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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
Committee on Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Development and Produced Water in the Western United States
Committee on Earth Resources
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Water Science and Technology Board
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Bureau of Land Management. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. government. Supported by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management under Award No. L08AC14198.
International Standard Book Number-13: 0-309-15432-1
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-15432-4
Additional copies of this report are available from the
National Academies Press,
500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, DC 20055; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet http://www.nap.edu
Cover: The images of natural gas and water illustrate the need to consider management of two resources important to the United States and particularly to the arid West. Cover design by Anne Rogers.
Copyright 2010 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
www.national-academies.org
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
COMMITTEE ON MANAGEMENT AND EFFECTS OF COALBED METHANE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCED WATER IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
WILLIAM L. FISHER (Chair),
University of Texas, Austin
JAMES W. BAUDER,
Montana State University, Bozeman
WILLIAM H. CLEMENTS,
Colorado State University, Fort Collins
INEZ HUA,
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
ANN S. MAEST,
Stratus Consulting, Boulder, Colorado
ARTHUR W. RAY,
Wiley Environmental Strategies, Columbia, Maryland
W. C. “RUSTY” RIESE,
BP America, Inc., Katy, Texas
DONALD I. SIEGEL,
Syracuse University, New York
GEOFFREY THYNE,
University of Wyoming, Laramie
National Research Council Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Study Director
STEPHANIE E. JOHNSON, Senior Program Officer
COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate
JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate (from November 1, 2009)
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Research Associate (until October 31, 2009)
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
COMMITTEE ON EARTH RESOURCES
CLAYTON R. NICHOLS (Chair),
Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (Retired), Ocean Park, Washington
JAMES A. BRIERLEY,
Brierley Consultancy LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
WILLIAM S. CONDIT, Independent Consultant,
Santa Fe, New Mexico
ELAINE T. CULLEN,
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Spokane Research Laboratory (Retired), Chattaroy, Washington
GONZALO ENCISO, Oil and Gas Exploration Consultant,
Houston, Texas
MICHELLE MICHOT FOSS,
University of Texas, Austin
DONALD JUCKETT,
American Association of Petroleum Geologists (Retired), Springfield, Virginia
ANN S. MAEST,
Stratus Consulting, Boulder, Colorado
LELAND L. MINK,
U.S. Department of Energy Geothermal Program (Retired), Worley, Idaho
MARY M. POULTON,
University of Arizona, Tucson
NORMAN H. SLEEP,
Stanford University, Stanford, California
RICHARD J. SWEIGARD,
University of Kentucky, Lexington
National Research Council Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer
ERIC EDKIN, Program Associate
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Research Associate
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
CORALE L. BRIERLEY (Chair),
Brierley Consultancy, LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
KEITH C. CLARKE,
University of California, Santa Barbara
DAVID J. COWEN,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
WILLIAM E. DIETRICH,
University of California, Berkeley
ROGER M. DOWNS,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
JEFF DOZIER,
University of California, Santa Barbara
KATHERINE H. FREEMAN,
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
WILLIAM L. GRAF,
University of South Carolina, Columbia
RUSSELL J. HEMLEY,
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C.
MURRAY W. HITZMAN,
Colorado School of Mines, Golden
EDWARD KAVAZANJIAN,
JR., Arizona State University, Tempe
ROBERT B. MCMASTER,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
CLAUDIA INÉS MORA,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico
BRIJ M. MOUDGIL,
University of Florida, Gainesville
CLAYTON R. NICHOLS,
Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office (Retired), Ocean Park, Washington
JOAQUIN RUIZ,
University of Arizona, Tucson
PETER M. SHEARER,
University of California, San Diego
REGINAL SPILLER,
Allied Energy, Houston, Texas
RUSSELL E. STANDS-OVER-BULL,
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Denver, Colorado
TERRY C. WALLACE, JR.,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico
HERMAN B. ZIMMERMAN,
National Science Foundation (Retired), Portland, Oregon
National Research Council Staff
ANTHONY R. DE SOUZA, Director
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Program Officer
DAVID A. FEARY, Senior Program Officer
ANNE M. LINN, Senior Program Officer
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Program Officer
MARK D. LANGE, Associate Program Officer
LEA A. SHANLEY, Postdoctoral Fellow
JENNIFER T. ESTEP, Financial and Administrative Associate
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
COURTNEY R. GIBBS, Program Associate
JASON R. ORTEGO, Research Associate
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant
TONYA E. FONG YEE, Senior Program Assistant
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD
CLAIRE WELTY (Chair),
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
JOAN EHRENFELD,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
SIMON GONZALEZ,
National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City
CHARLES N. NAAS,
Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
JAMES M. HUGHES,
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
THEODORE L. HULLAR,
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
KIMBERLEY L. JONES,
Howard University, Washington, D.C.
