Table of Contents

Vol. 6, No. 3
3rd Quarter 2000

New Airship to Collect Information on California Air Quality

The US Department of Energy (DOE), the Western States Petroleum Association, and Tracer Environmental Sciences & Technologies, Inc., have built a remotely piloted, lightweight airship designed to gather information on pollutant levels without disturbing natural air patterns. The airship will be used in a series of air quality studies to measure the concentrations of airborne particles and ozone in California’s Central Valley.

A key goal of the airship research project is to determine how emissions from regional oil and gas fields contribute to overall atmospheric concentrations of these pollutants. A better understanding of the sources and behavior of these emissions will provide more scientifically sound data for regulatory decisions. It will also allow oil and gas field operators to adjust their operations to minimize adverse impacts on air quality. The airship will be capable of taking readings and transmitting data at altitudes of up to 2000 feet.

Researchers plan on releasing tracers, special substances with a unique chemical signature, from oil and gas field operations. These tracers will allow the airship to track their movement and learn more about the fate of pollutants from specific ground sources. Data collection flights are planned from December 2000 through February 2001.

For more information, contact William Hochheiser, DOE FE, phone 202-586-5614, email william.hochheiser@hq.doe.gov.

The NORM Connection

The DOE and Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) have launched a new website called the NORM Technology Connection providing information specific to the management of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). Available at http://www.iogcc.oklaosf.state.ok.us/ NORM, the free website was developed by Argonne National Laboratory's (ANL) Environmental Assessment Division.

The NORM website contains a database of information about companies providing NORM services, including site characterization and remediation support, sample collection and analysis, equipment cleaning/reconditioning, radiation safety program development, radiation safety and NORM training, NORM waste treatment and disposal, and general consulting. Company-specific information profiled on the website includes current contact information, a brief description of the company's capabilities, and links to their website.

The NORM website also provides access to information about the regulation of NORM, including a state-by-state directory of agencies that have jurisdiction over the petroleum industry with contact information and existing regulations applicable to the industry. Where available, links to state agency websites and to online copies of the applicable regulations are provided.

A third component of the NORM website is a discussion forum where individuals can post and respond to specific questions related to NORM management. The discussion forum is served by a mail list and individuals may subscribe and unsubscribe at any time.

For more information, contact Karen Smith, ANL, phone 303-986-1140, ext. 267, email smithk@anl.gov.

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Department of Energy Funds Four New C0₂ Sequestration Projects

The Department of Energy (DOE) has launched 4 new research projects seeking to capture and store CO2 in geologic formations. The goal of these and nine other sequestration-oriented projects is to reduce the cost of carbon sequestration to $10 or less per net ton of carbon emissions by 2015. Present systems for capturing and storing carbon dioxide are much more expensive, averaging $100-$300 per ton of carbon captured or avoided.

The DOE is prepared to commit $15 million over the next three years to the 13 projects, and private sector cosponsors have proposed a contribution of an additional $10 million.

The four projects focusing on the sequestration of carbon dioxide in geologic formations are:

• Advanced Resources International, Houston, TX, will use enhanced coalbed methane recovery technology to field test the viability of storing CO2 in coal seams in the San Juan basin of northwestern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado.

• Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, will use a nuclear magnetic resonance well-logging technique to identify the most suitable geologic formations for long-term CO2 storage.

• University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, will study deep saline reservoirs in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountain region to determine how much CO2 can be stored, what happens to the stored gas, and what the environmental risks are.

• Geological Survey of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, will determine how much CO2 can be stored in the Black Warrior coalbed methane region in Alabama and identify other storage sites for mass CO2 sequestration.

For more information on all 13 projects, contact Thomas P. Dorchack, DOE NETL, phone 304-285-4305, email tdorch@netl.doe.gov, or visit www.fe.doe.gov.