Challenges and Benefits of Using Mine Pool Water for Hydraulic - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Challenges and Benefits of Using Mine Pool Water for Hydraulic Fracturing Tom Gray, PE Heather Trexler, PG July 24, 2012

OUTLINE OUTLINE  Availability of mine water  Availability of mine water  Mine water characteristics  Mine water characteristics  Benefits of using mine water  Benefits of using mine water  Challenges of using mine water  Challenges of using mine water  Evaluation and permitting  Evaluation and permitting  Mine pool management  Mine pool management  Example projects  Example projects  Conclusions  Conclusions

PENNSYLVANIA’S CURRENT AMD ISSUES PENNSYLVANIA’S CURRENT AMD ISSUES  2,400 miles of abandoned mine  2,400 miles of abandoned mine drainage (AMD) polluted streams drainage (AMD) polluted streams  PADEP has limited funding for  PADEP has limited funding for treatment of discharges and treatment of discharges and cleaning streams cleaning streams  Four main classes of discharges:  Four main classes of discharges: - Active operator, treated discharge - Active operator, treated discharge - Closed mine, treated discharge - Closed mine, treated discharge - Orphaned discharge (Pre-1977), no - Orphaned discharge (Pre-1977), no treatment treatment - Legacy / Forfeited, discharge - Legacy / Forfeited, discharge treated by DEP treated by DEP

AVAILABILITY OF MINE WATER AVAILABILITY OF MINE WATER  Hydraulic fracturing requires large  Hydraulic fracturing requires large volumes of water volumes of water • Water sources are limited • Water sources are limited - Surface water - Surface water - Ground water - Ground water • Water delivery challenges • Water delivery challenges - Trucking - Trucking - Piping - Piping  Large quantities of water are available  Large quantities of water are available from abandoned mines from abandoned mines  Mine pools are present throughout the  Mine pools are present throughout the Marcellus Shale Play Marcellus Shale Play

MARCELLUS SHALE MAP – WELLS ONLY MARCELLUS SHALE MAP – WELLS ONLY

WELLS AND MINE DISCHARGES WELLS AND MINE DISCHARGES

MINE WATER CHARACTERISTICS MINE WATER CHARACTERISTICS  Typical flow ranges  Typical flow ranges from 300 gpm to 3,000 from 300 gpm to 3,000 gpm (1/2 MGD to 1.5 gpm (1/2 MGD to 1.5 MGD) MGD)  Acidic or neutral  Acidic or neutral  Iron 1 ppm to 100 ppm  Iron 1 ppm to 100 ppm  Aluminum, manganese  Aluminum, manganese  Sulfates 50 ppm to  Sulfates 50 ppm to 1,000 ppm 1,000 ppm

BENEFITS OF USING MINE WATER BENEFITS OF USING MINE WATER  Goodwill / Environmental benefit - reduce metal  Goodwill / Environmental benefit - reduce metal loadings and pollutants to watersheds loadings and pollutants to watersheds  Reduce ‘clean’ water withdraw  Reduce ‘clean’ water withdraw  General close proximity and abundant supply of mine  General close proximity and abundant supply of mine water water  For active mines – existing infrastructure and clear  For active mines – existing infrastructure and clear ownership ownership  Less road damage  Less road damage

CHALLENGES OF USING MINE WATER CHALLENGES OF USING MINE WATER  Water Quality  Water Quality - Treatment may be required - Treatment may be required - Quality varies - Quality varies  Abandoned discharges – unclear  Abandoned discharges – unclear ownership of water and liability ownership of water and liability  Impact of withdraw from mine pool  Impact of withdraw from mine pool - Destabilization of mine - Destabilization of mine - Flow may be required for a stream - Flow may be required for a stream  Interbasin transfers  Interbasin transfers

EVALUATION AND PERMITTING EVALUATION AND PERMITTING  PADEP white paper: Utilization of Mine Influence Water in Well  PADEP white paper: Utilization of Mine Influence Water in Well Development for Natural Gas Extraction Development for Natural Gas Extraction - Environmental impact from mine water and benefit to watershed - Environmental impact from mine water and benefit to watershed - Current mine water flow and volume at the site - Current mine water flow and volume at the site - Proposed volume to be used - Proposed volume to be used - Characterization of the mine water - Characterization of the mine water - Proposed site development, including storage facilities - Proposed site development, including storage facilities - Spill Prevention Plan - Spill Prevention Plan - Evaluation of mine pool - Evaluation of mine pool • History of mining • History of mining • Mine pool recharge rate • Mine pool recharge rate • Potential of impacts due to subsidence • Potential of impacts due to subsidence • Potential of impacts to water supplies • Potential of impacts to water supplies  Water Management Plan, E&S Plan, NPDES?  Water Management Plan, E&S Plan, NPDES?

