Hydraulic fracturing in unconventional gas reservoirs: risks in the geological system, part 2

Hydraulic fracturing is a method used for the production of unconventional gas resources. Huge amounts of so-called fracturing fluid (10,000–20,000 m³) are injected into a gas reservoir to create fractures in solid rock formations, upon which mobilised methane fills the pore space and the fracturing fluid is withdrawn. Hydraulic fracturing may pose a threat to groundwater resources if fracturing fluid or brine can migrate through fault zones into shallow aquifers. Diffuse methane emissions from the gas reservoir may not only contaminate shallow groundwater aquifers, but also escape into the atmosphere where methane acts as a greenhouse gas. The working group “Risks in the Geological System” as part of ExxonMobil’s hydrofracking dialogue and information dissemination processes was tasked with the assessment of possible hazards posed by migrating fluids as a result of hydraulic fracturing activities. In this work, several flow paths for fracturing fluid, brine and methane are identified and scenarios are set up to qualitatively estimate under what circumstances these fluids would leak into shallower layers. The parametrisation for potential hydraulic fracturing sites in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony (both in Germany) is derived from literature using upper and lower bounds of hydraulic parameters. The results show that a significant fluid migration is only possible if a combination of several conservative assumptions is met by a scenario.     

Hydraulic fracturing in unconventional gas reservoirs: risks in the geological system part 1

Hydraulic fracturing of unconventional gas reservoirs rapidly developed especially in the USA to an industrial scale during the last decade. Potential adverse effects such as the deterioration of the quality of exploitable groundwater resources, areal footprints, or even the climate impact were not assessed. Because hydraulic fracturing has already been practised for a long time also in conventional reservoirs, the expansion into the unconventional domain was considered to be just a minor but not a technological step, with potential environmental risks. Thus, safety and environmental protection regulations were not critically developed or refined. Consequently, virtually no baseline conditions were documented before on-site applications as proof of evidence for the net effect of environmental impacts. Not only growing concerns in the general public, but also in the administrations in Germany promoted the commissioning of several expert opinions, evaluating safety, potential risks, and footprints of the technology in focus. The first two publications of the workgroup “Risks in the Geological System” of the independent “Information and Dialogue process on hydraulic fracturing” (commissioned by ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH) comprises the strategy and approaches to identify and assess the potential risks of groundwater contamination of the exploitable groundwater system in the context of hydraulic fracturing operations in the Münsterland cretaceous basin and the Lower Saxony Basin, Germany. While being specific with respect to local geology and the estimation of effective hydraulic parameters, generalized concepts for the contamination risk assessment were developed. The work focuses on barrier effectiveness of different units of the overburden with respect to the migration of fracking fluids and methane, and considers fault zones as potential fluid pathway structures.     

水力压裂构造及其识别标志：以相山铀矿田为例

水力压裂是整个地壳岩石圈范围内一种重要的变形破裂方式,也是一些金属、非金属矿床的成矿动力学机制。相山铀矿田发育大量水力压裂构造,且与铀矿成矿物质的活化、迁移和沉淀富集有关。本文以相山矿田为例,通过野外调研,包括邹家山采场残留矿体的补充观察,对充填于控矿裂隙中的夹持体进行了采样分析和镜下鉴定,疏理了水力压裂构造的主要特点,即水力压裂构造具有规模不大,以张性破裂为主,呈弧形、分叉形态,发育热液隐爆角砾岩筒、热液隐爆角砾岩脉、热液脉体等特点。通过与应力致裂构造的对比分析,凝炼出了水力压裂构造两个主要识别标志,即：弧形或分叉的裂隙形态和热液隐爆角砾岩;此外,热液脉体和对称的蚀变分带可作为辅助识别标志。文中还对热液隐爆角砾岩与岩浆隐爆角砾岩进行了对比。

     

Garavellite, FeSbBiS4, from the Caspari mine, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: composition, physical properties and determination of the crystal structure

Summary Garavellite, FeSbBiS₄, was found in a sample of the mineralogical collection of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence. The sample is from the Cu–Fe deposit of Caspari, Saverland, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Garavellite occurs as very rare, elongated prismatic crystals up to 100 μm in length, spatially associated with large berthierite crystals, bismuthinite, chalcopyrite, and siderite. It does not contain inclusions of or intergrowths with other minerals. Macroscopically garavellite is grey in colour and shows a grey-black streak. The Vickers hardness (VHN₅₀) is 206 kg/mm². In plane-polarized incident light garavellite is grey in colour, with distinct bireflectance. Reflectance percentages for R_min and R_max are 33.8, 41.8 (471.1 nm), 33.3, 40.9 (548.3 nm), 32.7, 39.5 (586.6 nm), and 32.4, 38.8 (652.3 nm), respectively. Garavellite is orthorhombic, space group Pnam, with the following unit-cell parameters: a = 11.413(1) ?, b = 14.164(1) ?, c = 3.759(1) ?, V = 607.7(2) ?³, and Z = 4. Electron microprobe analyses give the chemical formula Fe_0.94Cu_0.01As_0.01Sb_1.02Bi_0.99S_4.03. The crystal structure has been solved and refined to R = 2.38%. It consists of FeS₆ octahedra forming edge-sharing chains parallel to [001] with the Sb³⁺ and Bi³⁺ cations inserted between the chains. The crystal-chemical relationships with berthierite as well as the different lone-pair stereochemical activities of antimony and bismuth in the two structures are discussed.     

