EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources

Hydraulic Fracturing Study: February 2011 Technical Workshop on Chemical and Analytical Methods

The proceedings from the Chemical and Analytical Methods workshop include a summary of the presentations and discussion sessions as well as abstracts for each presentation. Not all presenters submitted an abstract or presentation to be posted for public viewing.The presentations are not part of the proceedings, but may be downloaded below along with the individual abstracts.

View Proceedings of Other 2011 Technical Workshops for the Hydraulic Fracturing Study

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Citing Information from the Abstracts and Presentations

To cite information found in the abstract, use the following:
Author. 2011. Title of Abstract. Proceedings of the Technical Workshops for the Hydraulic Fracturing Study: Chemical & Analytical Methods, Arlington, Virginia. Publication No. EPA 600-R-11-066.

To cite information found in the presentation, use the following:
Author. 2011. Title of Presentation. Presented at US EPA Technical Workshop for the Hydraulic Fracturing Study: Chemical & Analytical Methods, Arlington, Virginia.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in the proceedings are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the US EPA. Any mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

► View and print the entire Proceedings of the Technical Workshops for the Hydraulic Fracturing Study: Chemical & Analytical Methods (PDF) (122 pp, 3MB) EPA 600-R-11-066, May 2011

Presentations and Individual Abstracts

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Fracture Fluid Chemistry Theme
Fingerprinting Theme
Field and Analytical Challenges Theme

Fracture Fluid Chemistry Theme

Technical Presentation Session 1: Fracture Fluid Formulations and Purposes
- HF Fluid Considerations in Marcellus Shale Completions (PDF) (13 pp, 644K)
  Contributed By: Dennis Degner, Range Resources
- High Rate HF in Non-Marcellus Unconventional Shale (PDF) (30 pp, 938K)
  Contributed By: Rick McCurdy, Chesapeake Energy
- Cross-linked and Linear Gel Composition (PDF) (11 pp, 98MB)
  Contributed By: Richard Hodge, ConocoPhillips
- Old vs. New Trends in HF Chemicals (PDF) (11 pp, 599K)
  Contributed By: Denise Tuck, Halliburton
- Unconventional Fracturing Fluids:What, Where, Why? (PDF) (45 pp, 1MB)
  Contributed By: Satya Gupta, BJ Services - Baker Hughes

Technical Presentation Session 2: Fracture Fluid Interaction with Host Materials
- Inorganic Chemistry of Produced Water in the Appalachian Basin*
  Presented By: Elizabeth Rowan, USGS
  * The author did not contribute an abstract or presentation for the proceedings.
- Produced Formation Water Sample Results from Shale Plays (PDF) (20 pp, 706K)
  Contributed By: Nancy Coleman, Chesapeake Energy
- Trace Metal Geochemistry and Mobility in the Marcellus Formation (PDF) (15 pp, 404K)
  Contributed By: Tracy Bank, University at Buffalo
- Fracture Fluid Additives and Formation Degradations (PDF) (39 pp, 3MB)
  Contributed By: George King, Apache Corporation

Technical Presentation Session 3: Fracturing Fluid Degradation Products
- What Can You Expect or Not – Chemical Breakdown and Degradation (PDF) (8 pp, 81K)
  Contributed By: Denise Tuck, Haliburton
- Evaluation of Radionuclides as Degradation Products of Host Materials in Response to Altered Fluid Chemistry Environment (PDF) (11 pp, 562K)
  Contributed By: Zoltan Szabo, USGS

Fingerprinting Theme

Technical Presentation Session 4: Determining Ambient Groundwater Conditions
- Chemical and Isotopic Tracers of Natural Gas and Formation Waters in Fractured Shales (PDF) (23 pp, 2MB)
  Contributed By: Jennifer McIntosh, University of Arizona
- Distinguishing the Source of Natural Gas Accumulations with a Combined Gas and Co-Produced Formation Water Geochemical Approach:A Case Study from the Appalachian Basin (PDF) (19 pp, 1MB)
  Contributed By: Stephen Osborn, Duke University
- The Origin of Some Natural Gases in Permian through Devonian Age Systems in the Northern Appalachian Basin and the Relationship to Incidents of Stray Gas Migration (PDF) (28 pp, 2MB)
  Contributed By: Fred Baldassare, Echelon Applied Geoscience

Technical Presentations 5: Introduced Tracers
- Tracing Fracturing Fluid Movement with Chemical and Gamma-Emitting Tracers with Verification by Microseismic Recording (PDF) (21 pp, 3MB)
  Contributed By: George King, Apache Corporation
- Designing a Water Quality Program for Shale Exploration (PDF) (19 pp, 876K)
  Contributed By: Uni Blake, Gastem USA

Technical Presentations 6: Tracing Fracturing Fluids in the Environment
- Elucidating Water Contamination by Fracturing Fluids and Formation Waters from Gas Wells:Integrating Isotopic and Geochemical Fingerprints (PDF) (28 pp, 1MB)
  Contributed By: Avner Vengosh, Duke University
- Isotopic Tracing of Groundwater Contamination:Techniques, Applications,
  and Practical Considerations (PDF) (11 pp, 157K)
  Contributed By: Michael Lawson, ExxonMobil
- Inorganic Geochemistry of Pennsylvania Marcellus Flowback Waters (PDF) (48 pp, 3MB)
  Contributed By: Carl Kirby, Bucknell University

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Field and Analytical Challenges Theme

Technical Presentation Session 7: Sampling Issues – Representativeness, Handling, Preservation
- Representativeness of Flowback Fluid Samples:
  Impacts of Post-Withdrawal Evolution and Temporal Variability of Composition*
  Presented By: Mark Engle, USGS
  * The author did not contribute an abstract or presentation for the proceedings.

Practical Quantitation and Method Reporting Limits
- Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Method Performance Considerations for Chemical Testing: Samples Impacted by Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids (PDF) (21 pp, 410K)
  Contributed By: David Thal, Environmental Standards, Inc.
- Determination of Total Organic Carbons (TOC) in Difficult Sample Matrices Utilizing the Supercritical Water-Oxidation TOC Procedure (PDF) (21 pp, 224K)
  Contributed By: Keith McLeroy, Texas A&M University
- Practical Quantitation Limits, Method Detection Limits, Interferences and Dilution Challenges
  in Fracturing Fluid Analyses (PDF) (25 pp, 612K)
  Contributed By: Kesavalu M. Bagawandoss, Accutest Labs

Technical Presentation Session 8: Interference and Dilution Challenges Including Radionuclides
- Radiochemical Analytical Challenges with Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids (PDF) (15 pp, 749K)
  Contributed By: Terry Romanko, TestAmerica Labs
- Analytical Challenges of Radionuclides in Brines (PDF) (13 pp, 618K)
  Contributed By: Zoltan Szabo, USGS

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