P020212-1

Marcellus Shale Gas Play

Tetra Tech Capabilities

The Tutorial

Disposal Wells: An Assessment of 

Available Wells and Facilities

3

nd Water Management 

for Shale Plays 

Dale E. Skoff, PG

October 29-31, 2012

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1
Introduction

• EPA classifies brine disposal wells (aka 

saltwater injection or saltwater disposal 

wells) as UIC Class IID Wells

• Regulated under the Safe Drinking Water 

Act

• Approximately 151,000 UIC Class II wells 

in the US with an estimated 20%, or 30,000 

wells being Class IID wells

• Approximately 250 such wells in Marcellus 

and Utica Shale Play area with most in OH 

(~180)
Brine Disposal Wells – A Critical Resource For Shale Plays

• Although substantial flowback/produced 

water recycling, brine disposal wells needed 

for:

– Flowback water in areas of limited drilling activity

– Produced water

– Brine concentrate stream from mechanical 

evaporation plants

• Often one of lowest cost treatment/disposal 

options 

• EPA and State approved disposal method
Brine Disposal Wells - Topics

• Facility availability and limitations

• Forecast for additional wells

• Identifying targeted areas and formations 

• Permitting overview

• Addressing public concerns

• Cost comparison to other available options
Brine Disposal Wells – PA, OH and WV

Source: OH DNR, WVDEP and USEPA Region 3 UIC Class IID 

well databases.
Commercial Brine Disposal Wells – PA, OH and WV

Source: OH DNR, WVDEP and USEPA Region 3 UIC Class IID 

well databases.
Brine Disposal Wells in PA

(Plugged)

Source: USEPA Region 3 UIC Class IID well database
Brine Disposal Wells Pennsylvania

• Total: Five 

• Formations

– Upper Devonian (Tiona)

– Huntersville-Oriskany

• EPA has primacy for permitting

• PADEP approval required for 

aboveground facilities
Brine Disposal Wells - West Virginia

• Total: Approximately 70 wells

• Formations Include: 

– Newburg

– Huntersville - Oriskany

– Upper Devonian (Gantz, Gordon and 

Alexander)

– Mississippian (Big Injun, Squaw and Keener)

• WV has primacy for permitting
Brine Disposal Wells - Ohio

• Total: Approximately 180 wells

• Formations Include:

– Mt. Simon

– Rose Run

– Trenton

– Bass Island

– Clinton/Medina 

– Lockport Dolomite

• Ohio DNR has primacy for permitting
PA Flowback/Produced Water - 2011 to 2020

Source: Considine et al., 2011. The Pennsylvania Marcellus Natural Gas Industry: Status, Economic Impacts and Future Potential. 

Estimated flowback water – 1 million gallons per well; estimated produced water – 300 gallons per well per day

2011 wells drilled revised from marcellus monitorTM (http://www.marcellusmonitor.com/)
Brine Disposal Well Need – PA (Marcellus Only)*

*Assumes 10% of flowback and produced water will not be recycled and

 each injection well has 1,000 bbl/well/d capacity.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2012 2015 2020

No. Wells

Year

Actual No. Wells in 2012
Identifying Target Areas and Formations

• Determine Viable Transportation Distances 

(via truck, rail, barge or pipeline)

• Identify Potential Target Formations 

– Existing brine disposal wells in area 

– Depleted oil and gas fields / wells

– Drilling depth / cost considerations

• Avoid highly faulted terrains and areas with 

poorly plugged old wells

• Don’t “water out” existing production

• Injectivity testing to confirm viability
Upper Devonian Sandstones*

Huntersville Chert*

Oriskany Sandstone*

Bass Islands

Lockport Dolomite

Medina – Tuscarora Sandstones

Trenton – Black River

Gatesburg Formation*

Basal Cambrian Sandstones

(e.g. Potsdam)

Potential Injection Targets - PA

Queenston Shale

Source: Stratigraphic Column from PADCNR

*Existing injection well in PA

Bald Eagle Sandstone
Bear Lake Properties Brine Disposal Well Permits 

Warren County, PA 

• Depleted Medina gas well field

• Over 11,000 acres

• 2 Commercial UIC Well permits (pending)

• 30,000 bbl/mo/well

• Approx. 20 wells potential conversion to injection 

• Est. 300 million bbls

 capacity

• Field for sale

Bear Lake Properties
Bear Lake Properties - Well Construction
Fractured Oriskany-Huntersville Trend

From Carter and Kostelnik, 2008, Summit Gas Field ..., ESAAPG Meeting
Brine Disposal Wells – Permitting

• EPA UIC Class IID Injection Wells

• Injection below the lowest most 

underground source of drinking water 

(USDW)

• Permitted for volume and maximum 

injection pressure
EPA UIC Well Permit Application 

• Define Area of Review/Zone of 

Endangerment

• USDW Description

• Injection well construction

• Well operation including maximum 

injection pressure and rates

• Plugging and abandonment

• Financial Responsibility
UIC Permit - Area of Review

Source: EPA January 2009
Modified from graphic from New Mexico UIC Well Website

Cement 

to surf.

