Monte Markley, P.G. SCS Aquaterra. What to do when you need to dispose of high volume fluids? One way is to drill a disposal well.

Monte Markley, P.G.

SCS Aquaterra

What to do when you need to dispose of high volume fluids?

One way is to drill a disposal well

Part 1 - Major Differences in Kansas and Illinois Permitting Area of ReviewArea PermitsInjection PressuresDifferent focus during permit reviewPermitting Staff ExperienceFORMS!

Area of ReviewKansas is 1 mile vs. 2.5 miles in IllinoisSome parts of state are similar to SE Kansas

and poor well recordsILOIL database is much less user friendly

than KGS siteP&A records harder to obtain in Ill.

Area PermitsMust specify a location for single well or area

permitCan place well anywhere in area permit

boundaryUse conservative AOR based on property

ownership

Allowable Disposal Well Injection Pressure

Kansas is gravity only

In Illinois –Can’t exceed fracture gradient that is site specific. Current well expected to have a 1,700 psi well head pressure as max inj. pressure

Regulatory Background

EPA Region 5 previously used a fracture pressure gradient of 0.80 psi/ft for calculating MIPs for injection well permits in MI & IN, unless a lower pressure was suitable found it was not protective in all situations.

IL set MIPs on a case-by-case basis; all are presently less than 0.60 psi/ft.

Current disposal well in Hamilton County is expected to be around .80 psi/ft

Map of Pressure Increases

Regulatory Focus

Groundwater Flow in Deep Aquifers

Freshwater

Saline

Permitting Staff ExperienceKansas is more hands on and well rounded

Illinois is more departmentalized and permit engineer often does not know what other departments will focus on.

FORMS………Kansas Item # 10 and general guidance

documents much more concise and user friendly

IEPA guidance was often vague and conflicting

IEPA required use of TEN separate forms that were not electronic

And 5 copies of everything

Part 2 – Injection Zone CharacteristicsArbuckle prevalent injection target over most of

Kansas

Knox Mega Group in Ill Basin is stratigraphic equivalent of Arbuckle Group

Primary injection targets in Ill. are Knox and Mt. Simon -Focus in deeper portions of the basin is the Knox

Knox has some excellent potential but not studied much yet. No large scale data set to draw upon.

Coal Mine Class 1 Disposal Well Decided on Knox due to Mt. Simon thinning

or absent in area and no local control

Essentially a wildcat hole to explore feasibility of Knox as disposal zone in the Ill. Basin

Illinois Basin - Basement Structure

WWDW#1

Southern Illinois Geology

J. Crockett PTTC Workshop, March 6, 2013

Geologic Control?

Mt. Simon Isopach

Knox Isopach

Knox Core

Knox Core

Knox Core

Knox as an Injection Interval?Excellent porosity based on logs, core and

cuttingsPermeability ranges from .001 to 400-500 md Highly influenced by vugs, fractures and

secondary quartz overgrowths in pore throatsInjection zone water acidic (pH 5.8-6.4)Creates chemical compatibility concerns and

pretreatment issuesConducting step tests and well stimulation to

determine final disposal capacity and pressures

ConclusionsKansas is much easier regulatory

environmentPermit application was approved with no

deficiencies notedJury is still out on suitability of Knox as

injection zone in deeper portions of the basinWell stimulation and step testing in the next

couple of months will provide more information

Monte Markley, [email protected]