Hydraulic fracturing stress transfer methods to control the strong strata behaviours in gob-side gateroads of longwall mines

With hard roof conditions and the influence of side and front abutment pressures, pressure bump and large deformations periodically occur in the advanced support area of longwall face gob-side gateroads. To control the strong strata behaviours in gob-side gateroads, “directional hydraulic fracturing, to cut off the roof hanging over the adjacent gob area, and pre-fracturing of the roof, located behind the working face being extracted,” are performed. The directional initiation of hydraulic fracturing is controlled by pre-slotting, and this action guides the propagation of hydraulic fractures in three-dimensional space. The oriented fractures meet engineering requirements by cooperating with both the in situ ground stresses and the mining-induced stresses, as well as the technology of hydraulic fracturing. In field applications, hydraulic fracturing has proven to be a viable option for weakening hard roofs, destressing the side and front abutment pressures at the mining face and also transferring in situ and mining-induced stresses. Successful field tests in the Tongxin coal mine, Datong district, as well as other coal mines, show that hydraulic fracturing in both a hanging roof over an adjacent gob area and in the gob area behind the advancing working face controls the behaviour of strong strata material on the gob-side of gateroads in longwall mining and also guarantees safe extraction at the working face.     

Adapting wastewater treatment plants to sea level rise: learning from land subsidence in Tohoku,Japan

Natural Hazards - Past studies have projected that global mean sea levels could be up to between 0.98 and 2.92 m higher by the year 2100 than pre-industrial levels, which could seriously...     

Application of waterworks sludge in wastewater treatment plants

The potential for reuse of iron-rich sludge from waterworks as a replacement for commercial iron salts in wastewater treatment was investigated using acidic and anaerobic dissolution. The acidic dissolution of waterworks sludge both in sulphuric acid and acidic products such as flue gas washing water and commercial iron solution was successful in dissolving the iron from waterworks sludge. The anaerobic dissolution of waterworks sludge due to co-digestion with biological sludge (primary and biological activated sludge) resulted in reduction of iron, increase in dissolved iron(II), increase in pH due to the produced alkalinity from dissolution of iron(III)hydroxides from waterworks sludge, lower internal recirculation of phosphate concentration in the reject water and reduced sulphide in the digested liquid. However, recirculation of the produced soluble iron(II) as an iron source for removal of phosphate in the wastewater treatment was limited, because the dissolved iron in the digester liquid was limited by siderite (FeCO₃) precipitation. It is concluded that both acidic and anaerobic dissolution of iron-rich waterworks sludge can be achieved at the wastewater treatment plant, and are economically and environmentally more favourable compared to deposition of the waterworks sludge in controlled landfills.     

The oxygen isotope composition of Hercynian granites and pre-Hercynian gneisses from the Schwarzwald,SW Germany

The oxygen isotope composition of 56 Hercynian granites and 42 pre-Hercynian gneisses has been investigated. In addition some mineral δ ¹⁸O data and 5 δD values of whole rocks have been obtained. The granites from the N-Schwarzwald show, in general, relatively uniform δ ¹⁸O values between 11.5 and 13.5‰, those from the S-Schwarzwald are less uniform and lighter in ¹⁸O and range from 2.3 to 11.5‰. The gneisses from the pre-Hercynian basement exhibit more or less the same variation and range from 1.7 to 10.4‰. δ ¹⁸O values <6‰ only occur in the S-Schwarzwald and obviously indicate hydrothermal interactions of meteoric waters, which probably took place after the emplacement and solidification of the granites and which equally affected granites and gneisses. Due to the nearly identical ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of S-Schwarzwald granites and gneisses, it is proposed that such gneisses in the pre-Hercynian basement qualify as the precursor rocks of the S-Schwarzwald, granites whereas for the N-Schwarzwald granites crustal rocks with heavier δ ¹⁸O values, unknown from the present surface, have to be postulated. This distribution is also reflected on a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-¹⁸O/¹⁶O diagram.     