Typical UIC Class II Well Construction 
Public Opposition Can Be Scary! 

Website Opposing DuBois, PA Injection Well

Website developed in 2011, to inform area citizens about a proposed Class II D "disposal injection well"

Source:http://www.highlanddiw.com/index.html
Some Common Public Concerns

• Seismicity (e.g., in Ohio)

• Groundwater impacts

• Impact to sensitive environments

• Truck traffic

• Don’t want to be “dumping ground” for out 

of town wastes

• Chemical composition and toxicity of 

injected wastes

• Gets confused with fracing

• Impacts to property values

• Many others
Overcoming Hurdles – Public Opposition

– Streamline application 

– Try to “get out in front of” opposition

– Public education (community leaders and general 

public) on design and operation

– Where possible site wells in industrial area or 

Brownfields site (already exposed to truck traffic)

– Consider water lines to reduce truck traffic

– Job creation benefits
Potential Range in Capital Cost for Brine Disposal Wells

 Retrofitting wells / drilling new wells - $30K to 

$1Million+

 Plugging wells in ZOE (if necessary) - $50K to 

100K+

 Testing - $30K to $60K

 Permitting - $20K to $30K

 Aboveground site development 

(storage tanks, pumps, controls, etc.)

- $300K to $1 million+
Comparison of PA, OH and WV UIC Class IID Well 

Permitting

State Primacy

Area of Review 

(AOR)

Maximum Injection 

Pressure (MIP) 

Basis

Seismicity 

Evaluation

Approx. 

Timeframe*

PA EPA

Calculated based 

on 10 year injection 

scenario. Default 

1/4 mi.

ISIP From Frac; 

consider SG of 

brine; Frac gradient 

of 0.733 if no ISIP

Considered 

in EPA 

review.

8 months to 

16 months

OH State

<200 bbl/d - 1/4 mi; 

>200 bbl/d - 1/2 mi

Frac gradient of 

0.75 psi/ft Yes

2 to 3 

months

WV State 1/4 mi

Frac gradient of 0.8 

psi/ft; 90% of 

breakdown pressure 

may be approved Yes

2 to 3 

months

*From application submittal to final permit
Overcoming Hurdles – Schedule Delays

– Where possible, utilize depleted or “wet” wells

– Address lease owner and landowner issues early in 

the process (consider “royalty” on barrels injected)

– Identify all applicable federal, state and local permits 

early in process

– Pre-application meetings with regulatory agencies 

– Public education to minimize volume of comments 

and minimize appeals

– If possible, site wells in states with expedited 

application and review process
Potential Range in Capital Cost for Brine Disposal Wells

• Retrofitting wells / drilling new wells - $30K 

to $1Million+

• Plugging wells in ZOE (if necessary) -

$50K to 100K+

• Testing - $30K to $60K

• Permitting - $20K to $30K

• Aboveground site development (storage 

tanks, pumps, controls, etc.) - $300K to $1 

million+
Brine Disposal Wells - $/Bbl Cost

Capital Cost 

($1000s)

O&M 

($1000s)

Total Cost 

15 years 

($1000s)

Approx. $/Bbl by Injection Rate*

500 Bbl/d 1000 Bbl/d 2000 Bbl/d

500 150 2750 $1.41 $0.71 $0.35

1000 150 3250 $1.67 $0.83 $0.42

1500 150 3750 $1.92 $0.96 $0.48

2000 150 4250 $2.18 $1.09 $0.54

*Assumes 260 operating days per year
Commercial Versus Self-Operated Brine Disposal Well

Scenario 1: Third Party Commercial Well In OH

$6/Bbl – Transportation – 6 hr round trip ($1/Bbl/hr)

$3.50/Bbl – Disposal fee

$9.50/Bbl

Scenario 2: Self-Operated Well Closer to Play Area

$1/Bbl – Disposal at 1000 Bbl/d well* 

$3/Bbl – Transportation – 3 hour round trip

$4/Bbl

*Assumes $1.5 mil capital and $150k/yr O&M over 15 years