Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region
Abstract Fugitive gas migration (GM) from compromised oil and gas wells remains a global concern. To understand environmental impacts from GM there is a need to characterize the transport and fate of fugitive gas in the vadose zone. We simulated subsurface wellbore leakage by injecting natural gas i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098762 |
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| author | Olenka N. Forde Aaron G. Cahill Bernhard Mayer Roger D. Beckie K. Ulrich Mayer |
| author_facet | Olenka N. Forde Aaron G. Cahill Bernhard Mayer Roger D. Beckie K. Ulrich Mayer |
| author_sort | Olenka N. Forde |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Fugitive gas migration (GM) from compromised oil and gas wells remains a global concern. To understand environmental impacts from GM there is a need to characterize the transport and fate of fugitive gas in the vadose zone. We simulated subsurface wellbore leakage by injecting natural gas into thick unsaturated glacio‐lacustrine deposits in a region of petroleum development in Western Canada. Methane and carbon dioxide effluxes were monitored and soil‐gas samples were collected for molecular and stable carbon isotope analyses. A conceptual model was developed to demonstrate the physical and biogeochemical processes that control the spatial‐temporal variability of GM. Methane oxidation partially attenuated natural gas; however, gas transport and fate were strongly influenced by variations in grain‐size distribution and barometric pressure, resulting in episodic effluxes and lateral gas transport. To accurately detect, quantify and assess GM at oil and gas sites, adequate site characterization and continuous, spatially dense monitoring are necessary. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-634efb6211d64db9936cd460de6edd44 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-634efb6211d64db9936cd460de6edd442025-08-20T03:10:20ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072022-08-014915n/an/a10.1029/2022GL098762Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas RegionOlenka N. Forde0Aaron G. Cahill1Bernhard Mayer2Roger D. Beckie3K. Ulrich Mayer4Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC CanadaDepartment of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC CanadaDepartment of Geoscience University of Calgary Calgary AB CanadaDepartment of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC CanadaDepartment of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC CanadaAbstract Fugitive gas migration (GM) from compromised oil and gas wells remains a global concern. To understand environmental impacts from GM there is a need to characterize the transport and fate of fugitive gas in the vadose zone. We simulated subsurface wellbore leakage by injecting natural gas into thick unsaturated glacio‐lacustrine deposits in a region of petroleum development in Western Canada. Methane and carbon dioxide effluxes were monitored and soil‐gas samples were collected for molecular and stable carbon isotope analyses. A conceptual model was developed to demonstrate the physical and biogeochemical processes that control the spatial‐temporal variability of GM. Methane oxidation partially attenuated natural gas; however, gas transport and fate were strongly influenced by variations in grain‐size distribution and barometric pressure, resulting in episodic effluxes and lateral gas transport. To accurately detect, quantify and assess GM at oil and gas sites, adequate site characterization and continuous, spatially dense monitoring are necessary.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098762oil and gas developmentfugitive gasgas migrationmethanebarometric‐pressure changesvadose zone |
| spellingShingle | Olenka N. Forde Aaron G. Cahill Bernhard Mayer Roger D. Beckie K. Ulrich Mayer Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region Geophysical Research Letters oil and gas development fugitive gas gas migration methane barometric‐pressure changes vadose zone |
| title | Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region |
| title_full | Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region |
| title_fullStr | Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region |
| title_short | Fugitive Gas Migration in the Vadose Zone at an Experimental Field Site in the Montney Shale Gas Region |
| title_sort | fugitive gas migration in the vadose zone at an experimental field site in the montney shale gas region |
| topic | oil and gas development fugitive gas gas migration methane barometric‐pressure changes vadose zone |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL098762 |
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