Piling in contaminated ground: environmental impacts, regulatory concerns and effective solutions

The paper identifies and discusses potential adverse environmental impacts, and regulatory concerns, that could arise from piling or penetrative ground improvement techniques, when used on land affected by contamination.

A common generic classification of piling and penetrative ground improvement methods is considered and six cases are identified where potential adverse environmental impacts may be created by piling or penetrative ground improvement techniques.

A lack of published data on the scale of impacts caused by piling makes inevitable the application of the “Precautionary Principle” by environmental regulators, but it has been recognised that a rigid application of this principle may lead to unnecessarily restrictive requirements or prohibitions being placed on designers and developers. The need for guidance for designers and developers on how to consider the potential environmental impacts of piling works has also been recognised.

The paper outlines the decision-making framework presented in recent Environment Agency guidance. It assists the foundation designer to assess the environmental risks, select an appropriate piling or penetrative ground improvement method, develop mitigation measures, define quality assurance/quality control and monitoring measures, and justify and document this choice in a format acceptable to the regulator.     

The composition of brines in the early diagenetic mineralization of the Permian Kupferschiefer in Germany

The Kupferschiefer is an approximately 0.5 m thick black marly shale of Lower Zechstein age in Germany. If one includes some of its footwall and hanging wall, it contains 300 Mt Cu, 800 Mt Zn and 300 Mt Pb. The regional pattern of metal distribution demonstrates its relationship to Variscan and Permian tectonic structures. Faults and the topographic relief of the basement apparently controlled the uprise and lateral migration of reducing and slightly acid hot brines from deeper crustal levels to supply the metals for the mineralization of the Proto-Kupferschiefer. Deep fluids are mainly richer in Zn than Pb and richer in Pb than Cu. Mixing of such slightly acid fluids with slightly alkaline formation waters (seawater) caused a gradient in pH from about three to eight and in sulfide concentration. Most of the sulfide came from dissolved pyrite which was very light in sulfur isotopes. This gradient controlled the sequential precipitation of bornite, chalcopyrite, (chalcocite), galena and sphalerite, which is observed in a lateral and vertical zoning of these sulfides. The fluids experienced a fractionation of the metals during migration over meter to kilometer distances from the tectonically controlled vents within the unconsolidated Proto-Kupferschiefer. Close to the vents the sulfide deposits attained concentrations up to 2% Zn + Pb + Cu. The migration of the metals over large distances took place in unconsolidated sediment. Thus the major mineralization of the Kupferschiefer has to be classed as an early diagenetic process.     

Spectrophotometric determination of hydroxylamine in biological wastewater treatment processes

Hydroxylamine, a very important intermediate in nitrification, has a direct relationship with the production of nitrous oxide in biological wastewater treatment processes. The spectrophotometric method taking ferric ammonium sulfate and 1, 10-phenanthroline as the oxidant and the chromogenic agent, respectively, was used to determine the concentration of hydroxylamine in biological wastewater treatment processes. The impacts of nitrite, nitrate, orthophosphate, calcium ion and trace elements on the method were examined. The results indicated that the spectrophotometric method can be used for the determination of hydroxylamine in biological wastewater treatment processes. The correlation was significant in the range of 0.02–1.00 mg N/L (y = 1.5078x ? 0.0132, R ² = 0.9991), and the range varied to 0.05–1.00 mg N/L when nitrite and orthophosphate presented. Nitrate, calcium ion and trace elements did not interfere with the determination of hydroxylamine nitrogen. When the concentrations of nitrite nitrogen in the samples were lower than 15.00 mg/L, nitrite had a minor interference on the method. The impacts of orthophosphate on the method were complex. When the concentrations of hydroxylamine nitrogen were higher than 0.10 mg/L, the interference of orthophosphate on the method can be ignored. However, when the concentrations of hydroxylamine nitrogen in the samples were lower than 0.10 mg/L, orthophosphate had significant impacts on the determination, and a numerical method proposed can eliminate the interference of orthophosphate. The spectrophotometric method can determine the concentration of hydroxylamine in biological wastewater treatment processes quickly and conveniently and was helpful to understand the function of NH₂OH in N₂O production in biological wastewater treatment processes.     

Precipitation of carbonates by bacteria isolated from wastewater samples collected in a conventional wastewater treatment plant

This research studied the precipitation of calcium carbonate by populations of bacteria from domestic wastewater cultivated in both natural and artificial solid culture media. The only carbonate-forming bacteria detected appeared in an artificial medium added with calcium acetate. Precipitation occurred three days after inoculation, and the percentage was slightly higher than 65 %. Our results showed that nine major carbonate-forming colony types were the dominant heterotrophic platable bacteria growing aerobically in artificial media added with calcium acetate. According to their taxonomic affiliations (based on partial sequencing of the 16S-rRNA), the nine strains belonged to the following nine genera of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria: Caulobacter, Blastomonas, Roseobacter, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Gemmatimonas, Saccharopolyspora, Microthrix, and Sphingomonas. All of these strains formed calcium carbonate, precipitated as calcite and vaterite in different proportions and shapes (spheres, hemispheres, dumbbells, and pseudopolyhedral forms). The results of this study suggest that in real domestic wastewater, the precipitation of carbonates through bacterial action could not take place in situ because the concentrations of calcium did not create the optimal circumstances for biomineralization. However, in the artificial media, it was possible to induce this process by adding calcium ions.     

