2010 Ground Water Summit and 2010 Ground Water Protection Council Spring Meeting (#5095): Water and Oil: Do They Mix—Impacts of Hydrocarbon Energy Development in the Rocky Mountains

Monday, April 12, 2010: 3:50 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

Continental B (Westin Tabor Center, Denver)

This session will present papers on potential impacts to water supply and water quality by the expanded search and development of hydrocarbon resources in the Rocky Mountains. The energy sources include oil, natural gas, coal-bed methane, and oil shale. While these topics have been discussed for many years, an increased demand for fuels along with expanded population growth have led to potential conflicts both for surfacewater and groundwater resources. The topics for discussion will include: • Proposed oil shale development techniques • Potential impacts to groundwater from hydrofracturing gas reservoirs • Potential impacts to groundwater quantity and quality from coal-bed methane development.

Moderators:

David A. Bird and Robert Sterrett, Ph.D.

3:50 p.m.

Regulatory Challenges of Oil Shale Exploration and Development in Colorado
David A. Bird, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety

4:10 p.m.

Integrated Assessment of Water Resources Requirement and Impacts From Large Scale Oil Shale Development in the Western Energy Corridor
Donatella Pasqualini, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Andrea M. Bassi, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Daniel G. Levitt, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Cathy J. Wilson, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Andrew V. Wolfsberg, Los Alamos National Laboratory

4:30 p.m.

Simulating the Impacts of Shale Oil Production, Climate Variability, and Climate Change On Water Resources in the Upper Colorado River Basin with the WARMF Model
Daniel Levitt, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Cathy Wilson, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Andrew Wolfsberg, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Sebastien Dartevelle, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Richard Middleton, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Donatella Pasqualini, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Gordon Keating, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Al-Aziz Eddebbarh, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Joel Herr, Systech Water Resources

PDF file

4:50 p.m.

Developing Water Budgets for Unconventional Oil and Gas Production: A Study in the Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota
Seth S. Haines, Ph.D., USGS; Joanna N. Thamke, USGS; Lawrence O. Anna, USGS; Bruce D. Smith, Ph.D., USGS; Mark A. Engle, Ph.D., USGS

5:10 p.m.

Water Needs of the Shale Gas Industry in Texas
Jean-Philippe Nicot, University of Texas at Austin; Edward R. McGlynn, University of Texas at Austin

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