Andrew StoneAmerican Ground Water Trust
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaSeptember, 2010
BALANCE
Cost of failing to providerequired energy needs
Cost of reducing water resources inventory
Water Resources
Water Demand
IntroductionSome energy basics
Advances in commerce, agriculture, transportation,
military, science & technology, household life, health care, public utilities (have all been) driven by
changes in energy systems.
Cutler Cleveland 2008, “Energy transitions past and future”
USA ENERGY SOURCE TRANSITIONS
1800 WOOD & ANIMAL FEED 95%1885 COAL AND WOOD 50 / 50%1914 COAL 75%
2008 PETROLEUM 37%COAL 24%NATURAL GAS 24%NUCLEAR 8%HYDROELECTRIC 7%
Natural Gas Industry
• In 1821, Fredonia , New York, William Hart drilled a 27 foot well to enhance natural gas seepage
• In 1891 a 120 mile pipeline was opened from central Indiana to Chicago to transport natural gas
Vertical axis is in quadrillion BTU
US energy consumption by source, 1850-2000
POWER DENSITY CONCEPTEnergy production per unit area (watts per m2 )
COAL & HYDROCARBONS 100 – 1,000 W/m2
PHOTOVOLTAIC 20 W/m2
HYDROELECTRIC & WIND 10 W/m2
BIOMASS 1 W/m2
[fossil fuels are a concentrated source of high quality energy]
Vaclav Smil 2006
Perceptions of energy & water resource issues
Conflict Potential(over water issues)Map from Dept of Interior
Water Stress(use/precipitation)
Map from OSU / Ed Bouwer
Great Lakes water? Forget it!
Cynthia Barnett, Mark Heckman
WATER USE PERSPECTIVEratio of volume of water used to BTU produced
• Natural gas shale 1• Coal 3.6 – 14.5• Nuclear 3.6 – 63• Oil 3.6 – 9• Oil shale 10 – 25• Tar sands 12 – 30• Bio-fuels 114
Based on data from DOE and GWPC
“Drinking water and retirement dreams destroyed by gas drilling. Over 30 years of hard work, destroyed”
Louis MeeksPavillion, Wyoming
Photo: Jon Hurdle
A few citizen concerns:Hydrogen sulfide and methane in homes & wellsVegetation die-off because of methane in root zoneWells drying up or declining water levelsOdors and black fines in well waterCreation of new swamps and ponds. Loss of springsSpontaneous combustion of dewatered coal bedsSubsidence5,000 + gallons of chemicals per hydrofracTraffic and road safetyNoise from operations CBM surging and “blooie” pits
What do people care about?
Concern for drinking
water safety
Concern for the loss of water supply independence and self-
sufficiency
CONCERN
If wells “go bad”
connection to a utility supply may NOT be an acceptable
option
Concern for quality of stock water
Concern for recreational sport fishing
Concern for aquatic habitat
Roan Plateau Oil and gas drilling near the Roan Plateau. (Photo/Ecoflight.info
CONCERN ABOUT VISUAL IMPACT ON LANDSCAPE
The April Gulf accident is a PR disaster for energy industry
claims of drilling safety
Scale of oil & gas operations
Painting on display in the lobby of the main hotel in Casper, Wyoming
US SHALE GAS POTENTIAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE
St Lawrence 40 trillion ft 3
OIL WELLS AND PIPELINESIMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT?
CONCERN: upward migrations in abandoned, (location unknown) oil and gas wells
CONCERN:
“Parking” salts in the vadose zone
There is only one way they can go
Question is when?
CONCERN: Rock units often NOT like layer cakes RISK: Upward fluid migration from pressure or induced recharge from dewatering
Hydrofracture process
Words and definitions are important!
Fracking (Generic - all processes)
“process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks”
Hydraulic fracturing (used by energy industry – very high pressures –
complex fluid recipes – used to aid release of gas)
Hydrofracking(used by water well industry – water only –enhances flow in low yield bedrock wells)
Halliburton
The scale of hydrofracking operations is intimidating for the public and communities
Wellshown at 1,000 ft.
Hydro fracstated as 8,000 ft.