Chemical modelling of the groundwater composition in aquifers affected by lignite mine dumps discharge (surface mine Inden,Germany)

The oxidation of pyrite results in sulphate concentrations from 1,300 to 2,000 mg/l in the dump water of the open cast mine Inden, which is located in Germany. Under near-neutral pH and reduced redox conditions, precipitation of siderite (FeCO₃) retains up to 85% of the pre-liberated ferrous iron, so that iron concentrations in the dump water are relatively low as compared to the concentrations of sulphate. The highly mineralised dump water will enter the aquifer system northwards of Inden during the next centuries. This area is used intensely for water extraction. Model calculations show that there will be no problem of acidification in the adjacent aquifer system and, therefore, no problem of high heavy metal concentrations during the next centuries. The most important problem will be high sulphate concentrations in the groundwater. Besides dispersion and diffusion, there are no chemical mechanisms that lower the sulphate concentrations downstream. On the basis of the simulations, sulphate plumes of about 1–2 km in width and up to 15 km in length are expected. Within the core of these plumes, sulphate concentrations will be above the drinking water limits.     

Environmental concerns of poor households in low-income cities: the case of the Tamale Metropolis,Ghana

The Tamale Metropolitan Area (TMA), as a low-income city in a heavily indebted poor country, is at the first stage of the urban environmental transition where most of the environmental problems tend to occur close to the home. Some of the more severe household environmental problems are poor housing, inadequate potable water supply, unsanitary conditions, uncollected garbage, indoor air pollution and pest infestation. Those usually exposed to these environmental burdens are the less wealthy households who have benefited less from development planning and infrastructure provision. Using questionnaire survey and focus group discussions, this study explored the environmental anxieties of households in the metropolis. A stratified sample of residential areas of the city was employed, and the study is able to examine city-wide disparities. The results indicate that problems of water supply are the concern of all groups. Sanitation and garbage disposal services are problems faced mainly by the poor in low-income areas. Other problems faced by the poor are overcrowding, indoor air pollution and pest infestation, but these problems are not highlighted by the poor reflecting a misplaced lack of concern for these problem areas and ignorance of the health risks posed by these hazards. The finding suggests a considerable demand for improvements in environmental service provision and a general willingness to pay for such improvements.

Ries impact crater,southern Germany: search for meteoritic material

Twenty-three samples from the Ries crater, representing a wide range of shock metamorphism, were analyzed for seven siderophile elements (Au, Ge, Ir, Ni, Os, Pd, Re) and five volatile elements (Ag, Cd, Sb, Se, Zn). Taking Ir as an example, we found siderophile enrichments over the indigenous level of 0.015 ppb Ir occur in only eight samples. The excess is very modest; even the most enriched samples (a weakly shocked biotite gneiss and a metal-impregnated amphibolite) have Ir, Os corresponding to ~4 × 10^?4 C1 chondrite abundances. Of five flädle glasses analyzed only one shows excess Ir. Suevite matrix and vesicular glass have slight enrichment, but homogenous glass from the same rock does not. In flädle glasses, Ni and Se are strongly correlated and apparently reside in Ir, Os-poor Sulfides [pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite(?)]of terrestrial, probably sedimentary, origin. The Ir, Os and Ni enrichments of the metal-bearing amphibolite are compatible with chondritic ratios, but these are ill-defined because of uncertainty in Ni. In the other samples enriched in siderophiles Ir(Os), Ni and Se are mutually correlated; $\text{Ni}\text{Ir}$ and $\text{Ni}\text{Os}$ ~ 11 × C1 and are much higher than any chondritic ratios; $\text{Se}\text{Ni}\text{~ 2 × C1}$ and suggests a sulfide phase, rather than metal may be the host of the correlated elements. Lacking a plausible local source, this material is apparently meteoritic in origin. The unusual elemental ratios, coupled with the very low enrichments, tend to exclude chondrites and most irons as likely projectile material. Of the achondrites, aubrites seem slightly preferable. Ratios of excess siderophiles in Ries materiel match tolerably those of an aubrite (possibly atypical) occurring as an inclusion in the Bencubbin meteorite, Australia. The Hungaria group of Mars-crossing asteroids may be a source of aubritic projectiles.