MINE POOL MANAGEMENT MINE POOL MANAGEMENT  Lower or maintain pool levels to eliminate  Lower or maintain pool levels to eliminate unmanaged discharge unmanaged discharge  Complex issues  Complex issues • History of mining, multiple discharges • History of mining, multiple discharges  Treatment  Treatment  Quality varies with change in pool elevation  Quality varies with change in pool elevation  Operating & maintenance  Operating & maintenance  Not an exact science – need for experience  Not an exact science – need for experience

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION FIRMS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION FIRMS  Need water – 5mil gallon/frac  Need water – 5mil gallon/frac  Need goodwill – environmental benefit  Need goodwill – environmental benefit  Want low water cost/less road damage  Want low water cost/less road damage  Environmental compliance managed by PADEP  Environmental compliance managed by PADEP

EXAMPLE PROJECT – DELAWARE RIVER BASIN EXAMPLE PROJECT – DELAWARE RIVER BASIN  Project Driver : DRBC surface water use limitations  Project Driver : DRBC surface water use limitations - DRBC – Severe limits on GW/SW withdrawals - DRBC – Severe limits on GW/SW withdrawals - Supports use of treated mine water imported from - Supports use of treated mine water imported from Susquehanna River Susquehanna River - PADEP & Lackawanna River Groups support mine - PADEP & Lackawanna River Groups support mine water use water use  Tetra Tech :  Tetra Tech : - Developed concept to use mine pool water - Developed concept to use mine pool water - Installed weirs & monitored flows and quality - Installed weirs & monitored flows and quality - Developed conceptual treatment/ - Developed conceptual treatment/ transport plan/cost estimate transport plan/cost estimate

EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE  Gladden Mine Pool  Gladden Mine Pool  South Fayette Township, PA  South Fayette Township, PA  Project participants:  Project participants: - South Fayette Conservation District - South Fayette Conservation District - PA DEP - PA DEP - Range Resources - Range Resources - Tetra Tech - Tetra Tech

EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE  Mine history  Mine history - Three mine pools - Three mine pools  Discharge to Chartiers Creek  Discharge to Chartiers Creek

EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE  2005 report by Chartiers  2005 report by Chartiers Nature Conservancy Nature Conservancy - “Without treatment of - “Without treatment of Gladden Mine discharge, Gladden Mine discharge, Millers Run or Chartiers Creek Millers Run or Chartiers Creek could not be restored” could not be restored”  Discharge characteristics:  Discharge characteristics: - Flow ~700 gpm - Flow ~700 gpm - pH 6.0 - pH 6.0 - Iron 100 ppm - Iron 100 ppm - Sulfate 760 ppm - Sulfate 760 ppm

EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE  DEP goal :  DEP goal : - Clean the stream - Clean the stream • Acid neutralization • Acid neutralization • Iron removal • Iron removal • Sustainable treatment • Sustainable treatment  Range Resources goals :  Range Resources goals : - Water supply for well development of adequate quantity/quality - Water supply for well development of adequate quantity/quality - Reasonable cost - Reasonable cost - Goodwill - Goodwill

EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE EXAMPLE PROJECT – GLADDEN MINE  Concept  Concept - Hydrated lime (or similar material) treatment system - Hydrated lime (or similar material) treatment system - Lower mine pool - Lower mine pool - Add second treatment stage for use well use - Add second treatment stage for use well use - Pump treated water to impoundments at wells - Pump treated water to impoundments at wells - Discharge excess water to stream - Discharge excess water to stream - 3 rd party operator - 3 rd party operator - Cost share - Cost share • Capital • Capital • Operating and Maintenance • Operating and Maintenance • Trust Fund • Trust Fund  At end of drilling, plant and trust fund donated to DEP  At end of drilling, plant and trust fund donated to DEP

CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS  Issues  Issues - Liability - Liability - Cost sharing - Cost sharing - Environmental compliance - Environmental compliance - Drilling schedule - Drilling schedule - Cost of gas - Cost of gas - Incentives - Incentives - EPA acceptance - EPA acceptance