventional fuel development. Legal and political decisions can give shape to an indeterminate landscape. Settlement of Northern Ute reserved rights claims would help clarify the worth of existing water rights and viability of alternative sources of supply. Interstate apportionment of the White River would go a long way towards resolving water availability in downstream Utah. And energy policy clarification will help determine the role oil shale and oil sands will play in our nation’s future.
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Gardner, Christopher B.; Carey, Anne E.; Lyons, W. Berry; Goldsmith, Steven T.; McAdams, Brandon C.; Trierweiler, Annette M.
2017-12-01
Rivers draining high standing islands (HSIs) and small mountainous rivers (SMRs) are known to have extremely high sediment fluxes, and can also have high chemical weathering yields, which makes them potentially important contributors to the global riverine elemental flux to the ocean. This work reports on the riverine concentrations, ocean flux, and weathering yields of Molybdenum (Mo), Vanadium (V), and Uranium (U) in a large number of small but geochemically important rivers using 338 river samples from ten lithologically-diverse regions. These redox-sensitive elements are used extensively to infer paleo-redox conditions in the ocean, and Mo and V are also important rock-derived micronutrients used by microorganisms in nitrogen fixation. Unlike in large river systems, in which dissolved Mo has been attributed predominately to pyrite dissolution, Mo concentrations in these rivers did not correlate with sulfate concentrations. V was found to correlate strongly with Si in terrains dominated by silicate rocks, but this trend was not observed in primarily sedimentary regions. Many rivers exhibited much higher V/Si ratios than larger rivers, and rivers draining young Quaternary volcanic rocks in Nicaragua had much higher dissolved V concentrations (mean = 1306 nM) than previously-studied rivers. U concentrations were generally well below the global average with the exception of rivers draining primarily sedimentary lithologies containing carbonates and shales. Fluxes of U and Mo from igneous terrains of intermediate composition are lower than the global average, while fluxes of V from these regions are higher, and up to two orders of magnitude higher in the Nicaragua rivers. Weathering yields of Mo and V in most regions are above the global mean, despite lower than average concentrations measured in some of those systems, indicating that the chemical weathering of these elements are higher in these SMR watersheds than larger drainages. In regions of active boundaries
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Stimulating shale gas development in China: A comparison with the US experience
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tian, Lei; Wang, Zhongmin; Krupnick, Alan; Liu, Xiaoli
2014-01-01
In this paper, we use the US shale gas experience to shed light on how China might overcome the innovation problem inherent in exploring and developing shale gas plays with complex geology. We separate shale gas development into two stages, an innovation stage and a scaling-up stage, with the first presenting a much bigger challenge than the latter. Our analysis suggests that China's national oil companies offer the best hope for overcoming the innovation problem. China's policy of opening shale gas development to new entrants is a market-oriented reform that can be justified on various grounds, but the new entrants will not play a major role in overcoming the innovation problem even though they may help scale up production later on. - Highlights: • We separate shale gas development into an innovation stage and a scaling up stage. • We use the US experience to elucidate how China may solve the innovation problem. • China has to rely on its national oil companies to solve the innovation problem. • Opening shale gas development to new entrants can be justified on several grounds. • New entrants will not help overcome the innovation problem