At a site in Oklahoma, a water transfer pipeline failure resulted in a surface release of greater than 1,000 barrels of produced water. Two geophysical methods were deployed to delineate the release. To evaluate the distribution of produced water in the shallow subsurface, an electromagnetic (EM) survey was conducted to accurately guide excavation activities near the release area. To complement the EM data, a direct current electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) survey was performed to evaluate the lateral and vertical extent of produced water and to assess whether it extended into the deep, bedrock aquifer beneath the shallow groundwater zone. The ERI geophysical technique offers greater depth penetration than an EM survey and can detect conductivity contrasts in both the vadose zone and saturated soils. These advantages allow for identification of brine impacts, as well as major changes in stratigraphy.
Based on the results of the ERI survey, vertical brine impacts in the vicinity of the release area did not extend beneath the shallow, alluvial groundwater zone. The use of non-invasive surface geophysical methods eliminated the need for the installation of deep monitoring wells, which resulted in significant cost and evaluation time savings compared to conventional monitoring well installation and sampling methods.
| Brent W. Barker , ARCADIS U.S., Inc. | |
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Brent W. Barker has over eight years of field and project experience in geological and environmental investigations. His field of expertise includes geophysical investigations, hydrostratigraphy, hydrology, constituents of interest data and enhanced 3D visualization to support conceptual site model development and remedial system design. More recent pursuits are focused on the use of electrical resistivity and induced polarization geophysical data for detection and delineation of subsurface non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs). |
| Boyce L. Clark, Ph.D., P.Hg. , ARCADIS U.S., Inc. | |
| Boyce Clark has been with ARCADIS for 9 years and currently leads the Technical Knowledge and Innovation Geophysics Practice as a Technical Expert. Dr. Clark is classically trained with a B.S. in Geology and a Ph.D. in Aqueous Geochemistry. His research focus is on the use of non-invasive geophysical techniques to observe geochemical changes in groundwater during remediation as well as to characterize near-surface hydrocarbon impacts. While at ARCADIS, Dr. Clark pioneered the use of induced polarization for two and three-dimensional NAPL delineation as well as a technique to image four-dimensional time lapse imaging of in-situ remediation systems. | |
| Mary K. Gilkison, P.G. , ARCADIS U.S., Inc. | |
| Mary Gilkison, P.G. is a Principal Geologist and Associate Vice President with ARCADIS US, Inc. located in Lakewood, Colorado. Ms. Gilkison has 24 years of experience in subsurface investigation and remediation, with a focus on upstream oil and gas sites. She also has particular interest in the delineation and remediation of produced water releases. Prior to working in environmental consulting, she was a development geologist in the oil and gas industry. | |
| Eric B. Rogoff, R.G., P.G., C.E.G. , ARCADIS U.S., Inc. | |
| Mr. Rogoff has over 24 years of field and project management experience in hydrogeologic and environmental investigations. His areas of expertise include 3D subsurface data visualization, groundwater modeling, database management, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Mr. Rogoff earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Kansas in 1984; an M.Phil. in Geology from Yale University in 1986; and an M.S. in Hydrology from the University of Arizona in 1988. He is a Registered Geologist (RG) in Arizona, a Professional Geologist (PG) in California, and a Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG) in California. | |
