John A. Harju

Remediation Strategies for Soils Contaminated with Amine-Based Gas Sweetening Wastes

In the past, amine-based waste materials (i.e., reclaimer sludges and filters) generated by the natural gas sweetening process were occasionally disposed of into unlined pits. Such disposal of these waste materials often resulted in contamination of the subsurface soils. Contaminants of concern associated with gas sweetening wastes include the amines used during the gas sweetening process (most commonly, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, methyldiethanolamine, and diisopropanolamine), thermal/oxidative reaction products (typically, nitrogenous organic compounds), ammonia, and nonionic surfactants (i.e., nonoxynol and oleyl alcohols) typically used as antifoaming agents. Laboratory and field-based research activities conducted from 1993 to 1999 provided previously unavailable insights regarding the subsurface environmental behavior of gas sweetening wastes. The knowledge gained by those research activities has been applied toward the development of technically and economically feasible remediation strategies for contaminated soils. Based on the results of the research efforts, bioremediation methods such as engineered biopiles and land treatment cells may be the most technically and economically sound means of remediating soils contaminated with amine-based gas sweetening wastes. In 1998, a pilot-scale engineered biopile was built to evaluate the effectiveness of that technology for remediating amine sludge-contaminated soil at a decommissioned gas sweetening facility in Alberta, Canada.

SUBTASK 6.1 – STRATEGIC STUDIES

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has recently completed 7 years of research through the Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) focused on fossil energy technology development and demonstration. To support a significant number of the different activities being considered within all of our research contracts with NETL, a subtask (6.1 – Strategic Studies) was created to focus on small research efforts that came up throughout the year that would support an existing EERC–NETL project or would help to develop a new concept for inclusion in future efforts. This subtask was funded through the EERC–DOE Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26- 08NT43291

Guidance for states and provinces on operational and postoperational liability in the regulation of carbon geologic storage

Abstract The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) Task Force on Carbon Geologic Storage (CGS) has produced reports that constitute IOGCC guidance to U.S. states and Canadian provinces on the formation of legal and regulatory frameworks for the storage of carbon dioxide (CO) in non-hydrocarbon-bearing geologic formations. This paper describes the latest effort of the Task Force focused on issues of liability in all phases of a CGS project and discusses liability broadly under federal, state or provincial, and common law from the perspective of the state or provincial regulator.

SUBTASK 1.7 EVALUATION OF KEY FACTORS AFFECTING SUCCESSFUL OIL PRODUCTION IN THE BAKKEN FORMATION, NORTH DAKOTA PHASE II

Production from the Bakken and Three Forks Formations continues to trend upward as forecasts predict significant production of oil from unconventional resources nationwide. As the U.S. Geological Survey reevaluates the 3.65 billion bbl technically recoverable estimate of 2008, technological advancements continue to unlock greater unconventional oil resources, and new discoveries continue within North Dakota. It is expected that the play will continue to expand to the southwest, newly develop in the northeastern and northwestern corners of the basin in North Dakota, and fully develop in between. Although not all wells are economical, the economic success rate has been near 75% with more than 90% of wells finding oil. Currently, only about 15% of the play has been drilled, and recovery rates are less than 5%, providing a significant future of wells to be drilled and untouched hydrocarbons to be pursued through improved stimulation practices or enhanced oil recovery. This study provides the technical characterizations that are necessary to improve knowledge, provide characterization, validate generalizations, and provide insight relative to hydrocarbon recovery in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations. Oil-saturated rock charged from the Bakken shales and prospective Three Forks can be produced given appropriate stimulation treatments. Highly concentrated fracture stimulations with ceramic- and sand-based proppants appear to be providing the best success for areas outside the Parshall and Sanish Fields. Targeting of specific lithologies can influence production from both natural and induced fracture conductivity. Porosity and permeability are low, but various lithofacies units within the formation are highly saturated and, when targeted with appropriate technology, release highly economical quantities of hydrocarbons.

The Plains CO/sub 2/ reduction (PCOR) Partnership - identifying CO/sub 2/ sequestration opportunities for the cement industry in the central interior of North America

The Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership is one of seven regional partnerships established by the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The goal of the NETL regional partnerships program is to assess carbon sequestration opportunities that exist throughout the United States and Canada. The PCOR Partnership region covers an area of over 1.3 million square miles and includes nine states and three Canadian provinces. During Phase I activities, an inventory was made of the regions major stationary CO 2 sources, and many of the major geologic and terrestrial sinks were identified and characterized. The most likely sequestration options were matched to the CO2 produced by a given type of point source. Phase I activities identified thirteen cement/clinker production facilities located within the PCOR Partnership region. Collectively, they emit a total of approximately 12.5 million short tons of CO2/yr, which is 2.3% of the CO2 emitted from point sources in the region. Amine scrubbing currently offers the best near-term potential for effective separation of CO2 from cement kiln exit gases, with the cost of capturing and separating CO2 from cement kiln exit gases estimated to range from

Hydrocarbon Mobilization Mechanisms from Upper, Middle, and Lower Bakken Reservoir Rocks Exposed to CO

41 to

Development of Storage Coefficients for Determining the Effective CO2 Storage Resource in Deep Saline Formations

45/short ton. Compressing it to pipeline pressures costs about

Field Test of CO2 Injection and Storage in Lignite Coal Seam in North Dakota

9/short ton. The design and siting of cement production facilities should consider the possibility of CO2 capture and sequestration at some point in the future. While on the surface it may seem as if capture of CO2 from cement kilns will result in increased costs to the industry, it in fact may offer significant opportunities for development of new revenue streams, enhanced corporate image, new product development through attendant research and development, and potential efficiency gains in overall process operation