Regulatory Issues Affecting Management of Produced Water from Coal Bed Methane Wells
Regulatory Issues Affecting Management of Produced Water from Coal Bed Methane Wells

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 14

ISBN-13:

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Coal bed methane (CBM) wells are being developed in increasing numbers throughout the United States. These are wells that are drilled into coal seams to withdraw ground water (produced water) to reduce the hydrostatic pressure on the coal seam. The reduced pressure allows methane gas to migrate to the well bore where it moves to the surface and is collected. Where possible, operators prefer to discharge the produced water into nearby streams, rivers, or other surface water bodies. Depending on the chemical characteristics of the produced water, different levels of treatment are applied to the produced water before discharge. In some locations, produced water cannot be discharged and is injected, reused, or evaporated. Although the CBM industry is producing ''natural'' gas, such gas may not necessarily be covered under the existing national regulations for discharges from the oil and gas industry. This paper describes the existing national discharge regulations, the ways in which CBM produced water is currently being managed, the current CBM discharge permitting practices, and how these options might change as the volume of produced water increases because of the many new wells being developed.

Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2010-11-15

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 0309154324

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In some coalbeds, naturally occurring water pressure holds methane-the main component of natural gas-fixed to coal surfaces and within the coal. In a coalbed methane (CBM) well, pumping water from the coalbeds lowers this pressure, facilitating the release of methane from the coal for extraction and use as an energy source. Water pumped from coalbeds during this process-CBM 'produced water'-is managed through some combination of treatment, disposal, storage, or use, subject to compliance with federal and state regulations. CBM produced water management can be challenging for regulatory agencies, CBM well operators, water treatment companies, policy makers, landowners, and the public because of differences in the quality and quantity of produced water; available infrastructure; costs to treat, store, and transport produced water; and states' legal consideration of water and produced water. Some states consider produced water as waste, whereas others consider it a beneficial byproduct of methane production. Thus, although current technologies allow CBM produced water to be treated to any desired water quality, the majority of CBM produced water is presently being disposed of at least cost rather than put to beneficial use. This book specifically examines the Powder River, San Juan, Raton, Piceance, and Uinta CBM basins in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The conclusions and recommendations identify gaps in data and information, potential beneficial uses of CBM produced water and associated costs, and challenges in the existing regulatory framework.

Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2010-10-15

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 0309162939

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In some coalbeds, naturally occurring water pressure holds methane-the main component of natural gas-fixed to coal surfaces and within the coal. In a coalbed methane (CBM) well, pumping water from the coalbeds lowers this pressure, facilitating the release of methane from the coal for extraction and use as an energy source. Water pumped from coalbeds during this process-CBM 'produced water'-is managed through some combination of treatment, disposal, storage, or use, subject to compliance with federal and state regulations. CBM produced water management can be challenging for regulatory agencies, CBM well operators, water treatment companies, policy makers, landowners, and the public because of differences in the quality and quantity of produced water; available infrastructure; costs to treat, store, and transport produced water; and states' legal consideration of water and produced water. Some states consider produced water as waste, whereas others consider it a beneficial byproduct of methane production. Thus, although current technologies allow CBM produced water to be treated to any desired water quality, the majority of CBM produced water is presently being disposed of at least cost rather than put to beneficial use. This book specifically examines the Powder River, San Juan, Raton, Piceance, and Uinta CBM basins in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The conclusions and recommendations identify gaps in data and information, potential beneficial uses of CBM produced water and associated costs, and challenges in the existing regulatory framework.

Coal Bed Methane
Coal Bed Methane

Author: Pramod Thakur

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2014-06-14

Total Pages: 435

ISBN-13: 0128010894

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Coal Bed Methane: From Prospect to Pipeline is the proceedings of the 25th anniversary of the North American Coal Bed Methane Forum. It provides the latest advancements in the production of coal bed methane covering a variety of topics, from exploration to gas processing, for commercial utilization. Additionally, it presents the origin of gas in coal, reservoir engineering, control of methane in coal mines, production techniques, water management, and gas processing. The vast coal resources in the United States continue to produce tremendous amounts of natural gas, contributing to a diverse range energy assets. Following a rapid advancement and subsequent plateau in technological developments, this book captures the full life cycle of a well and offers petroleum geologists and engineers a single source of a broad range of coal bed methane applications. This book addresses crucial technical topics, including exploration and evaluation of coal bed reservoirs; hydraulic fracturing of CBM wells; coal seam degasification; and production engineering and processing, among others. It also covers legal issues, permitting, and economic analysis of CBM projects. Edited by a team of coal bed methane experts from industry, academia and government who have more than 75 years of combined experience in the field Authored by well-recognized members of the gas and coal industry, universities, US government departments, such as the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) More than 200 figures, photographs, and illustrations aid in the understanding of the fundamental concepts Presents the full scope of improvements in US energy independence, coal mine safety, and greenhouse gas emissions

Environmental Regulatory Drivers for Coal Bed Methane Research and Development
Environmental Regulatory Drivers for Coal Bed Methane Research and Development

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 12

ISBN-13:

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In 1999, the National Petroleum Council (NPC) stated that the resource base for meeting growing natural gas demands in the United States is adequate. A significant and increasing portion of natural gas production (8% by 2015) is expected to come from coal bed methane (CBM). The NPC cautions that for this to occur, certain factors, including compliance with environmental requirements, must be addressed. Numerous federal, state, and local programs address a variety of environmental issues, including water quality and quantity, air quality, wildlife, noise, and visibility. This paper examines existing and potential environmental regulatory requirements that could affect the timely development and production of CBM resources in the United States. Such an examination can help technology developers and policy makers target areas for research and development (R & D), demonstration, and implementation to help facilitate cost-effective CBM development and production to meet the nation's natural gas demands. It can also help identify R & D areas that will give rule-making bodies the information they need to incorporate more science into the regulatory development process.

