Push-pull test: a method of evaluating formation adsorption parameters for predicting the environmental effects on in situ coal gasification and uranium recovery

Technical Report · Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6689007· OSTI ID:6689007

Drever, J. I.; McKee, C. R.

The push-pull test, which is a simple injection and pumping sequence of groundwater spiked with solutes of interest, is presented as a method of determining the adsorption characteristics of a formation. Adsorption properties are necessary to predict restoration from both in situ coal gasification and in situ uranium extraction. The major problems in applying laboratory measurements to the field concern scaling the effect of particle size and obtaining representative samples. Laboratory measurements are conducted on gram to kilogram scale samples, whereas the push-pull test evaluates a sample weighing approximately 130 to 1000 metric tons, depending on volume injected and porosity. The problem in translating laboratory results to the field appear to be less severe for sedimentary uranium bodies than for coal. Laboratory measurements are useful in delineating ranges in adsorption properties and in planning the field experiment. Two field push-pull tests were conducted on uranium formations in Wyoming. Adsorption properties estimated from these tests on the basis of a simple cell model were compared to the laboratory values. In the first case, excellent agreement was observed between the values estimated from the field test and the values measured in the laboratory. In the second case, the value for K/sub d/ determined in the laboratory was five times higher than the field value. It is recommended that push-pull tests be conducted on coal formations being considered for in situ gasification in view of the great uncertainty in extrapolating laboratory adsorption properties to the field.

• Research Organization: Wyoming Univ., Laramie (USA). Dept. of Geology; Insitu Consulting, Laramie, WY (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6689007
• Report Number(s): DOE/TIC-11383; TRN: 81-002851
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
58 GEOSCIENCES
ADSORPTION
MEASURING METHODS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
COAL
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GROUND WATER
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
ION EXCHANGE
URANIUM ORES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SORPTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WATER
012000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Mining
050300 - Nuclear Fuels- Mining- (-1987)
580300 - Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics- (-1989)