Patent for "underreaming tools or bits which can be adjusted from the top of the well and which can be set at the required angle..."

This report provides background on regulatory requirements, controversies and legal challenges to mountaintop mining, and recent Administration actions. Congressional interest in these issues also is discussed, including legislation in the 111th Congress seeking to restrict the practice of mountaintop mining and other legislation intended to block the Obama Administration’s regulatory actions. Attention to EPA’s veto of the West Virginia mining permit and other federal agency actions has increased in the 112th Congress.

Abstract: For equal flows of hot water wells, the electric power which can be generated increases with feed water temperature. However, high temperature wells discharge greater flows than that of lower temperature wells of similar permeability, with the result of enhanced power potential. In fact, where fluids are exploited utilizing two-stage flash, these factors combine to give a power potential which is proportional to the cube of the feed water temperature in degrees celsius. Hence a feed of 315 C would generate twice the power of that of water at 250 C for wells of good permeability and where the reservoir exists under conditions of boiling point with depth. Higher temperature water (exceeding 300 C) has, however, a commensurate higher tendency to mineral deposition in reinjection water lines and this disposes design to single-stage flash with slightly reduced power, compared with the two-stage alternative.

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Recent testing of Thermal 4, The Geysers blowout well, has shown that the flow has two different components: a low enthalpy, mineral-laden flow from a well drilled within the existing wellhead and a high flowrate, high enthalpy annular flow. The commingled flows were mechanically separated and individually tested. The results of the test show that the flows are from two very different sources that are in weak hydraulic communication. Work is in progress to apply this information to bring Thermal 4 within compliance of the 1986 air quality regulations.

This project reactivates ARCO�s idle Pru Fee lease in the Midway-Sunset field, California and conducts a continuous steamflood enhanced oil recovery demonstration aided by an integration of modern reservoir characterization and simulation methods. Cyclic steaming is being used to reestablish baseline production within the reservoir characterization phase of the project. During the demonstration phase scheduled to begin in January 1997, a continuous steamflood enhanced oil recovery will be initiated to test the incremental value of this method as an alternative to cyclic steaming. Other economically marginal Class III reservoirs having similar producibility problems will benefit from insight gained in this project. The objectives of the project are: (1) to return the shut-in portion of the reservoir to optimal commercial production; (2) to accurately describe the reservoir and recovery process; and (3) to convey the details of this activity to the domestic petroleum industry, especially to other producers in California, through an aggressive technology transfer program.

This study builds upon earlier research conducted by Southeastern Louisiana University concerning the efficacy of utilizing processed drill cuttings as an alternative substrate source for wetland rehabilitation (wetland creation and restoration). Previous research has indicated that processed drill cuttings exhibit a low degree of contaminant migration from the process drill cuttings to interstitial water and low toxicity, as tested by seven-day mysid shrimp chronic toxicity trials.

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The overall purpose of this meeting is to discuss the report that was sent to PG and E on February 1st discussing Geysers 17. The Commission has reviewed all of the existing data, the majority of the existing data that have gone through both Lake County and through the CPUC regarding 17, looked at the existing data to see what, if any, additional would be required to file and expeditiously process a Notice of Intention on Geysers Unit 17.

The Delaware Basin Drilling Surveillance Program (DBDSP) is designed to monitor drilling activities in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This program is based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements. The EPA environmental standards for the management and disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste are codified in 40 CFR Part 191 (EPA 1993). Subparts B and C of the standard address the disposal of radioactive waste. The standard requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate the expected performance of the disposal system using a probabilistic risk assessment or performance assessment (PA). This PA must show that the expected repository performance will not release radioactive material above limits set by the EPA's standard. This assessment must include the consideration of inadvertent drilling into the repository at some future time.

