P020212
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# 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

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## 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)

* Source

– PADEPBrine 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.

### C ommercial 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 monitor TM (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 viabilityUpper 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 SandstoneBear Lake Properties Brine Disposal Well Permits Warren County, PA



### • Depleted Medina gas well field

• Over 11,000 acres



### • 2 Commercial UIC Well p ermits (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 2009Modified from graphic from New Mexico UIC Well Website Cement to surf. 

## Typical UIC Class II Well ConstructionPublic 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 benefitsPotential 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 processPotential 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 yearCommercial 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