Measurement of methane emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells in Hillman State Park, Pennsylvania

Pekney, Natalie J.; Diehl, J. Rodney; Ruehl, David; Sams, James I.; Veloski, Garret; Patel, Adit; Schmidt, Charles E.; Card, Thomas

doi:10.1080/17583004.2018.1443642

Cited by 36 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The rate of emissions was compared to well characteristics such as plugging status, location, depth, age, and length of inactivity. While the Cherokee Platform plugged well EF was higher than for unplugged wells, a larger percentage of unplugged wells were leaking CH 4 , corroborating previous studies from the Appalachian Basin and western United States basins (Kang et al, 2016b; Pekney et al, 2018; Townsend‐Small et al, 2016). Overall, the data suggest that unplugged wells are more likely to be leaking, although those leaks were often below the LoD.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…Even after production has ceased, O&G wells can still affect the environment as potential sources of fugitive CH 4 (Kang et al, 2014(Kang et al, , 2019Pekney et al, 2018;Riddick et al, 2019;Townsend-Small et al, 2016). Given that there may be 1-3 million abandoned wells in the United States (Brandt et al, 2014), abandoned wells could contribute a significant amount of fugitive CH 4 to the atmosphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The leak rate was determined using a Bacharach Hi Flow Sampler (HFS, Bacharach, Inc, New Kensington, PA). Measurements were conducted at high and low flow with the results averaged following the methods of Pekney et al (2018). Wells with a detectable leak below the HFS detection limit were recorded as having a leak rate as half of the detection limit (LoD), as recommended by the EPA for a nonnormally distributed data set (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2006).…”

Section: Methane Measurements and Emissions Calculationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lack of data from across the 32 oil basins and the small data sets within those basins that have been surveyed increases the uncertainty of the accuracy of the reported emissions estimates. The only basin to be independently categorized in the GHGI in 2018 was the Appalachian Basin, where the majority of abandoned well studies have been located (Kang et al, 2014; Pekney et al, 2018; Riddick et al, 2019; Townsend‐Small et al, 2016). Even within the Appalachian Basin, however, four independent studies calculated mean plugged well EFs from 0–530 g/day and unplugged well EFs of 74–672 g/day (Kang et al, 2014; Pekney et al, 2018; Riddick et al, 2019; Townsend‐Small et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The only basin to be independently categorized in the GHGI in 2018 was the Appalachian Basin, where the majority of abandoned well studies have been located (Kang et al, 2014; Pekney et al, 2018; Riddick et al, 2019; Townsend‐Small et al, 2016). Even within the Appalachian Basin, however, four independent studies calculated mean plugged well EFs from 0–530 g/day and unplugged well EFs of 74–672 g/day (Kang et al, 2014; Pekney et al, 2018; Riddick et al, 2019; Townsend‐Small et al, 2016). These wide variations suggest that basin alone may not be sufficient to predict CH 4 EFs from abandoned wells (Davies et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Analysis of Abandoned Oil Well Characteristics Affecting Methane Emissions Estimates in the Cherokee Platform in Eastern Oklahoma

Saint-Vincent

Reeder

Sams

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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Anthropogenic activities increase methane emissions, contributing to greenhouse gas levels and adversely affecting the environment. Abandoned oil and gas wells potentially leak methane, but data are limited. We analyze methane emissions from abandoned wells (n = 179) in the Cherokee Platform in Oklahoma, a previously unaccounted basin, and compare emissions factors (EFs) to those in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory. We compare the contribution of various characteristics to the propensity for leakage. Higher emissions were observed with shallower wells and with unplugged wells. Plugged wells (n = 20) had an average EF of 96 ± 429 g/day and 65 ± 294 g/day for unplugged wells (n = 159). The majority of wells had no detectable leak. We calculated ethane EFs based on geochemical analysis of gas samples, finding higher EFs for unplugged (1.2 ± 5.5 g/day) versus plugged (0.9 ± 4.6 g/day) wells. The data indicate that in addition to the location of abandoned wells, physical characteristics are necessary to consider in estimating methane emissions. Plain Language Summary The Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI) is a compendium of all known intentional and unintentional sources of greenhouse gas emissions from the United States. Although the GHGI catalogues emissions from many individual leakage points, such as pipelines or abandoned wells, the latter have only been recently added to the GHGI. The amount of data collected and used for analysis is very small and geographically limited compared to the vast number of abandoned wells in the United States. This study examines abandoned wells in Oklahoma, a previously unstudied region, and compares the leakage rates with data in the GHGI. Geographic locations, well plugging statuses, and well depths are important factors that influence leakage rates. This new analysis will aid in remediation efforts as wells in more leakage-prone regions can be prioritized for well plugging and environmental mitigation, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%