The origin of elevated radium-226 in groundwater beneath a sanitary landfill at the Savannah River Site (SRS) was investigated. Nearly one hundred monitoring wells are developed in the Steed Pond Aquifer (SPA), which consists of 100-150 ft of Coastal Plain sand, iron oxides, and minor clay. Wells screened in the upper and middle portions of the aquifer have average Ra-226 between 0.5 and 2.5 pCi/L, and average pHs above 4.7. However, wells screened near the base of the aquifer exhibit higher average Ra-226 concentrations of 2.5 to 4.6 pCi/L, with some measurements exceeding the MCL of 5 pCi/L, and show average pHs of 4.1 to 4.7. These wells are not downgradient of the landfill, and are not impacted by landfill leachate. The Crouch Branch Confining Unit (CBCU) underlies the aquifer, and is composed partly of reduced gray/brown clay with lignite and authigenic pyrite. Gamma ray logs show that the SPA has low gamma counts, but the CBCU is consistently elevated. Groundwater with high radium/low pH also contains elevated sulfate concentrations. pH calculations indicate that sulfate is in the form of sulfuric acid. A model for the origin of elevated Ra-226 levels in deeper SPA wells envisions infiltration of oxygenated SPA …

The main purpose of this project was to advance the basic scientific understanding of colloid and colloid-facilitated Cs transport of radionuclides in the vadose zone. We focused our research on the hydrological and geochemical conditions beneath the leaking waste tanks at the USDOE Hanford reservation. Specific objectives were (1) to determine the lability and thermodynamic stability of colloidal materials, which form after reacting Hanford sediments with simulated Hanford Tank Waste, (2) to characterize the interactions between colloidal particles and contaminants, i.e., Cs and Eu, (3) to determine the potential of Hanford sediments for \textit{in situ} mobilization of colloids, (4) to evaluate colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport through sediments under unsaturated flow, (5) to implement colloid-facilitated contaminant transport mechanisms into a transport model, and (6) to improve conceptual characterization of colloid-contaminant-soil interactions and colloid-facili\-tated transport for clean-up procedures and long-term risk assessment. We have previously shown that upon contact with simulated waste tank solutions, Hanford sediments change their mineralogical composition. Certain minerals, i.e., quartz, smectite, and kaolinite, are partially dissolved, and new mineral phases, i.e., the feldspathoids cancrinite and sodalite, are formed. We have characterized these mineral transformations and clarified the mineral transformation pathways. The new minerals were mainly in the colloidal size …

Analog studies of Icelandic geothermal fields have shown that the design of nuclear waste repositories in basalt can benefit by comparison to the data base already available from the development of these geothermal fields. A high degree of similarity exists between these two systems: their petrology, groundwater geochemistry, mineral solubilities, hydrologic parameters, temperature ranges, water-rock redox equilibria, hydrothermal pH values, and secondary mineralogies all show considerable overlap in the range of values. The experimentally-simulated hydrothermal studies of the basaltic nuclear waste repository rocks have, at this time, produced a data base that receives a strong confirmation from the Icelandic analog. Furthermore, the Icelandic analog should eventually be employed to extrapolate into higher and lower temperatures, into longer time-base chemical comparisons, and into more realistic mineral deposition studies, than have been possible in the laboratory evaluations of the nuclear waste repository designs. This eventual use of the Icelandic analog will require cooperative work with the Icelandic Geological Survey. 46 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

The objective of this work is to evaluate unqualified, water-level data gathered under the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program (EWDP) and to determine whether the status of the data should be changed to ''qualified'' data in accordance with AP-SIII.2Q (Qualification of Unqualified Data and the Documentation of Rationale for Accepted Data). The corroboration method (as defined in Attachment 2 of AP-SIII.2Q) was implemented to qualify water-level data from Nye County measurements obtained directly from the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Program Office (NWRPO). Comparison of United States Geological Survey (USGS) measurements contained in DTN GS990608312312.003 with the Nye County water-level data has shown that the differences in water-level altitudes for the same wells are significantly less than 1 meter. This is an acceptable finding. Evaluation and recommendation criteria have been strictly applied to qualify Nye County measurements of water levels in selected wells measured by the USGS. However, the process of qualifying measured results by corroboration also builds confidence that the Nye County method for measurement of water levels is adequate for the intended use of the data (which is regional modeling). Therefore, it is reasonable to extend the term of ''qualified'' to water-level measurements in the remaining Nye …