Vertical scale
actually depicts
26,000 ft
MISLEADING GRAPHIC
Chemical(188 listed)
# of Products
Product Purpose CAS #
Readily
evaporates/volatil
Water S
oluble/ M
iscible
Cancer
Mutagen
Cardiovascular
and blood
Developm
ental
Endocrine
disruptors
Gastrointestinal
and liver
Imm
une
Kidney
Brain and
nervous system
Reproductive
Respiratory
Skin, eye and
sensory organ
Ecological
Other
Protective C
lothing
1
(2-BE) Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether 4
AQF-2, U66, F806, Detergent
Surfactant, solvent, foamer, fracturing 111-76-2
X M S S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,E
2
1-Propanaminium, 3-amino-N-(carboxymethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-, N-coco acyl derivs, inner salts 1 HC-2
Surfactant, fracturing 61789-40-0
X S S
3 2,2',2"-Nitrilotriethanol 1J 318 Liquid Breaker Aid
Liquid breaker aid, fracturing 102-71-6 X X S S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,E,
C
4 3-Phenylpropenal 1 M295Hydrogen sulfide scavanger 104-55-2 X X S S S S S S S S S S G,C,E
5 Acetaldol 1SCA-130 Inhibitor Inhibitor 107-89-1 X X S S S S S R,G,C,
E
6 Acetic acid 3
BA-20, Clear FRAC-EF, FE-1A,
Buffering agent, additive, fracturing 64-19-7
X X S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,E
7 Acetic anhydride 1 FE-1A Additive, fracturing 108-24-7 X X S S S S S S S S S S R,G,E,C
8
Acrylamide (2-Propenamide) 2
Acrylamide, Alcomer 60RD #2
Unknown, flocculant 79-06-1
X X X S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,E
9 Acrylic acid 1Alcomer60RD #2 Flocculant 79-10-7 X X S S S S S S S S S S S S R,G,C,
E
10
Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylated with 6.5 EO (Alcohols, C10-16, ethoxylate)
1
B145 #1 Friction reducer, fracturing 68002-97-1
X X S S S SR,G,E,
C
11 Aliphatic hydrocarbon 1HME Energizer
Surfactant, fracturing 64742-96-7 X S S S S S S R,G,C,
E
188Zirconium
http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.spreadsheets.php
Chemicals in use in Wyoming
188 listed hydrofracchemicals/ additives
Chemical# of ProductsProduct PurposeCAS #Readily evaporates/volatileWater Soluble/ Miscible CancerMutagenCardiovascular and blood Developmental Endocrine disruptorsGastrointestinal and liver ImmuneKidney Brain and nervous systemReproductive Respiratory Skin, eye & sensory organ EcologicalOtherProtective Clothing
Headings in spreadsheet
http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/chemicals.spreadsheets.php
Hydrofrac – water, sand and ……..• Acids• Friction reducers• Surfactants• Gelling agents• Scale inhibitors• pH adjustors• Corrosion inhibitors• Anti-bacterial agents• Clay stabilizers• Breakers• Cross linkers
• nothing
Energy industry
Water well
industry
Induced Fracture(Hydraulic fracture)
Less than 2000 ft
• Fractures are horizontal
Water well industry
More than 2,000 ft
• Fractures are vertical
Energy Industry
Mike Vincent, reported by George Schurr in Worldwide Drilling
Role of citizens and communitiesin protecting the integrity of water
resources
US oil & gas operations combined 15 – 20 billion barrels of water per year
DOE
15,000,000,000 barrels x 42 gallons 310,000,000 people x 365 days
= 5 gallons per person per day
We all have a strong vested interest in water resources protection Ignorance is a road block to
achieving science based water policy Citizens have a right and a duty
to speak up and speak out on issues that affect them
“No solution will be bullet proof or iron-clad”“There has been an increase in instances of verifiable gas migration”“The migration cases scare the heck out of me”
Scott Perry, Pennsylvania DEP (Sept 27, 2010)
“We need to encourage the industry to seek excellence – we will not get perfection”
Joe Lee, Pennsylvania DEP (Sept 27, 2010)
BASIC RULES THERE IS NO ALTERNATE
WATER
CHECK FOR VESTED INTERESTS IN INFORMATION SOURCES
FOLLOW THE MONEY
PRACTICAL ADVICE TEST AND RECORD WELL
QUALITY IN ADVANCE OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TALK ABOUT CONCERNS
BEFORE THEY BECOME POLARIZED ISSUES DEMAND PROMULGATION AND
ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
PRACTICAL ADVICE“We are in a show-me world, not a trust-me
world” Richard Ward, Aspen Institute, Sept 27, 2010
ASK QUESTIONS: (for example)
Where will water be obtained, stored and disposed?What is the anticipated volume of chemicals?How will chemicals be transported and storedHow many fracking events in the life of the well?Has there been a survey of abandoned wells ?Are there geological faults in the area?
PRACTICAL ADVICEWho will benefit financially from the development?How much of the “benefit” will stay in the area?What is the emergency response plan?Do regulators have 24/7 access to inspect the site?Are the inspectors experts in energy recovery?What will be the “picture” of a transformed
industrialized landscape?Could the same recovery occur from fewer sites?
PRACTICAL ADVICE BECOME INFORMED ABOUT THE
BASICS OF ENERGY SOURCES
BE PREPARED TO PAY MORE FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER ……. THINK ABOUT THE VALUE, NOT THE PRICE
DO NOT GO INTO DENIAL!
Hydro FrackR.I.P.
Exhausted after 9 million
ft3 of gas
Energy developers must take
cradle to grave responsibility for safety of
well and integrity of
water supply
Role for citizen groups:Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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