Managing the Risks of Shale Gas - Resources for the Future · Managing the Risks of Shale Gas...

Managing the Risks of Shale Gas Identifying a Pathway toward Responsible Development

How the burdens created from shale gas development

impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life

An initiative of RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP)

November 2011 • www.rff.org/ceep

• Overview

• Activities

• Burdens

• Intermediate and Final Impacts

• Creating Impact Pathways



2

Shale gas development raises several new environmental and health

concerns that are less well-understood than the risks associated with

conventional fossil fuel extraction. In addition, concerns traditionally

associated with drilling are being raised in new locations.

RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP) is working to

identify how government and industry can responsibly develop this

resource.

As a first step, we are developing pathways from the activities

associated with development of a well to their impacts on human

health, ecosystems, markets, and quality of life.

3

Overview

Activities Burdens Intermediate

Impacts Final Impacts

Burdens are created

by the activities,

such as air

pollutants, drilling

fluids, noise. They

potentially have

impacts that matter

to people.

Intermediate

impacts are to the

air, water, soil, etc. in

which the burdens

first reside.

Final impacts are

the ultimate damage

to the environment,

human health, etc.

Activities are the

components of the

shale gas

development process.

They encompass

potential sources of

risk (from clearing

land to sending the

produced gas to a

major pipeline and to

well closure and

abandonment).

Off-road vehicle

activity: bulldozers

may have health

effects, e.g.,

increased risks of

respiratory

distress

emits

particulates

reduces

air quality

4

Overview

• Overview

• Activities

• Burdens





5

Activities that are part of the shale gas development process share many similarities

to other forms of gas and oil exploitation, but have some important differences.

Activities

6

Flowback/produced

water storage/disposal

Well production and

operation

Shutting-in, plugging

and abandonment

Workovers

Vertical drilling

Site development and

drilling preparation

Horizontal drilling

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and

downstream activities

The shale gas development process (activities) has been

broken down into nine steps, which will be used to identify

sources of burdens and impacts.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

7

Activities

• Storage of equipment and materials

• Clearing of land for roads, well pads,

pipelines, evaporation ponds, other

infrastructure

• Construction of roads, well pads, pipelines,

evaporation ponds, other infrastructure

• On-road vehicle activity

• Off-road vehicle activity

After locating a site, the area must be

leveled, excavated and prepared for drilling.

Sources of burdens include:

Sources of Burdens

8

Vertical drilling 2

Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Horizontal drilling

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


3

4

5

7

8

9

Flowback/produced

water storage/disposal 6


drilling preparation 1

• Drilling equipment operation at surface

• Drilling of wellbore underground

• Casing

• Cementing



• Use of surface water and groundwater

• Venting of methane

• Flaring of methane

• Storage of drilling fluids at surface

• Use of recycled drilling fluids

• Disposal of drilling fluids

• Accidental releases from wellbore (e.g.

blowouts)

• Disposal of drill solids, cuttings

This drilling technique bores a single well

shaft vertically into the desired formation.


Vertical drilling 2

Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Horizontal drilling

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


3

4

5

7

8

9 9

Sources of Burdens

Flowback/produced

water storage/disposal 6


drilling preparation 1

One or more lateral wells are drilled from the

end of the vertical wellbore, angling to run

horizontally through the shale formation.


• Drilling equipment operation at surface

• Drilling wellbore underground

• Cementing

• Casing



• Use of surface water and groundwater



• Storage of drilling fluids at surface

• Use of recycled drilling fluids

• Disposal of drilling fluids


blowouts)

• Disposal of drill solids, cuttings

10

Sources of Burdens

Horizontal drilling 3

Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9



Vertical drilling 2

1

Fracturing, a component of the completion

process, uses a pressurized mix of sand,

water, and additives to fracture shale rock.

Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • Use of surface water and groundwater

• Perforation of well casing and cementing

• Hydraulic fracture propagation

• Introduction of proppant

• Flushing of wellbore

• Flowback of reservoir fluids



• Storage of fracturing fluids at drill site

• Use of recycled fracturing fluids



• Fracturing equipment operation


blowouts)

Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9



Vertical drilling 2

11

Sources of Burdens

1

In this stage, shale gas is being brought up

from the ground through pipes.


Horizontal drilling 3 • Well production and operation

• Well production

• Compressor operation

• Condensate tank, dehydration unit operation



• Escape of (fugitive) methane


blowouts) Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9



Vertical drilling 2

12

Sources of Burdens

1

Storing and disposing of the large amounts

of freshwater, produced water, and flowback

water can present challenges.

Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • On-site pit or pond storage

• On-site tank storage

• Transport off-site

• On-site treatment and re-use

• Treatment, release by industrial wastewater

treatment plants

• Treatment, release by municipal wastewater

treatment plants

• Removal of sludge and other solids to landfills

• Deep underground injection

• Application of wastewater for road de-icing,

dust suppression

• Spraying of produced water on forested land

• Tilling of produced water

Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9


drilling preparation 1 Vertical drilling 2

13

Sources of Burdens

Preparing a well to be permanently

abandoned includes plugging and integrity

testing at each stage.

Sources of burdens include Horizontal drilling 3

• Migration of fluids to surface, or ground, water

• Permanent dedication of roads

• Disposal into stream or river

• Other disposal methods

Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9



14

Sources of Burdens

Well workovers may be necessary to perform

maintenance or remedial treatments,

including removing production tubing.

Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • Equipment operation

• Flowback through well casing

• Seepage from deep well

• Gas migration (e.g. biogenic methane) from

above formation


blowouts) Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9



15

Sources of Burdens

Upstream activities supply inputs to the shale

gas development process. Downstream

activities move the gas to markets.

Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • Manufacturing fracturing chemicals

• Mining of fine sand for fracturing

• Methane leakage from pipelines

Flowback/produced


Well production and

operation


and abandonment

Workovers

Fracturing and

completion

Upstream and


4

5

6

7

8

9



Vertical drilling 2

16

Sources of Burdens

1

17



• Overview

• Activities

• Burdens



Burdens

The activities create burdens, such as air pollutants, drilling fluids, and noise,

which have impacts that people care about.

Air pollutants

Drilling fluids &

cuttings

Saline water

intrusion

Habitat &

community

disruptions

Produced water

constituents

Fracturing fluids

?

Other

18

Condenser &

dehydration additives

Flowback

constituents

Air pollutants

Conventional air pollutants and CO2

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

Methane

Hydrogen Sulfide

Silica

Others

19

Habitat and community disruptions

Habitat fragmentation

Industrial landscape

Light pollution

Noise pollution

Odor

Population increase

Road congestion

Seismic vibrations

Freshwater withdrawals

Stormwater flows

Other

Burdens

Drilling fluids & cuttings Base fluids

• Water

• Diesel oil

• Mineral oils

• Synthetic compounds

(esters, paraffins, olefins)

• Others

Weighting agents

• Bentonite

• Barite

• Hematite

• Calcium carbonate

• Ilmenite

• Others

Thickeners

• Xanthan gum

• Guar gum

• Glycol

• Carboxymethylcellulose

• Polyanionic cellulose

• Others

Thinners and deflocculants

• Acrylates

• Polyphosphates

• Lignosulfates

• Lignites

• Others

Cuttings

• Naturally occurring radioactive

material (NORM)

• Turbidity

• Others

20

Burdens

Fracturing fluids Base fluids

• Water

• Oils (including diesel)

• Methanol

• Polymers

• Others

Acids (hydrochloric, muriatic)

Potassium chloride

Proppants

• Silica sand

• Resin-coated sand

• Man-made ceramics

• Radioactive minerals

• Others

Foaming agents

• Nitrogen

• Carbon dioxide

• Alcohols

• Glycol ethers

• Others

Gelling agents

• Guar gum and derivatives

• Cellulose derivatives

• Others

Breakers and cross-linkers

• Enzymes

• Oxidizers (ammonium persulfate)

• Borate salts

• Others

Other additives

• Biocides, bactericides, microbicides

(glutaraldehyde)

• Corrosion and scale inhibitors

(ethylene glycol, methanol,

ammonium chloride)

• Friction reducers (polyacrylamide,

mineral oil, petroleum distillates)

• Iron control agents (citric acid)

• Surfactants (Isopropanol, methanol)

• Fluid-loss agents (sands, flours,

starches, clays)

21

Burdens

Flowback constituents (other

than fracturing fluids)

22

Total dissolved solids

• Chlorides (sodium, potassium)

• Bromides (as precursor of DBPs

in drinking water)

• Carbonates

• Sulfates

• Nitrates

• Others

Total suspended solids

• Iron solids (iron oxide, iron

sulfide)

• Sand, silt and clay

• Others

Metals

• Calcium

• Magnesium

• Barium

• Strontium

• Lead

• Mercury

• Manganese

• Molybdenum

• Zinc

• Arsenic

• Aluminum

• Lithium

• Others

Naturally occurring radioactive

materials (NORM)

• Radium-226

• Radium-228

• Uranium

• Thorium

• Others

Acid gases

• Carbon dioxide

• Hydrogen sulfide

Oil and grease

Aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX)

Bacteria

Burdens

Produced water constituents Total dissolved solids

• Chlorides (sodium, potassium)

• Bromides (as precursor of DBPs

in drinking water)

• Carbonates

• Sulfates

• Nitrates

• Others

Total suspended solids

• Iron solids (iron oxide, iron

sulfide)

• Sand, silt and clay

• Others

Metals

• Calcium

• Magnesium

• Barium

• Strontium

• Lead

• Mercury

• Manganese

• Molybdenum

• Zinc

• Arsenic

• Aluminum

• Lithium

• Others

Naturally occurring radioactive

materials (NORM)

• Radium-226

• Radium-228

• Uranium

• Thorium

• Others

Acid gases

• Carbon dioxide

• Hydrogen sulfide

Oil and grease

Aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX)

Bacteria

23

Burdens

24

Saline water intrusion Condenser & dehydration additives

Triethylene glycol

Other

Other

Occupational accidents

Occupational exposures ?