Coal Bed Methane
Coal Bed Methane

Author: Pramod Thakur

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2020-04-06

Total Pages: 462

ISBN-13: 0128165421

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Coal Bed Methane: Theories and Applications, Second Edition, captures the full lifecycle of a coal bed methane well and offers petroleum geologists and engineers a single source for a broad range of coal bed methane (CBM) applications. The vast coal resources in the United States continue to produce tremendous amounts of natural gas, contributing to a diverse range of energy assets. This book addresses crucial technical topics, including exploration and evaluation of coal bed reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing of CBM wells, coal seam degasification, and production engineering and processing, among others. The book also covers legal issues and permitting, along with an economic analysis of CBM projects. This new edition includes information on new and established research and applications, making it relevant for field geologists and engineers, as well as students. Edited by a team of coal bed methane experts from industry, academia and government with more than 100 years of combined experience in the field Contains more than 150 figures, photographs and illustrations to aid in the understanding of fundamental concepts Presents the full scope of improvements in U.S. energy independence, coal mine safety and greenhouse gas emissions

Produced Water
Produced Water

Author: James P. Ray

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 606

ISBN-13: 1461529026

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This book represents the proceedings of the first major international meeting dedi cated to discuss environmental aspects of produced water. The 1992 International Pro duced Water Symposium was held at the Catamaran Hotel, San Diego, California, USA, on February 4-7, 1992. The objectives of the conference were to provide a forum where scientists, regulators, industry, academia, and the enviromental community could gather to hear and discuss the latest information related to the environmental considerations of produced water discharges. It was also an objective to provide a forum for the peer review and international publication of the symposium papers so that they would have wide availability to all parties interested in produced water environmental issues. Produced water is the largest volume waste stream from oil and gas production activities. Onshore, well over 90% is reinjected to subsurface formations. Offshore, and in the coastal zone, most produced water is discharged to the ocean. Over the past several years there has been increasing concern from regulators and the environmental commu nity. There has been a quest for more information on the composition, treatment systems and chemicals, discharge characteristics, disposal options, and fate and effects of the produced water. As so often happens, much of this information exists in the forms of reports and internal research papers. This symposium and publication was intended to make this information available, both for open discussion at the conference, and for peer review before publication.

Effects of the Surface Discharge of Coalbed Methane Produced Water on Water Quality and Macroinvertebrate Community of Structure in Headwater Streams of the Raton Basin, Colorado, USA
Effects of the Surface Discharge of Coalbed Methane Produced Water on Water Quality and Macroinvertebrate Community of Structure in Headwater Streams of the Raton Basin, Colorado, USA

Author: Stephanie (Keli) Kringel

Publisher:

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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Coalbed methane (CBM) is a type of natural gas produced from coal beds, and its extraction brings massive quantities of water from coal formations to the surface. CBM produced water is elevated in salinity and sodicity and can also contain heavy metals, trace elements, and organic compounds, all of which can be harmful to aquatic life. Discharge of produced water directly into streams is permitted in some CBM basins and has been occurring in the semi-arid Raton Basin of southern Colorado since the 1990s. Field studies assessing the impacts of this type of discharge on stream ecosystems have been few and have yielded equivocal results, and none have been conducted in the Raton Basin. The effects of the surface discharge of CBM produced water on the health of small headwater streams in a 30,000-acre State Wildlife Area in the Purgatoire River watershed of Las Animas County, Colorado were studied. Ten contaminated streams (below discharge points) and six comparable reference streams (having no discharge) were sampled and analyzed for differences in macroinvertebrate community structure and water quality. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations showed significant separation in both water quality and community structure between the two stream types. Based on their concentrations and published regulatory/safe levels, the water quality parameters of concern in the produced water streams were determined to be: alkalinity, conductivity, chloride, pH, fluoride, aluminum, iron, temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Reduced calcium and magnesium were also of concern. The biodiversity metrics Taxa Richness, EPT Richness, and Shannon-Wiener Diversity were all significantly lower in the produced water streams than the natural streams. Also, the Top 5 Taxa Percent was significantly higher, indicating lower diversity due to unevenness. The Colorado Macroinvertebrate Multimetric Index (MMI) did not differ between the two stream types, however. Stoneflies and oligochaetes were significantly reduced in both taxa richness and relative abundance in the produced water streams. Mayflies and caddisflies showed significantly decreased richness but unchanged relative abundance levels, due to certain tolerant taxa proliferating in the produced water streams. The variables showing the strongest correlation to biodiversity and community composition were calcium, SAR, and magnesium, with calcium appearing to have a protective effect on the communities. Though CBM produced water may not be as deleterious to aquatic life as other oil and gas produced waters, and although it is not regulated by EPA effluent guidelines, the present study shows that CBM produced water discharge can have significant and possibly long-lasting effects on small intermittent/ephemeral receiving streams.