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Managing the Risks of Shale Gas Identifying a Pathway toward Responsible Development
How the burdens created from shale gas development
impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life
An initiative of RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP)
November 2011 • www.rff.org/ceep
• Overview
• Activities
• Burdens
• Intermediate and Final Impacts
• Creating Impact Pathways
How the burdens created from shale gas development
impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life
2
Shale gas development raises several new environmental and health
concerns that are less well-understood than the risks associated with
conventional fossil fuel extraction. In addition, concerns traditionally
associated with drilling are being raised in new locations.
RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP) is working to
identify how government and industry can responsibly develop this
resource.
As a first step, we are developing pathways from the activities
associated with development of a well to their impacts on human
health, ecosystems, markets, and quality of life.
3
Overview
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Burdens are created
by the activities,
such as air
pollutants, drilling
fluids, noise. They
potentially have
impacts that matter
to people.
Intermediate
impacts are to the
air, water, soil, etc. in
which the burdens
first reside.
Final impacts are
the ultimate damage
to the environment,
human health, etc.
Activities are the
components of the
shale gas
development process.
They encompass
potential sources of
risk (from clearing
land to sending the
produced gas to a
major pipeline and to
well closure and
abandonment).
Off-road vehicle
activity: bulldozers
may have health
effects, e.g.,
increased risks of
respiratory
distress
emits
particulates
reduces
air quality
4
Overview
• Overview
• Activities
• Burdens
• Intermediate and Final Impacts
• Creating Impact Pathways
How the burdens created from shale gas development
impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life
5
Activities that are part of the shale gas development process share many similarities
to other forms of gas and oil exploitation, but have some important differences.
Activities
6
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Vertical drilling
Site development and
drilling preparation
Horizontal drilling
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
The shale gas development process (activities) has been
broken down into nine steps, which will be used to identify
sources of burdens and impacts.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
7
Activities
• Storage of equipment and materials
• Clearing of land for roads, well pads,
pipelines, evaporation ponds, other
infrastructure
• Construction of roads, well pads, pipelines,
evaporation ponds, other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle activity
• Off-road vehicle activity
After locating a site, the area must be
leveled, excavated and prepared for drilling.
Sources of burdens include:
Sources of Burdens
8
Vertical drilling 2
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Horizontal drilling
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
3
4
5
7
8
9
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal 6
Site development and
drilling preparation 1
• Drilling equipment operation at surface
• Drilling of wellbore underground
• Casing
• Cementing
• On-road vehicle activity
• Off-road vehicle activity
• Use of surface water and groundwater
• Venting of methane
• Flaring of methane
• Storage of drilling fluids at surface
• Use of recycled drilling fluids
• Disposal of drilling fluids
• Accidental releases from wellbore (e.g.
blowouts)
• Disposal of drill solids, cuttings
This drilling technique bores a single well
shaft vertically into the desired formation.
Sources of burdens include:
Vertical drilling 2
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Horizontal drilling
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
3
4
5
7
8
9 9
Sources of Burdens
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal 6
Site development and
drilling preparation 1
One or more lateral wells are drilled from the
end of the vertical wellbore, angling to run
horizontally through the shale formation.
Sources of burdens include:
• Drilling equipment operation at surface
• Drilling wellbore underground
• Cementing
• Casing
• On-road vehicle activity
• Off-road vehicle activity
• Use of surface water and groundwater
• Venting of methane
• Flaring of methane
• Storage of drilling fluids at surface
• Use of recycled drilling fluids
• Disposal of drilling fluids
• Accidental releases from wellbore (e.g.
blowouts)
• Disposal of drill solids, cuttings
10
Sources of Burdens
Horizontal drilling 3
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation
Vertical drilling 2
1
Fracturing, a component of the completion
process, uses a pressurized mix of sand,
water, and additives to fracture shale rock.
Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • Use of surface water and groundwater
• Perforation of well casing and cementing
• Hydraulic fracture propagation
• Introduction of proppant
• Flushing of wellbore
• Flowback of reservoir fluids
• Venting of methane
• Flaring of methane
• Storage of fracturing fluids at drill site
• Use of recycled fracturing fluids
• On-road vehicle activity
• Off-road vehicle activity
• Fracturing equipment operation
• Accidental releases from wellbore (e.g.
blowouts)
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation
Vertical drilling 2
11
Sources of Burdens
1
In this stage, shale gas is being brought up
from the ground through pipes.
Sources of burdens include:
Horizontal drilling 3 • Well production and operation
• Well production
• Compressor operation
• Condensate tank, dehydration unit operation
• Venting of methane
• Flaring of methane
• Escape of (fugitive) methane
• Accidental releases from wellbore (e.g.
blowouts) Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation
Vertical drilling 2
12
Sources of Burdens
1
Storing and disposing of the large amounts
of freshwater, produced water, and flowback
water can present challenges.
Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • On-site pit or pond storage
• On-site tank storage
• Transport off-site
• On-site treatment and re-use
• Treatment, release by industrial wastewater
treatment plants
• Treatment, release by municipal wastewater
treatment plants
• Removal of sludge and other solids to landfills
• Deep underground injection
• Application of wastewater for road de-icing,
dust suppression
• Spraying of produced water on forested land
• Tilling of produced water
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation 1 Vertical drilling 2
13
Sources of Burdens
Preparing a well to be permanently
abandoned includes plugging and integrity
testing at each stage.
Sources of burdens include Horizontal drilling 3
• Migration of fluids to surface, or ground, water
• Permanent dedication of roads
• Disposal into stream or river
• Other disposal methods
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation 1 Vertical drilling 2
14
Sources of Burdens
Well workovers may be necessary to perform
maintenance or remedial treatments,
including removing production tubing.
Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • Equipment operation
• Flowback through well casing
• Seepage from deep well
• Gas migration (e.g. biogenic methane) from
above formation
• Accidental releases from wellbore (e.g.
blowouts) Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation 1 Vertical drilling 2
15
Sources of Burdens
Upstream activities supply inputs to the shale
gas development process. Downstream
activities move the gas to markets.
Sources of burdens include: Horizontal drilling 3 • Manufacturing fracturing chemicals
• Mining of fine sand for fracturing
• Methane leakage from pipelines
Flowback/produced
water storage/disposal
Well production and
operation
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Fracturing and
completion
Upstream and
downstream activities
4
5
6
7
8
9
Site development and
drilling preparation
Vertical drilling 2
16
Sources of Burdens
1
17
How the burdens created from shale gas development
impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life
• Overview
• Activities
• Burdens
• Intermediate and Final Impacts
• Creating Impact Pathways
Burdens
The activities create burdens, such as air pollutants, drilling fluids, and noise,
which have impacts that people care about.
Air pollutants
Drilling fluids &
cuttings
Saline water
intrusion
Habitat &
community
disruptions
Produced water
constituents
Fracturing fluids
?
