Nuclear Magnetic Resonance—A New Tool for Enhanced Environmental Investigations
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance—A New Tool for Enhanced Environmental Investigations
Presented on Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging tools have been widely used in the oil industry since the 1960s and have improved in the last two decades. NMR provides estimates of bulk porosity and fluid content, quantification of bound versus mobile fluids, and semi-quantitative estimates of hydraulic conductivity. Although the size and cost of oil-field tools historically limited their use for environmental applications, smaller and more economical NMR logging tools are now available for detecting and characterizing the formation water content and hydraulic conductivity as part of environmental investigations. It can be used in direct-push mode or can be lowered into existing PVC wells. Using the tool in existing wells is a safe alternative compared to drilling new boreholes. In either mode, NMR can provide useful hydrostratigraphic information if historical drilling logs are unavailable or limited in geologic detail, and can help refine the overall conceptual site model.
NMR investigations at two sites in Texas and one site in New Mexico demonstrate the viability of this technology as a site characterization tool for environmental investigations. NMR measurements were compared to data from lithologic logs and prior field hydraulic tests. Use of NMR detected vadose zone water, including previously unidentified perched groundwater zones, and provided hydrostratigraphic details that could not be gleaned from historical well drilling logs. NMR also produced hydraulic conductivity estimates similar to those from conventional hydraulic tests, but the improved vertical resolution from NMR provided additional information regarding the vertical heterogeneity of the formation along the entire length of the well or borehole.
Matt S. Spurlin, PG
ARCADIS U.S. Inc., Boulder, CO
Matt Spurlin possesses diverse education and experience in geological and environmental sciences ranging from National Science Foundation-supported international field research and publications to the application of quantitative modeling tools for directing and optimizing environmental investigations and remediation. Spurlin appreciates that in an industry of competent environmental consultants, he must strive to set the company apart. His experience has demonstrated that this can be achieved by providing technical expertise and high-end and timely service.
Brent W. Barker
Staff Geophysicist, ARCADIS U.S., Inc., Lakewood, CO
Brent Barker has more than 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.
Craig E. Divine, Ph.D., PG
ARCADIS U.S. Inc., Highlands Ranch, CO
Craig Divine has 15 years of experience in hydrogeology, subsurface characterization and remediation, and hydrogeochemistry. His expertise includes geosystem characterization and conceptual model development, contaminant transport and fate, and remediation system design and operation. He has expertise in design and analysis of tracer tests, chaired sessions at conferences, given presentations, and written peer-reviewed journal articles. Divine has significant experience and publications regarding groundwater-surface water interactions and has pioneered use of dissolved gas tracers to characterize groundwater-surface water interactions.
Michael Gefell
ARCADIS U.S. Inc., Lakewood, CO
Michael Gefell, PG, CPG, is a Principal Geologist and Director of Innovation for the Environmental Division at ARCADIS U.S. He holds a B.A. in Geological Sciences from Cornell University and an M.S. in Geology from the University of California-Davis. Gefell has 24 years of experience in environmental site investigations. His primary areas of interest include quantitative hydrogeology, NAPL assessment, fractured bedrock, innovative site characterization methods, and modeling. He has applied these at numerous environmental sites.
Brad Cross
Arcadis-US, Scottsdale, AZ
Brad Cross, Senior Vice President and Principal Hydrogeologist, is a National Expert involved in hazardous waste investigation, soil and groundwater characterization and remediation, environmental assessment, regulatory compliance, and groundwater resource evaluation. With more than 25 years of experience in the environmental consulting field, he is experienced in field investigative methods, data analysis, remediation, litigation support and expert witness testimony, project management, and reporting. Specific areas of expertise include hydrogeology, stratigraphy and sedimentology, and geophysics with a focus on high-resolution site characterization methods.
Chris Kochiss
Arcadis-US, Portland, OR
Christopher Kochiss is a geologist with ARCADIS U.S. in Portland, Oregon. Formerly, he was a hydrologic technician with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and a student trainee (hydrology) with the U.S. Geological Survey. He has more than 10 years of experience working on various groundwater and surface water-related projects including groundwater remediation, surface and borehole-geophysical surveying, and surface water accounting. Kochiss has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Connecticut.