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This paper evaluates the results from three methods commonly used to estimate oil transmissivity: the modified Cooper solution (Beckett and Lyverse 2002), the modified Bouwer and Rice method (Kirkman 2013), and the modified Jacob and Lohman method (Huntley 2000). Determining the validity of oil transmissivity values is important (e.g., when used in extraction system design and operation) and not straightforward as these methods are based on different assumptions and boundary conditions and introduce different simplifying assumptions to allow for estimating oil drawdown. Data from 289 bail‐down tests performed during an oil remediation project were used in this evaluation. Analysis of these tests produced realistic transmissivity values and good correlation between these three methods, giving the authors confidence in the oil transmissivity values as this correlation is reflected across a significant number of data sets. Secondly, the nature of oil and water recharge to the wells interpreted from Kirkman's J‐ratio values largely validates the Huntley (2000) simplifying assumption that the potentiometric surface will be relatively constant during the test, allowing the use of the modified Bouwer and Rice method. Finally, the impact of oil extraction on measured oil thickness and estimated oil transmissivity was also assessed. The study showed a clear general decrease in both measured oil thicknesses and estimated oil transmissivity during the oil recovery project. However, measured oil thickness and estimated oil transmissivity are not clearly correlated, and, as a consequence, the range of decrease in one parameter does not allow any prediction of the range of decrease in the second parameter.

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The vertical heterogeneity of contaminant concentrations in aquifers is well known, but obtaining representative samples is still a subject of debate. In this paper, the question arises from sites where numerous fully screened wells exist and there is a need to define the vertical distribution of contaminants. For this purpose, several wells were investigated with different techniques on a site contaminated with chlorinated solvents. A core-bored well shows that a tetrachloroethene (PCE) phase is sitting on and infiltrating a less permeable layer. Downstream of the cored well, the following sampling techniques were compared on fully screened wells: low flow pumping at several depths, pumping between packers and a new multilevel sampler for fully screened wells. Concerning low flow rate pumping, very low gradients were found, which may be due to the existence of vertical flow inside the well or in the gravel pack. Sampling between packers gave results comparable with the cores, separating a layer with PCE and trichloroethene from another one with cis 1,2-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride as major compounds. Detailed sampling according to pumped volume shows that even between packers, cleaning of the inter-packer volume is necessary before each sampling. Lastly, the proposed new multilevel sampler gives results similar to the packers but has the advantages of much faster sampling and a constant vertical positioning, which is fairly important for long-term monitoring in highly stratified aquifers.

This article presents field tests comparing two methods of treatment of chlorinated solvents undertaken at the same site. The site is an automobile factory where two chlorinated solvents (CS) plumes were identified. At the first source, in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) was applied, while at the second one, enhanced natural attenuation (ENA) was used. A set of specific multilevel sampling wells were installed approximately 20 m downgradient of the sources to estimate the efficiency of the treatments. The presence of a low-permeability layer (source 1) or a thick oil lens (source 2) in the top part of the aquifer prevented the CS from reaching the bottom of the aquifer. These layers led to difficulties treating the contamination. At the ISCR and ENA treatment zones, the concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) did not change significantly, while the concentration of metabolites (cis-1,2-DCE, vinyl chloride, and ethene) significantly increased 50 to 150 days after treatment. Due to high concentration of CS in the source zone, a mass balance calculation, including chlorine, was possible. It showed that around 1 to 2 percent of the injected products were used to reduce the CS. A detailed analysis and 1D analytical modeling of CS concentrations showed that the treatment led to a large (two to three times) increase in dissolution of the organic phase. This explains why, despite an efficient treatment, the PCE and TCE concentrations remained virtually unchanged. Degradation rates also increased due to the treatment. Due to some differences in the source-zone chemistry, it was not possible to differentiate between the ISCR and ENA efficiencies. O

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