Other
18
Condenser &
dehydration additives
Flowback
constituents
Air pollutants
Conventional air pollutants and CO2
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Methane
Hydrogen Sulfide
Silica
Others
19
Habitat and community disruptions
Habitat fragmentation
Industrial landscape
Light pollution
Noise pollution
Odor
Population increase
Road congestion
Seismic vibrations
Freshwater withdrawals
Stormwater flows
Other
Burdens
Drilling fluids & cuttings Base fluids
• Water
• Diesel oil
• Mineral oils
• Synthetic compounds
(esters, paraffins, olefins)
• Others
Weighting agents
• Bentonite
• Barite
• Hematite
• Calcium carbonate
• Ilmenite
• Others
Thickeners
• Xanthan gum
• Guar gum
• Glycol
• Carboxymethylcellulose
• Polyanionic cellulose
• Others
Thinners and deflocculants
• Acrylates
• Polyphosphates
• Lignosulfates
• Lignites
• Others
Cuttings
• Naturally occurring radioactive
material (NORM)
• Turbidity
• Others
20
Burdens
Fracturing fluids Base fluids
• Water
• Oils (including diesel)
• Methanol
• Polymers
• Others
Acids (hydrochloric, muriatic)
Potassium chloride
Proppants
• Silica sand
• Resin-coated sand
• Man-made ceramics
• Radioactive minerals
• Others
Foaming agents
• Nitrogen
• Carbon dioxide
• Alcohols
• Glycol ethers
• Others
Gelling agents
• Guar gum and derivatives
• Cellulose derivatives
• Others
Breakers and cross-linkers
• Enzymes
• Oxidizers (ammonium persulfate)
• Borate salts
• Others
Other additives
• Biocides, bactericides, microbicides
(glutaraldehyde)
• Corrosion and scale inhibitors
(ethylene glycol, methanol,
ammonium chloride)
• Friction reducers (polyacrylamide,
mineral oil, petroleum distillates)
• Iron control agents (citric acid)
• Surfactants (Isopropanol, methanol)
• Fluid-loss agents (sands, flours,
starches, clays)
21
Burdens
Flowback constituents (other
than fracturing fluids)
22
Total dissolved solids
• Chlorides (sodium, potassium)
• Bromides (as precursor of DBPs
in drinking water)
• Carbonates
• Sulfates
• Nitrates
• Others
Total suspended solids
• Iron solids (iron oxide, iron
sulfide)
• Sand, silt and clay
• Others
Metals
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Barium
• Strontium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Manganese
• Molybdenum
• Zinc
• Arsenic
• Aluminum
• Lithium
• Others
Naturally occurring radioactive
materials (NORM)
• Radium-226
• Radium-228
• Uranium
• Thorium
• Others
Acid gases
• Carbon dioxide
• Hydrogen sulfide
Oil and grease
Aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX)
Bacteria
Burdens
Produced water constituents Total dissolved solids
• Chlorides (sodium, potassium)
• Bromides (as precursor of DBPs
in drinking water)
• Carbonates
• Sulfates
• Nitrates
• Others
Total suspended solids
• Iron solids (iron oxide, iron
sulfide)
• Sand, silt and clay
• Others
Metals
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Barium
• Strontium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Manganese
• Molybdenum
• Zinc
• Arsenic
• Aluminum
• Lithium
• Others
Naturally occurring radioactive
materials (NORM)
• Radium-226
• Radium-228
• Uranium
• Thorium
• Others
Acid gases
• Carbon dioxide
• Hydrogen sulfide
Oil and grease
Aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX)
Bacteria
23
Burdens
24
Saline water intrusion Condenser & dehydration additives
Triethylene glycol
Other
Other
Occupational accidents
Occupational exposures ?
Burdens
Human health impacts
Morbidity
Mortality
Market impacts
Agriculture
Tourism
Water-using industries
Other
Ecosystem impacts
Biodiversity loss
Endangered species
Other species population change
Other
Climate change impacts
Quality of life impacts
Recreation
Aesthetics
Time loss
Other
Groundwater
Surface water
Soil quality
Air quality
Habitat disruption
Community disruption
Occupational hazard
Impacts
Intermediate impacts are to the air,
water, soil, etc. in which the burdens
first reside.
Final impacts are the ultimate damage to
the environment, human health, etc.