G. TRACY MEHAN III,
The Cadmus Group, Inc., Arlington, Virginia
JAMES K. MITCHELL,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
DAVID H. MOREAU,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
LEONARD SHABMAN,
Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.
DONALD I. SIEGEL,
Syracuse University, New York
SOROOSH SOROOSHIAN,
University of California, Irvine
HAME M. WATT, Independent Consultant,
Washington, D.C.
JAMES L. WESCOAT,
JR., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
GARRET P. WESTERHOFF,
Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., White Plains, New York
National Research Council Staff
STEPHEN D. PARKER, Director
JEFFREY W. JACOBS, Scholar
LAURA J. EHLERS, Senior Staff Officer
STEPHANIE E. JOHNSON, Senior Staff Officer
LAURA J. HELSABECK, Associate Staff Officer
M. JEANNE AQUILINO, Financial and Administrative Associate
ANITA A. HALL, Senior Program Associate
ELLEN A. DEGUZMAN, Research Associate
MICHAEL STOEVER, Senior Program Assistant
STEPHEN RUSSELL, Program Assistant
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Preface
The committee has approached this congressionally mandated task to examine the management of coalbed methane (CBM) produced water in six western states within a national context of increasing demand to develop domestic energy resources in environmentally and economically viable ways. The production of CBM for use as an energy source requires pumping water from coalbeds to release methane from the coal surfaces. The CBM “produced water” that results from this pumping process is managed through treatment, storage, disposal, and/or use, under a complex set of federal and state regulations.
Although produced water and its management are common to the majority of oil and gas production activities, CBM produced water has been the subject of specific, recent attention for several reasons: (1) the CBM industry is relatively young—with most operations in the western United States only producing methane since the 1990s—and development has been rapid in several regions; (2) the length of time to observe and understand potential effects on the environment from CBM produced water has been correspondingly brief; (3) the relatively low salinity of some CBM produced water has allowed consideration of this water for various practical uses in the arid West; and (4) litigation within and among states, citizens, and industry sharing CBM basins and watersheds has resulted from differing approaches to CBM produced water management.
To address the study, the committee reviewed documents produced by federal and state agencies and consultants, peer-reviewed literature, online databases and resources, and information requested from and submitted by external sources, including three public meetings and six public teleconferences. The committee held its public meetings in Washington, D.C.; Denver, Colorado; and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Each public meeting included dialogue with the study sponsor, the Bureau of Land Management, other federal and state agencies, academic and national laboratory researchers, and industry representatives who addressed various points of the committee’s study charge. An opportunity for public input was provided at the committee meeting in Denver.
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
The committee was sensitive to the interest in understanding the effects of CBM produced water on the environment when it is treated and released for disposal or might be used for any beneficial purposes. The committee was thus conscientious in its efforts to identify and distinguish between scientifically and technically documented effects of CBM produced water on the environment; those effects that may be considered “potential” effects through laboratory studies, for example, but without field documentation; and reports of effects that do not yet have enough supporting data or independent analysis to determine cause. In a comparable way, hydraulic fracturing was not a specific item the committee was tasked to address but was a topic raised to the committee’s attention during the course of this study. Hydraulic fracturing uses fluid injection to stimulate oil and gas production in many oil and gas wells but is employed rarely, or not at all, in CBM operations where coal seams are relatively near to the surface and have correspondingly high initial water contents. Without a direct link between hydraulic fracturing and the largest volumes of CBM produced water that are managed in the West, the committee addressed hydraulic fracturing only briefly in the report.
Throughout its examination of CBM produced water management, the committee has assumed that operators, regulatory agencies, water treatment companies, and private citizens alike use appropriate and professional procedures in their operations and in their management of produced water. The committee has thus focused its efforts on ways in which the current regulatory, legal, environmental, energy, and economic framework functions with respect to management of produced water from CBM operations and how this framework could be supported and improved. Nonetheless, in some instances data and information have demonstrated that “best practices” have not been followed in the management of CBM produced water and the committee has noted the situations which came to our attention.
