%0 Journal Article %1 Taherdangkoo2020 %A Taherdangkoo, Reza %A Tatomir, Alexandru %A Sauter, Martin %D 2020 %J Environmental Earth Sciences %K dumuxarticle %N 18 %P 432 %R 10.1007/s12665-020-09170-5 %T Modeling of methane migration from gas wellbores into shallow groundwater at basin scale %U https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09170-5 %V 79 %X Methane contamination of drinking water resources is one of the major concerns associated with unconventional gas development. This study assesses the potential contamination of shallow groundwater via methane migration from a leaky natural gas well through overburden rocks, following hydraulic fracturing. A two-dimensional, two-phase, two-component numerical model is employed to simulate methane and brine upward migration toward shallow groundwater in a generic sedimentary basin. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to examine the influence of methane solubility, capillary pressure--saturation relationship parameters and residual water saturation of overburden rocks, gas leakage rate from the well, tilted formations, and low-permeability sediments (i.e., claystones) on the transport of fluids. Results show that the presence of lithological barriers is the most important factor controlling the temporal--spatial distribution of methane in the subsurface and the arrival time to shallow groundwater. A pulse of high leakage rate is required for early manifestation of methane in groundwater wells. Simulations reveal that the presence of tilted features could further explain fast-growing methane contamination and extensive lateral spreading reported in field studies.

@article{Taherdangkoo2020, abstract = {Methane contamination of drinking water resources is one of the major concerns associated with unconventional gas development. This study assesses the potential contamination of shallow groundwater via methane migration from a leaky natural gas well through overburden rocks, following hydraulic fracturing. A two-dimensional, two-phase, two-component numerical model is employed to simulate methane and brine upward migration toward shallow groundwater in a generic sedimentary basin. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to examine the influence of methane solubility, capillary pressure--saturation relationship parameters and residual water saturation of overburden rocks, gas leakage rate from the well, tilted formations, and low-permeability sediments (i.e., claystones) on the transport of fluids. Results show that the presence of lithological barriers is the most important factor controlling the temporal--spatial distribution of methane in the subsurface and the arrival time to shallow groundwater. A pulse of high leakage rate is required for early manifestation of methane in groundwater wells. Simulations reveal that the presence of tilted features could further explain fast-growing methane contamination and extensive lateral spreading reported in field studies.}, added-at = {2020-09-22T12:31:26.000+0200}, author = {Taherdangkoo, Reza and Tatomir, Alexandru and Sauter, Martin}, biburl = {https://puma.ub.uni-stuttgart.de/bibtex/2e112c1abe74d933879ed2bbfe154984a/berndflemisch}, doi = {10.1007/s12665-020-09170-5}, interhash = {f84dfceb9e93e21cff112708741c4719}, intrahash = {e112c1abe74d933879ed2bbfe154984a}, issn = {1866-6299}, journal = {Environmental Earth Sciences}, keywords = {dumuxarticle}, number = 18, pages = 432, timestamp = {2020-09-22T10:32:42.000+0200}, title = {Modeling of methane migration from gas wellbores into shallow groundwater at basin scale}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09170-5}, volume = 79, year = 2020 }