10 Texas Water Research Network: A Statewide Initiative to Integrate and Advance Water Research from Inception to Application II

Monday, 13 March 2017
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Grand Ballroom A

TRANSPORT OF HEAVY METALS THROUGH SHALE ROCK FRACTURES DUE TO THE INJECTION OF FRACTURING FLUIDS: MODELING AND SIMULATION

Paper number: 10-6
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 2:55 PM – 3:15 PM

Authors

Abstract

We are studying the impact of fracturing fluid organic additives (guar gum, polyacrylamide and glutaraldehyde) on the transport of commonly encountered heavy metals (Ba, Sr, As, and Se) in fractured shale gas reservoirs. Little is currently known regarding the effect of fracturing fluid organic additives on the transport of heavy metals through fractures under downhole conditions of shale gas reservoirs. In order to determine the feasibility of shallow aquifers contamination by heavy metals soured from shale gas reservoirs, a reactive transport model is being developed using TOUGHREACT open source program as a framework. The model accounts for the effect of pH changes on the sorption of heavy metals on the surface of shale rocks, the effect of minerals dissolution/precipitation on pH, as well as advective and dispersive mass transport processes through fractured and porous media. The model is being verified and calibrated by conducting core-flooding experiments at shale gas reservoir conditions. Our preliminary results indicate that the presence of fracturing fluid organic additives, as well as changes in the pH of the fluid due to dissolution/precipitation of minerals greatly affect the transport of heavy metals. The implications toward potential contamination of shallow aquifers over long periods of time will be discussed.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 49, No. 1

doi: 10.1130/abs/2017SC-289403

© Copyright 2017 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.