Methane in groundwater before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale

Barth-Naftilan, E.; Sohng, Jaeeun; Saiers, James E.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1720898115

Cited by 51 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(59 reference statements)

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“…Concentrations above atmospheric equilibrium were not observed in any of the samples (57), indicating that gas from the Marcellus Formation is not actively entering the streams within 1 km of the sampling points and suggesting that the study streams are not being influenced by faulty well casings. These findings are consistent with those of Barth-Naftilan et al (81), which reported no changes in groundwater methane concentrations that could be linked to shale gas development.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania

Mumford

Maloney

Akob

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The number of horizontally drilled shale oil and gas wells in the United States has increased from nearly 28,000 in 2007 to nearly 127,000 in 2017, and research has suggested the potential for the development of shale resources to affect nearby stream ecosystems. However, the ability to generalize current studies is limited by the small geographic scope as well as limited breadth and integration of measured chemical and biological indicators parameters. This study tested the hypothesis that a quantifiable, significant relationship exists between the density of oil and gas (OG) development, increasing stream water concentrations of known geochemical tracers of OG extraction, and the composition of benthic macroinvertebrate and microbial communities. Twenty-five headwater streams that drain lands across a gradient of shale gas development intensity were sampled. Our strategy included comprehensive measurements across multiple seasons of sampling to account for temporal variability of geochemical parameters, including known shale OG geochemical tracers, and microbial and benthic macroinvertebrate communities. No significant relationships were found between the intensity of OG development, shale OG geochemical tracers, or benthic macroinvertebrate or microbial community composition, whereas significant seasonal differences in stream chemistry were observed. These results highlight the importance of considering spatial and temporal variability in stream chemistry and biota and not only the presence of anthropogenic activities in a watershed. This comprehensive, integrated study of geochemical and biological variability of headwater streams in watersheds undergoing OG development provides a robust framework for examining the effects of energy development at a regional scale.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania

Mumford

Maloney

Akob

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Our data suggests that a large vertical separation exists between unconventional gas production and water wells where thermogenic gas is the target of hydraulic fracturing (e.g. Marcellus Shale; Appalachian Basin) [46][47][48][49]. The situation is markedly different in the Michigan Basin, where biogenic gas is present in the Antrim Shale along the basin margins [50].…”

Section: Vertical Separation Of Water Wells and Hydrocarbon Productionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Competition for shrinking window of low salinity groundwater

Ferguson

McIntosh

Perrone

et al. 2018

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Groundwater resources are being stressed from the top down and bottom up. Declining water tables and near-surface contamination are driving groundwater users to construct deeper wells in many US aquifer systems. This has been a successful short-term mitigation measure where deep groundwater is fresh and free of contaminants. Nevertheless, vertical salinity profiles are not well-constrained at continental-scales. In many regions, oil and gas activities use pore spaces for energy production and waste disposal. Here we quantify depths that aquifer systems transition from fresh-to-brackish and where oil and gas activities are widespread in sedimentary basins across the United States. Freshbrackish transitions occur at relatively shallow depths of just a few hundred meters, particularly in eastern US basins. We conclude that fresh groundwater is less abundant in several key US basins than previously thought; therefore drilling deeper wells to access fresh groundwater resources is not feasible extensively across the continent. Our findings illustrate that groundwater stores are being depleted not only by excessive withdrawals, but due to injection, and potentially contamination, from the oil and gas industry in areas of deep fresh and brackish groundwater.

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“…It is important to note that CH 4 and heavier hydrocarbon concentrations in aquifers can vary markedly over time, depth, and distance due to transport, microbial, and oxidative attenuation of natural gas plumes, and activities that are unrelated to HVHF associated with oil and gas production. 61,62 Changes to atmospheric or hydrostatic pressure (e.g., drought) and other disturbance (e.g., groundwater pumping) can impact relative concentrations of hydrocarbons. 14,47,54 Therefore, it is important to undertake appropriate spatiotemporal sampling to monitor CH 4 (and other tracers) in HVHF areas.…”

Section: Established Techniques For Tracing Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Review of State-of-the-Art and Emerging Approaches to Identify Fracking-Derived Gases and Associated Contaminants in Aquifers

McIntosh

Hendry

Ballentine

et al. 2018

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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High-volume, hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) is widely applied for natural gas and oil production from shales, coals, or tight sandstone formations in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and is being widely considered by other countries with similar unconventional energy resources. Secure retention of fluids (natural gas, saline formation waters, oil, HVHF fluids) during and after well stimulation is important to prevent unintended environmental contamination, and release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Here, we critically review state-of-the-art techniques and promising new approaches for identifying oil and gas production from unconventional reservoirs to resolve whether they are the source of fugitive methane and associated contaminants into shallow aquifers. We highlight future research needs and propose a phased program, from generic baseline to highly specific analyses, to inform HVHF and unconventional oil and gas production and impact assessment studies. These approaches may also be applied to broader subsurface exploration and development issues (e.g., groundwater resources), or new frontiers of low-carbon energy alternatives (e.g., subsurface H 2 storage, nuclear waste isolation, geologic CO 2 sequestration).

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Methane in groundwater before, during, and after hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale

Cited by 51 publications

References 37 publications

Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania

Shale gas development has limited effects on stream biology and geochemistry in a gradient-based, multiparameter study in Pennsylvania

Competition for shrinking window of low salinity groundwater

A Critical Review of State-of-the-Art and Emerging Approaches to Identify Fracking-Derived Gases and Associated Contaminants in Aquifers

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