### Katharine Dahm Colorado School of Mines 

# Predicting Water Quality Variability to Design Treatment Processes for Beneficial Use

The 16 th Annual Petroleum & Biofuels Environmental Conference (IPEC) November 5 th , 2009 Houston, TX

# Outline

► 

### Scope and Objectives ► 

### Study Areas ► 

### Database Compilation ► 

### Water Quality Data Analysis ► 

### Water Quality Module ► 

### Conclusions

# Project Scope and Objectives Scope ► 

### Coalbed Methane (CBM) Produced Water ► 

### Major CBM Basins in the Rocky Mountain Region Objectives ► 

### Compile Produced Water Quality Database ► 

### Determine Water Quality Variability ► 

### Expand Databases to include constituents of concern for treatment ► 

### Develop Data for Water Quality Module

# Study Area – Rocky Mountain Region Major CBM Producing Basins ► Greater Green River ► Powder River ► Raton ► San Juan ► Wind River Public Data Sources ► Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) ► Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WYOGCC) ► USGS Produced Water Quality Database

# Database QA/QC

► 

### CBM W ell Identification ► 

### NETL Defined Culling Criteria ► 

### Industry Data Comparison ► 

### Sampling Campaigns ► 

### Basins Sampled
● Raton
● Powder River ● Atlantic Rim ● San Juan ► 

### Samples Taken ● Field measurements ● 5 gallon carboy
● Bulk analysis bottles ● Volatile Organic Analysis

# Laboratory Analyses
► 

### Expanded Database of Constituents
● Inorganic Constituent Analysis

■ Ion Chromatography (IC), non-metals

■ Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), metals ● Treatment Bench Tests

■ Silt Density Index (SDI) ● Organic Constituent Analysis

■ Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, Xylene (BTEX)

■ Total and Dissolved Organic Carbon (TOC/DOC) ► Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EEM) ► Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC)

# Water Quality Data Observations

► 

### Major ions are detected across all basins and formations ► 

### Formation geochemistry varies statistically
● Between formations in the same basin
● Between regional producing basins ► 

### Formations need to be plotted individually for spatial analyses ► 

### More data needed to expand study area and data confidence Analyses allow comprehensive data input into the Water Quality Module

# The Integrated Framework

Water Quality Module (WQM)

Treatment Selection Module (TSM)
Beneficial Use Screening Module (BSM)
Beneficial Use Economic Module (BEM)

# Water Quality Module (WQM) Objectives ► 

### Utilize Database ► 

### Output constituent list for the TSM ► 

### Format into ExcelTM based macro enabled workbook tool ► 

### Downloadable from the project website

# Tool Flow Chart

Outputs Treatment Selection

Module Output File Regional Variability through Constituent Mapping Coordinates Water Quality DataOptional Support DataBasin Statistics Averaged Data

Correlations

Formation StatisticsVariability Grid Files Contour Plots Formation Statistics,

Ranges, Detection Frequency QA/QC of User Data

Water Quality Tool

Location Default Constituent Values
Correlation of User Input Data User InputsRequired Basin State Formation Percentile

# Functions and Features
► 

### Accessibility
● Comprehensive Database
● Specific Locations and Formations ● Regional Variability Information ● User Defined Design Criteria ► 

### Blending Tool
● Blend Multiple Well Water Qualities ● Save Data as Named Well Inputs ● Estimates of Water Quantity ► 

### User Output
● WQ Information ● Graphs, charts, statistics and maps

# Target Users

► Producers
● Lacking water quality information

■ New producers or producers interested in a new location
● Limited water quality database

■ Small producers ● Large water quality database

■ Large producers ● Designing Treatment

■ Facility drawing from wells in a specific location ► Interested Parties
● Potential end users

 i.e., Farmers
● Regulators ● Service providers

# Conclusions
► 

### Database Compilation from Many Sources ► 

### Comprehensive Constituent Analysis ► 

### Good Understanding of Spatial Variability
● Basin to Basin ● Formation to Formation ► 

### WQM Provides Accessibility
● Produced Water Quality Database ● Spatial and Regional Variability ● Design Flexibility for TSM ► 

### WQM Provides Input for TSM and Available Options for Beneficial Use

# Contacts Katharine Dahm, Colorado School of Mines kdahm@mines.edu (303) 273-3871 

## An Integrated Framework for Treatment and Management of Produced Water
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