DOE Breakthrough Could Boost State
CBM Production

March 30th, 2009 • Filed Under
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By WEN Staff

Research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy has yielded a way to distinguish between groundwater and the water produced with coalbed natural gas, which could boost CBM production in Wyoming and Montana.

The breakthrough could help regulators ensure that produced water doesn’t contaminate groundwater wells, an aspect of development that has drawn fire from residents and environmental groups.

Researchers at the University of Wyoming used differences in the isotopic carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratio to differentiate between groundwater and produced water. The discovery holds promise that different concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon and isotopic ratios can be used to monitor the infiltration of co-produced water into streams and groundwater over a long period of time, said the DOE.

“The co-mingling of groundwater and coalbed natural gas co-produced water has placed environmental limits on recovering natural gas and limited the nation’s ability to make full use of its domestic energy resources,” Victor Der, acting assistant secretary for fossil energy, said. “The University of Wyoming’s success provides a technical opportunity to drill new wells in Wyoming and Montana, while monitoring the quantity and quality of water at the well sites and protecting freshwater resources.”

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