Environmental Considerations Related to Oil Shale Development

1
Environmental Considerations Related to Oil Shale
Development
INTEK
September 23, 2008 SPE 116599
Emily Knaus, INTEK Inc. Anton Dammer, U.S.
Department of Energy
2
Economic Setting
Price of crude oil has risen dramatically in the
past decade (graph represents USD per barrel)
3
Domestic Oil Shale Region
2 Trillion Barrels
6 Trillion Barrels
4
Domestic Oil Shale Resource Potential
Source INTEK, Inc.
5
Technology Considerations
2
1
6
Environmental Impacts Overview

• Air Quality
• Water Use and Quality
• Land Disturbance
• Wildlife Impacts

7
Air Quality - Potential Emissions

• Carbon dioxide emissions
• Criteria pollutants

HC Gas
CO2
SO2
NOx
Oil Shale Processing
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Air Quality Mitigation Strategies

• Current technologies
• Emerging technologies

• Capture for
• Process Plant Use

• Capture for
• CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery
• Sequestration
• Other Industrial Uses

• Capture and Clean
• using Existing Technology

HC Gas
CO2
SO2
NOx
Oil Shale Processing
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Water Use and Quality Considerations

• Water consumption
• Produced water runoff
• Surface water protection
• Ground water protection

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Water Consumption
500
1,000
2,500
Source Wood, Thomas., Water Resources for Oil
Shale., Battelle., (2006).
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Produced Water

• Water is a by-product of oil shale retorting
• 2-5 gal/ton
• Produced water will contain a variety of
  substances

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Surface Water Protection

• Mining and retorting operations
• Treatment facilities for products
• Other wastewaters
• Spent shale

13
Ground Water Protection
Impermeable Barrier
Source INTEK, Inc.
14
Shells Freeze Wall Test
Source DOE, Secure Fuels Report, 2008
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Land Disturbance - Magnitude
Green River Formation 11 MM Acres
BLM PEIS 1.9 MM Acres 20
Undisturbed Area 9 MM Acres
1 MMBbl/D Oil Shale Industry 0.08 MM Acres 1
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Land Disturbance - Impacts

• Mining disrupts the surface
• Increase in spent shale
• Reclamation will help to mitigate the long-term
  impacts

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Wildlife Impacts - Aquatic Species

• Four endangered species
• Colorado River Basin is critical habitat
• Site-specific data and analyses necessary

Source U.S. DOI/BLM PEIS (December 2007)
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Wildlife Impacts - Terrestrial Species

• One mammal is endangered
• Two are threatened
• Water supply
• Fragmentation of habitat

Source U.S. DOI/BLM PEIS (December 2007)
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Wildlife Impacts - Avian Species

• Two endangered species
• Migratory and permanent bird residents
• Habitat preservation
• Water quality supply

Source U.S. DOI/BLM PEIS (December 2007)
20
Wildlife Impacts - Plant Species

• Six endangered species
• Ten threatened species
• 41 sensitive species
• Land disturbance

Source U.S. DOI/BLM PEIS (December 2007)
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Conclusions

• Unmitigated, oil shale development can
  potentially have impacts on
• Air quality
• Water quality and consumption
• Land disturbance
• Associated ecological and wildlife systems
• Mitigation practices can significantly reduce
  impacts