An additional 450 wells were added to the structural database; there are now 2550 wells in the database with corrected tops on the Juana Lopez, base of the Bridge Creek Limestone, and datum. This completes the structural data base compilation. Fifteen oil and five gas fields from the Mancos-ElVado interval were evaluated with respect to the newly defined sequence stratigraphic model for this interval. The five gas fields are located away from the structural margins of the deep part of the San Juan Basin. All the fields have characteristics of basin-centered gas and can be considered as continuous gas accumulations as recently defined by the U.S. Geological Survey. Oil production occurs in thinly interbedded sandstone and shale or in discrete sandstone bodies. Production is both from transgressive and regressive strata as redefined in this study. Oil production is both stratigraphically and structurally controlled with production occurring along the Chaco slope or in steeply west-dipping rocks along the east margin of the basin. The ElVado Sandstone of subsurface usage is redefined to encompass a narrower interval; it appears to be more time correlative with the Dalton Sandstone. Thus, it was deposited as part of a regressive sequence, in contrast to the …

Mineral County in west-central Nevada has been host to the Hawthorne Army Depot for decades. The county contains the community of Hawthorne, which is where the Depot is located, as well as a handful of smaller communities. The county's western boundary line also serves as the state border between California and Nevada. Hawthorne is the county seat and lies 130 miles southeast of the metropolitan area of RenoISparks, Nevada. It is approximately 3 10 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada.

This project is to definitely prove that the resistivity of geological formations can be measured from within cased wells and to license the relevant patents and technology to major wireline service companies.

This paper presents results from a flowing pressure-temperature-spinner log run in a well drilled by GEO Operator Corporation (GEOOC) at The Geysers. Analysis and interpretation of the log data are also presented. The data indicated superheated steam with a temperature of 600 F (316 C) and an enthalpy of 1316 BTU/lbm (725 cal/gm) entered the wellbore below 8000 feet (2438 meters). This temperature and enthalpy is much higher than most Geysers steam wells which produce steam at or below 475 F (246 C) and 1240 BTU/lbm (683 CALIgm). The high temperature and enthalpy are even more puzzling since static pressure and temperature measurements conducted with Kuster type instruments six months later, indicate a ''normal'' vapor-dominated system existing at 475 F (246 C) and 500 psia (35 Kg/cm{sup 2}). Conceptual reservoir models which can explain these unusual thermodynamic conditions are presented.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of River Protection (ORP) is responsible for the retrieval, treatment, immobilization, and disposal of Hanford’s tank waste. A key aspect of the River Protection Project (RPP) cleanup mission is to construct and operate the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP). The WTP will separate the tank waste into high-level and low-activity waste (LAW) fractions, both of which will subsequently be vitrified. The projected throughput capacity of the WTP LAW Vitrification Facility is insufficient to complete the RPP mission in the time frame required by the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order, also known as the Tri-Party Agreement (TPA), i.e. December 31, 2047. Supplemental Treatment is likely to be required both to meet the TPA treatment requirements as well as to more cost effectively complete the tank waste treatment mission. The Supplemental Treatment chosen will immobilize that portion of the retrieved LAW that is not sent to the WTP’s LAW Vitrification facility into a solidified waste form. The solidified waste will then be disposed on the Hanford site in the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF). Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR) offers a moderate temperature (700-750°C) continuous method by which LAW can be processed …

Abstract: Although it is widely believed that silica solubility in low pressure (5 to 10 bar) geothermal steam is negligible, when one takes into account steam flows exceeding 10 million tonnes a year--at Wairakei, for instance--it is found that the amount transmitted in the vapor has the potential to give significant deposits on turbine nozzles and blades. A 150 MWe power station, when based on flows from a hot water reservoir at (a) 250 C or (b) 315 C, and with separator pressures of 6 bar, is found to carry about 100 and 200 kg/year respectively in the steam phase. In the case of a similar sized station exploiting a dry steam reservoir such as The Geysers, equivalent silica flows are obtained, dissolved in steam and carried as dust--the latter as solid particles precipitating from the vapor en route from source to turbine, and not preexisting in the formations as is commonly considered. Choking or coating of subterranean rock near such dry steam wells due to exsolving silica, may be the principal cause of declining steam discharge under production. Silica from completely dry or superheated steam can also seal the cap and sides of steam reservoirs when expanding below the …