25
26
• Overview
• Activities
• Burdens
• Intermediate and Final Impacts
• Creating Impact Pathways
How the burdens created from shale gas development
impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life
Creating Impact Pathways
Air pollutants
Drilling fluids and
cuttings
Saline water intrusion
Fracturing fluids
Flowback constituents
(other than fracturing
fluids)
Produced water
constituents
Condenser and
dehydration additives
Habitat/community
disruptions
Other
Site development and
drilling preparation
Vertical drilling
Horizontal drilling
Fracturing and
completion
Well production and
operation
Flowback and produced
water storage/disposal
Shutting-in, plugging
and abandonment
Workovers
Upstream and
downstream activities
Groundwater
Surface water
Soil quality
Air quality
Habitat disruption
Community
disruption
Occupational hazard
Human health impacts
Market impacts
Ecosystem impacts
Climate change
impacts
Quality of life impacts
27
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Site development
and drilling
preparation
• Storage of
equipment and
materials
• Clearing of land for
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• Construction of
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle
activity
• Off-road vehicle
activity
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Creating Impact Pathways
Air pollutants
Drilling fluids and
cuttings
Saline water intrusion
Fracturing fluids
Flowback constituents
(other than fracturing
fluids)
Produced water
constituents
Condenser and
dehydration additives
Habitat/community
disruptions
Other
Site development
and drilling
preparation
• Storage of
equipment and
materials
• Clearing of land for
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• Construction of
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle
activity
• Off-road vehicle
activity
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Creating Impact Pathways
Air pollutants
• Conventional air
pollutants and CO2
o Volatile Organic
Compounds
(VOC)
• Methane
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Silica
• Others
Habitat/community
disruptions
• Habitat fragmentation
• Industrial landscape
• Light pollution
• Noise pollution
• Odor
• Population increase
• Road congestion
• Seismic vibrations
Site development
and drilling
preparation
• Storage of
equipment and
materials
• Clearing of land for
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• Construction of
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle
activity
• Off-road vehicle
activity
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Creating Impact Pathways
Groundwater
Surface water
Soil quality
Air quality
Habitat disruption
Community
disruption
Occupational hazard
31
Air pollutants
• Conventional air
pollutants and CO2
o Volatile Organic
Compounds
(VOC)
• Methane
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Silica
• Others
Habitat/community
disruptions
• Habitat fragmentation
• Industrial landscape
• Light pollution
• Noise pollution
• Odor
• Population increase
• Road congestion
• Seismic vibrations
Site development
and drilling
preparation
• Storage of
equipment and
materials
• Clearing of land for
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• Construction of
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle
activity
• Off-road vehicle
activity
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Creating Impact Pathways
Human health impacts
Market impacts
Ecosystem impacts
Climate change impacts
Quality of life impacts
Groundwater
Surface water
Soil quality
Air quality
Habitat disruption
Community
disruption
Occupational hazard
Air pollutants
• Conventional air
pollutants and CO2
o Volatile Organic
Compounds
(VOC)
• Methane
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Silica
• Others
Habitat/community
disruptions
• Habitat fragmentation
• Industrial landscape
• Light pollution
• Noise pollution
• Odor
• Population increase
• Road congestion
• Seismic vibrations
Site development
and drilling
preparation
• Storage of
equipment and
materials
• Clearing of land for
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• Construction of
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle
activity
• Off-road vehicle
activity
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Creating Impact Pathways
Human health
impacts
• Morbidity
• Mortality
Climate change
impacts
Quality of life
impacts
• Recreation
• Aesthetics
• Time loss
• Other
Groundwater
Surface water
Soil quality
Air quality
Habitat disruption
Community
disruption
Occupational hazard
Air pollutants
• Conventional air
pollutants and CO2
o Volatile Organic
Compounds
(VOC)
• Methane
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Silica
• Others
Habitat/community
disruptions
• Habitat fragmentation
• Industrial landscape
• Light pollution
• Noise pollution
• Odor
• Population increase
• Road congestion
• Seismic vibrations
Site development
and drilling
preparation
• Storage of
equipment and
materials
• Clearing of land for
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• Construction of
roads, well pads,
pipelines,
evaporation ponds,
other infrastructure
• On-road vehicle
activity
• Off-road vehicle
activity
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
Creating Impact Pathways
On-road
vehicle activity
Air quality
Community
disruption
Conventional air
pollutants and
CO2
Noise pollution
Road congestion
Morbidity
Climate change
impacts
Aesthetics
Time loss
Activities Burdens Intermediate
Impacts Final Impacts
Creating Impact Pathways
35
An initiative of RFF’s Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEEP)
November 2011 • www.rff.org/ceep
Managing the Risks of Shale Gas Identifying a Pathway toward Responsible Development
How the burdens created from shale gas development
impact health, markets, ecosystems, and quality of life