Water well complaints investigated in the Appalachian, San Juan , Piceance, Denver-Julesberg, Black Warrior, East Texas, Texas Gulf Coast, and Powder River Basins on behalf of large independent and major oil and gas companies. Investigations led to the following results:
- No evidence of impacts from oil and gas activities (mechanical failures, microbiologic fouling, temporary drought-induced conditions). Report to regulatory agencies, legal case settlements.
- Stray gas derived from shallow and intermediate depth gas sands. Gas migration to aquifers resulted from compromised gas well integrity (packer failures, casing failures, poor cement integrity, uncemented annuli). No cases found of stray hydrocarbons derived from producing horizons (i.e. hydraulically fractured intervals). Formal report s to state regulatory agencies, hearings.
- Stray gases related to domestic water well completions in coal bed aquifers. Formal reports to state agencies.
- Stray gases found to be naturally occurring (biogenic gas). Formal reports to state regulatory agencies, Rule 26 reports, legal case settlements.
- Hydrocarbons identified to originate from leaking buried oil distribution line, not oil well. Design and implement drilling of monitor and air sparging wells. Legal case settlement.
- Hydrocarbon contamination at a spring linked to illegal dumping of produced water. Regulator withdraws NOAV alleging contamination from leaking production water pit.
