Assessment of environmental implications of abandoned oil and gas wells

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993 · JPT, Journal of Petroleum Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/20692-PA· OSTI ID:6178088

Warner, D L; McConnell, C L ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Missouri, Rolla, MO (United States)

A detailed study was made of the potential for abandoned oil and gas wells in the Lower Tuscaloosa sand of Mississippi and Louisiana to act as conduits for movement of saline water from the Lower Tuscaloosa into underground sources of drinking water (USDW's). Finite-difference numerical modeling determined the extent that water might be forced from the Lower Tuscaloosa sand into a USDW as a result of injection into the Lower Tuscaloosa. Within the range of conditions modeled, water from the Lower Tuscaloosa never traveled into a USDW. On the basis of the modeling, the authors concluded that it is unlikely that abandoned oil and gas wells in the Lower Tuscaloosa would serve as conduits for water movement from the trend into a USDW. The procedures developed in this study should be readily applicable to analysis of the potential for abandoned wells to act as pathways for contaminant flow into USDW's in other oil and gas producing areas of the country.

• OSTI ID: 6178088
• Journal Information: JPT, Journal of Petroleum Technology; (United States), Vol. 45:9; ISSN 0149-2136
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
ABANDONED WELLS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
CONTAMINATION
DRILLING FLUIDS
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FLUID INJECTION
GROUND WATER
HYDROLOGY
LOUISIANA
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MISSISSIPPI
SALINITY
STRATIGRAPHY
CALCULATION METHODS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
FLUIDS
GEOLOGY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ITERATIVE METHODS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
USA
WATER
WELLS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
030800 - Natural Gas- Environmental Aspects