Burdens

Human health impacts

Morbidity

Mortality

Market impacts

Agriculture

Tourism

Water-using industries

Other

Ecosystem impacts

Biodiversity loss

Endangered species

Other species population change

Other

Climate change impacts

Quality of life impacts

Recreation

Aesthetics

Time loss

Other

Groundwater

Surface water

Soil quality

Air quality

Habitat disruption

Community disruption

Occupational hazard

Impacts

Intermediate impacts are to the air,

water, soil, etc. in which the burdens

first reside.

Final impacts are the ultimate damage to

the environment, human health, etc.

25

26

• Overview

• Activities

• Burdens





Creating Impact Pathways

Air pollutants

Drilling fluids and

cuttings

Saline water intrusion

Fracturing fluids

Flowback constituents

(other than fracturing

fluids)

Produced water

constituents

Condenser and


Habitat/community

disruptions

Other



Vertical drilling

Horizontal drilling

Fracturing and

completion

Well production and

operation

Flowback and produced



and abandonment

Workovers

Upstream and


Groundwater

Surface water

Soil quality

Air quality

Habitat disruption

Community

disruption

Occupational hazard


Market impacts

Ecosystem impacts

Climate change

impacts


27




Site development

and drilling

preparation

• Storage of

equipment and

materials

• Clearing of land for

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,

other infrastructure

• Construction of

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• On-road vehicle

activity

• Off-road vehicle

activity





Air pollutants

Drilling fluids and

cuttings

Saline water intrusion

Fracturing fluids

Flowback constituents

(other than fracturing

fluids)

Produced water

constituents

Condenser and


Habitat/community

disruptions

Other

Site development

and drilling

preparation

• Storage of

equipment and

materials


roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• Construction of

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• On-road vehicle

activity


activity





Air pollutants

• Conventional air

pollutants and CO2

o Volatile Organic

Compounds

(VOC)

• Methane

• Hydrogen Sulfide

• Silica

• Others

Habitat/community

disruptions

• Habitat fragmentation

• Industrial landscape

• Light pollution

• Noise pollution

• Odor

• Population increase

• Road congestion

• Seismic vibrations

Site development

and drilling

preparation

• Storage of

equipment and

materials


roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• Construction of

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• On-road vehicle

activity


activity





Groundwater

Surface water

Soil quality

Air quality

Habitat disruption

Community

disruption

Occupational hazard

31

Air pollutants


pollutants and CO2

o Volatile Organic

Compounds

(VOC)

• Methane


• Silica

• Others

Habitat/community

disruptions



• Light pollution

• Noise pollution

• Odor


• Road congestion


Site development

and drilling

preparation

• Storage of

equipment and

materials


roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• Construction of

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• On-road vehicle

activity


activity






Market impacts

Ecosystem impacts

Climate change impacts


Groundwater

Surface water

Soil quality

Air quality

Habitat disruption

Community

disruption

Occupational hazard

Air pollutants


pollutants and CO2

o Volatile Organic

Compounds

(VOC)

• Methane


• Silica

• Others

Habitat/community

disruptions



• Light pollution

• Noise pollution

• Odor


• Road congestion


Site development

and drilling

preparation

• Storage of

equipment and

materials


roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• Construction of

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• On-road vehicle

activity


activity





Human health

impacts

• Morbidity

• Mortality

Climate change

impacts

Quality of life

impacts

• Recreation

• Aesthetics

• Time loss

• Other

Groundwater

Surface water

Soil quality

Air quality

Habitat disruption

Community

disruption

Occupational hazard

Air pollutants


pollutants and CO2

o Volatile Organic

Compounds

(VOC)

• Methane


• Silica

• Others

Habitat/community

disruptions



• Light pollution

• Noise pollution

• Odor


• Road congestion


Site development

and drilling

preparation

• Storage of

equipment and

materials


roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• Construction of

roads, well pads,

pipelines,

evaporation ponds,


• On-road vehicle

activity


activity





On-road

vehicle activity

Air quality

Community

disruption

Conventional air

pollutants and

CO2

Noise pollution

Road congestion

Morbidity

Climate change

impacts

Aesthetics

Time loss




35

An initiative of RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP)

November 2011 • www.rff.org/ceep

Managing the Risks of Shale Gas Identifying a Pathway toward Responsible Development



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