As demands continue to couple energy resource development with environmental stewardship, demands for water resources and effective management of water for multiple uses will likewise continue to grow. In this context, an examination of CBM produced water management is timely, and the committee hopes this report informs the decision-making process with respect to important energy and water resources.
William Fisher
Chair
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Acknowledgments
In addition to its own expertise, the committee relied on input from numerous external professionals and members of the public with extensive experience in various aspects of coalbed methane development and produced water management. All of these individuals provided presentations, data, analyses, and illustrative figures and images which assisted the committee in understanding the scope of the issue and the roles played by federal, state, and tribal governments and agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, research organizations, and the public. This information was very important to the committee in formulating the report. We gratefully acknowledge these individuals, and note particularly their prompt and thorough responses to our inquiries throughout the study’s course. In particular, the committee would like to thank the following individuals: Troy Bauder, Doug Beagle, Diedre Boysen, John Boysen, Curtis Brown, David Brown, James Burd, Aïda Farag, Mark Fesmire, Don Fischer, Carol Frost, Carey Johnston, James Keener, David Mankiewicz, Vince Matthews, Elizabeth Meredith, Terrance Olson, Kevin Rein, Ashley Roberts, Kathy Shreve, Timothy Spisak, Carrie Steinhorst, David Stewart, Jason Thomas, Ralf Topper, John Veil, John Wheaton, and Michael Wireman.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:
David Burnett, Texas A&M University, College Station
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Debra L. Donahue, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Jörg E. Drewes, Colorado School of Mines, Golden
Gretchen K. Hoffman, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Socorro
Lawrence Y.C. Leong, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Irvine, California
Thomas Meixner, University of Arizona, Tucson
Dianne R. Nielson, State of Utah, Salt Lake City
Russell E. Stands-Over-Bull, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Golden, Colorado
George Vance, University of Wyoming, Laramie
John Veil, Argonne National Laboratory, Washington, D.C.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by William S. Condit, Independent Consultant, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Michael C. Kavanaugh, Malcom Pirnie, Inc. Emeryville, California. Appointed by the NRC, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Contents
SUMMARY
1
1
METHANE AND WATER IN COALBEDS
11
National Context for Future CBM Development and Produced Water Management,
12
Report Overview,
15
Concluding Remarks,
17
References,
17
2
COALBED METHANE PRODUCED WATER IN WESTERN U.S. BASINS: HYDROGEOLOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL FOUNDATIONS
19
Hydrogeological Foundations,
19
Case Studies: Regional Hydrogeology and Hydraulics of the San Juan and Powder River Basins,
37
Geochemical Foundations,
41
Ground- and Surface Water Connectivity and Groundwater Modeling: Data Gaps and Uncertainties,
47
Chapter Summary,
50
References,
52
3
REGULATORY CONTEXT FOR COALBED METHANE PRODUCED WATER MANAGEMENT
57
Water Rights in the United States,
58
Federal Authorities,
64
Western State Authorities,
76
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
Chapter Summary,
85
References,
87
4
COALBED METHANE PRODUCED WATER MANAGEMENT AND BENEFICIAL USES
91
Options for CBM Produced Water Management,
91
CBM Water as a Beneficial Commodity?,
104
Chapter Summary,
110
References,
111
5
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF COALBED METHANE DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCED WATER MANAGEMENT
113
Groundwater,
113
Surface Water,
124
Soil Quality and Agricultural Production,
135
Ecological Effects,
137
Registered Citizen Complaints, Litigation, and Public Concerns Heard by the Committee,
148
Chapter Summary,
151
References,
156
6
TECHNOLOGIES AND COSTS FOR COALBED METHANE PRODUCED WATER TREATMENT
161
Primary Treatment Technologies for CBM Produced Water,
162
Treatment and Disposal Costs,
175
Chapter Summary,
177
References,
178
7
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
181
CBM Produced Water Hydrogeology: The Importance of Establishing Hydraulic Connectivity,
182
CBM Produced Water Effects on Surface Water and Groundwater Resources and the Environment,
183
Regulatory Framework,
187
Closing Remarks,
188
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Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
APPENDIXES
A Legislative Authorization Language H.R. 6—Energy Policy Act of 2005 Section 1811. Coal Bed Methane Study
191
B Committee and Staff Biographical Sketches
193
C Presentations to the Committee
199
D Information Inventory
201
E Historical Significance of a Water “Compact”
209
F Tribal Management of Coalbed Methane Development and Produced Water
213
G Acronyms and Abbreviations
217
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