The Nesjavellir geothermal system in southern Iceland is very complex from both a thermal and hydrologic point of view. There are large pressure and temperature gradients in the wellfield and zones with drastically different pressure potentials. Thus, natural fluid flow is substantial in the system and flow patterns are complex. We have developed a two-dimensional natural state model for the Nesjavellir system that matches reasonably well the observed pressure and temperature distributions. The match with field data has allowed determination of the energy recharge to the system and the permeability distribution. Fluids recharge the system at rate of 0.02 kg/s/m with an enthalpy of 1460 kJ/kg. The permeability in the main reservoir is estimated to be in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 md, which agrees well with injection test results from individual wells. Permeabilities in shallower reservoirs are about an order of magnitude higher. Most of the main reservoir is under twephase conditions, as are shallow aquifers in the southern part of the field. The model results also suggest that the low temperatures in the shallow part of the northern region of the field may be due to the young age of the system; i.e., the system is gradually …

Iodine is a biophilic element, with one stable isotope, {sup 127}I, and one long-lived radioisotope, {sup 129}I, which originates in the surface environment almost entirely from anthropogenic activities such as nuclear fuel reprocessing. Very few studies have evaluated the geochemical behavior of iodine isotopes in the subsurface. The concentrations of {sup 129}I and {sup 127}I were measured in wells fed by a series of artificial recharge ponds in the Forebay Area of the Orange County groundwater basin (California, USA) to evaluate their potential use as hydrological tracers. To substantiate interpretation of {sup 129}I and {sup 127}I concentration data, the aquifer system was evaluated using literature values of aquifer water mass age based on {sup 3}H/{sup 3}He, Xenon and {delta}{sup 18}O tracer data, as well as time-series data of Santa Ana River flow rates over the past decade. The aquifer data demonstrate the nearly conservative behavior of {sup 129}I, with {sup 129}I/{sup 127}I ratios likely reflecting variations in source functions as well as climatic conditions, and with inferred particle-water partition coefficients (K{sub d}) of 0.1 cm{sup 3} g{sup -1} or less.

Noi'i 0 Puna - The Puna Research Center (PRC), located on the grounds of the HGP-A power plant site in Puna, Hawaii, was dedicated on August 24, 1985. Research projects, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), State, County, utility, and the private sector have been initiated in the areas of geothermal reservoir engineering, silica utilization, and corrosion of materials. An international geothermal applications workshop was held in Hilo, Hawaii the day before the dedication to discuss common problems and methods of solution by cooperative research. The three main categories addressed were process chemistry design, reservoir engineering, and agriculture/aquaculture applications. The workshop identified how PRC might be used for these research purposes. The advantages provided by PRC include the availability of non-proprietary information, an operational power plant with adjacent laboratory, proximity of private wells, the Fellows in Renewable Energy Engineering program, and strong support from the State, County, and utility. A second workshop is in the planning stages to follow through on the recommendations and will be held in the Orient next year. The Community Geothermal Technology Program, featuring projects conducted by individuals and companies in the local community, has been funded and will actively initiate projects this month. …

One of the main objectives of the DOE Geothermal Program is to improve the efficiency and reliability of geothermal operations so that this renewable form of energy can be integrated into the nation's energy system. Scale formation and other chemical problems associated with energy extraction from high temperature brines frequently inhibit the economical utilization of geothermal resources. In some cases, these chemical problems can be so severe that development of a site must be abandoned after considerable capital investment. The goal of our research efforts is to construct an accurate computer model for describing the chemical behavior of geothermal brines under a wide range of operating conditions. This technology will provide industry a cost-effective means of identifying scaling problems in production and reinjection wells as well as in surface equipment, and also devising and testing methods for well as other uses described in table (1) can contribute significantly to meeting the objectives of the Geothermal Program. The chemical model we have developed to date can simulate calcium carbonate scale formation and gas solubilities in concentrated brines containing sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and sulfate ions as a function of temperature to 250 C and for variable partial pressure of CO{sub 2}. …