199
surface or buried beneath brambles and dirt, a low magnetic signal because casing
was removed for steel (a common way to supply Pittsburgh steel mills during
WWII), and previous P&A attempts that were either done wrong, or used incorrect
materials like gravel and dirt. Finding and plugging these so-called “orphan” wells
that no longer have an owner is time-consuming and expensive. State funding for
these activities is low, and they are proceeding at a slow but steady pace. A substantial shot of money would help the state agencies get ahead of the game to properly
P&A more of these legacy old wells.
After air pollution, groundwater and surface water contamination from fracking
are the second significant issue that can be remediated. Stray gas in groundwater is
something that must be addressed. Research on how fracking pressure cycles might
stress and de-bond wellbore cement may lead to a better understanding of the formation of microannuli that allow the upward migration of gas. Once the problem is
understood, it can be mitigated by placing a stress-relief zone between adjoining
casing strings, such as replacing rigid cement with a deformable putty material that
will stretch instead of crack.
In terms of frack chemical additives, much more data on NA paths and rates are
needed for any reasonable spill response. Even if there is a proprietary chemical that
needs to be kept secret, generic NA of similar compounds would be useful, and better than nothing. A list of the breakdown paths, rates, and properties of the daughter
products should be supplied by the chemical manufacturers. Some state legislatures
might even consider making this a requirement prior to using the product in hydraulic fracturing.
Drill pads should have hydrologic monitoring of the site before, during, and after
fracking. This can consist of a few groundwater monitoring wells around the perimeter of the pad in case any chemicals seep into the ground. There should also be
surface water monitoring during the well construction and completion phase,
including during fracking. Monitoring should be set up at the mouth of the smallest
watershed that contains the well pad. The parameters that ought to be monitored in
streams include conductivity (a surrogate for TDS), sediment load, temperature, and
streamflow characteristics. Once the completed wells on the pad begin production,
the monitoring equipment can be removed from the stream and used at another
well site.
Landscapes should be restored as closely as possible to the original land use after
the wells are constructed and completed. Water impoundments should be breached
to avoid creating an “attractive nuisance.” Waste material on the pad, including drill
cuttings, should be removed and disposed of properly. The impervious liner of the
pad itself should be removed after completion to allow water to infiltrate the soil
more naturally. The minimum pad area needed for access to the wellheads, storage
tanks, meters and other equipment could be maintained as open space, but the
remainder of the pad should be allowed to return to a natural state.
State legislatures don’t need to develop new standards, but could simply require
operators to follow existing standards for pressure containment and wellbore integrity as described in Recommended Practice (RP) 100-1 and 100-2 from the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Petroleum Institute (API)
10.3 Remediation of Damages
surface or buried beneath brambles and dirt, a low magnetic signal because casing
was removed for steel (a common way to supply Pittsburgh steel mills during
WWII), and previous P&A attempts that were either done wrong, or used incorrect
materials like gravel and dirt. Finding and plugging these so-called “orphan” wells
that no longer have an owner is time-consuming and expensive. State funding for
these activities is low, and they are proceeding at a slow but steady pace. A substantial shot of money would help the state agencies get ahead of the game to properly
P&A more of these legacy old wells.
After air pollution, groundwater and surface water contamination from fracking
are the second significant issue that can be remediated. Stray gas in groundwater is
something that must be addressed. Research on how fracking pressure cycles might
stress and de-bond wellbore cement may lead to a better understanding of the formation of microannuli that allow the upward migration of gas. Once the problem is
understood, it can be mitigated by placing a stress-relief zone between adjoining
casing strings, such as replacing rigid cement with a deformable putty material that
will stretch instead of crack.
In terms of frack chemical additives, much more data on NA paths and rates are
needed for any reasonable spill response. Even if there is a proprietary chemical that
needs to be kept secret, generic NA of similar compounds would be useful, and better than nothing. A list of the breakdown paths, rates, and properties of the daughter
products should be supplied by the chemical manufacturers. Some state legislatures
might even consider making this a requirement prior to using the product in hydraulic fracturing.
Drill pads should have hydrologic monitoring of the site before, during, and after
fracking. This can consist of a few groundwater monitoring wells around the perimeter of the pad in case any chemicals seep into the ground. There should also be
surface water monitoring during the well construction and completion phase,
including during fracking. Monitoring should be set up at the mouth of the smallest
watershed that contains the well pad. The parameters that ought to be monitored in
streams include conductivity (a surrogate for TDS), sediment load, temperature, and
streamflow characteristics. Once the completed wells on the pad begin production,
the monitoring equipment can be removed from the stream and used at another
well site.
Landscapes should be restored as closely as possible to the original land use after
the wells are constructed and completed. Water impoundments should be breached
to avoid creating an “attractive nuisance.” Waste material on the pad, including drill
cuttings, should be removed and disposed of properly. The impervious liner of the
pad itself should be removed after completion to allow water to infiltrate the soil
more naturally. The minimum pad area needed for access to the wellheads, storage
tanks, meters and other equipment could be maintained as open space, but the
remainder of the pad should be allowed to return to a natural state.
State legislatures don’t need to develop new standards, but could simply require
operators to follow existing standards for pressure containment and wellbore integrity as described in Recommended Practice (RP) 100-1 and 100-2 from the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Petroleum Institute (API)
10.3 Remediation of Damages