Well integrity failure is an expensive historic and ongoing issue associated with a subset of oil and gas wells. Failure manifests as surface casing vent flow (SCVF; inside casing leakage) and/or gas migration (GM; outside casing leakage) whereby natural gas (comprised primarily of methane) is potentially emitted to atmosphere causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Remediation of integrity failure is often challenging and expensive, and where GHG emissions from leakage are low, full re-abandonment of wells may generate greater levels of GHG emissions and other potential risks. As a result, there is need for cost effective alternative options for mitigation of leaking oil and gas wells, particularly for marginal leakage, where emissions pose a low risk to the environment and are contributing minimally to GHG emissions. This presentation will present the preliminary results of a project conducted by Millennium EMS Solutions for the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada (PTAC) on a controlled methane injection pilot demonstration of a biocover concept for mitigating GHC emissions from integrity compromised oil and gas wells. Initial results are promising as to using bio-active media to rapidly and efficiently oxidize methane to carbon dioxide in a test biocell.
Dr. Ian Hers, Hers Environmental Consulting, P.Eng., Ph.D., CSAP
Dr. Ian Hers is the Principal and founder of Hers Environmental Consulting, Inc. located in Vancouver, BC, with 35-years professional experience. Much of his current work is in an expert advisory and research role for industry, government, agencies and boards. He enjoys collaborative partnerships involving developing novel solutions, particularly in relation to soil gas issues, including gas migration and vapour intrusion, fugitive emissions, monitoring and modeling, and greenhouse gas emission reduction. A related focus has been developing approaches and tools for evaluation of natural and enhanced attenuation of subsurface contamination. Over his career, Ian has led research and guidance projects for numerous entities, nationally and internationally. He is a Contaminated Sites Approved Professional in BC, on the Board of Directors of the Science Advisory Board for Contaminated Sites in BC, regularly participates on Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council teams, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Dr. Aaron Cahill, Geoscientific Advisor
Dr. Aaron Cahill is an Assistant Professor of Applied Geoscience and Environmental Risk at Heriot-Watt University, UK, and serves as an independent expert advisor to industry, government, and regulatory bodies. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in the environmental and risk-related impacts of geoenergy activities, with a particular focus on fugitive gas emissions. With over 15 years of experience as a geoscientist and hydrogeologist, Dr. Cahill’s research centers on the occurrence, mechanisms, and environmental consequences of wellbore integrity failure in petroleum systems. His work involves the detection and quantification of methane and carbon dioxide leakage from petroleum wells, assessing the implications for greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture and storage (CCS) operations. He also develops evidence-based strategies to manage and mitigate these impacts, helping to inform best practices for climate risk reduction in subsurface energy systems.
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