Radioactivity in Marcellus Shale High radiation concentrations Need for additional information Marvin Resnikoff, Ph.D., RWMA.
Post on 06-Jan-2018
218 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
Transcript
Radioactivity in Marcellus Shale
High radiation concentrationsNeed for additional information
Marvin Resnikoff, Ph.D., RWMA
Areal Extent of Marcellus Shale
Devonian Stratigraphy
Depth of Marcellus Shale
Marcellus Thickness in New York
Feet
Marcellus thickness increases from less than 25 feet to 300 feet
Other layers also vary
Beaver Meadows Core
Organic-rich Marcellus layerof varying thickness
• High GR and TOC% in Shale• Low GR and TOC% in Limestone
• 16.5 GAPI = 1 pCi/gram
• 400 GAPI = 24.2 pCi/gram
Reading the Logs
Marcellus Thickness in Pennsylvania
Counties with Marcellus Shale Wells
Fracking
Radioactivity in Marcellus Shale
Drillers know the Marcellus shale horizon by gamma and total organic content logs.
In 1980, USGS measured 17 logs, found up to 83.7 parts per million (ppm) natural U, which is equivalent to 30 pC/g U-238, and 30 pCi/g Ra-226.
Alchemy
The gas industry commissioned Co-Physics, to study rock cuttings from the Marcellus shale formation.
Results: rock cuttings are about background. Numerous problems with that study. Co-Physics measured the rock cuttings given to them. Not an ELAB-certified laboratory.
If rock cuttings are background, where is the radioactivity from the Marcellus formation?
Radium in Brine WaterWell Town County Ra-226 (pCi/L) Ra-228 (pCi/L)Maxwell 1C Caton Steuben 2,472 874
Frost 2 Orange Schuyler 2,647 782
Webster T1 Orange Schuyler 16,030 912
Calabro T1 Orange Schuyler 13,510 929
Maxwell 1C Caton Steuben 7,885 234
Haines 1 Avoca Steuben 0.195 0.428
Haines 2 Avoca Steuben 0.163 0.0286
Carpenter 1 Troupsburg Steuben 5,352 158
Zinck 1 Woodhull Steuben 4,049 826
Schiavone 2 Reading Schuyler 15,140 957
Parker 1 Oxford Chenango 1,779 201
WGI 10 Dix Schuyler 6,125 516
WGI 11 Dix Schuyler 10,160 1,252
Dewatered brine water can also be accepted in municipal landfills
Rock Cutting Shakers
Steuben County Recommendations
1) To avoid Co-Physics issues. Take moist rock cuttings from drill site. Send to ELAB-certified laboratory. Designate EPA protocols for measuring Ra-226 in Chain of Custody form.
2) Set entry monitors for Ra-226 at 5 pCi/g. 3) Follow B&L buffer suggestions.
RESRAD 6.5 Run Assume 2 meters topsoil at Ra-226
concentration 20 pCi/g Dose to adult, 50 years after disposal Default assumptions: 24-hour resident w/garden,
cattle, cow Result (mrem/yr):
Direct gamma: 110 Garden: 169 Meat: 5 Milk: 4 Incidental soil ingest: 3
West East
Marcellus ShaleOatka Creek Gray ShaleCherry Valley LimestoneUnion Springs Black Mudrock
Onondaga Limestone
Strata
Marcellus Cross Section
top related