Strontium isotopes as indicators of aquifer communication in an area of coal-bed natural gas production, Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana

Rocky Mountain Geology

Volumn 43, Issue 2, 2008, Pages 171-197

  Campbell, Catherine E ^a,b   Pearson, Benjamin N ^a,c   Frost, Carol D ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING   (United States)

^b ENCANA CORPORATION   (Canada)

^c Crimson Exploration   (United States)

Author keywords

Aquifer communication; Coal bed natural gas; Powder River Basin; Produced water; Sodium adsorption ratio; Strontium isotopes; Water quality

Indexed keywords

ADSORPTION; AQUIFER; COAL SEAM; COALBED METHANE; STRONTIUM ISOTOPE; WATER-ROCK INTERACTION; WELL WATER;

MONTANA; NORTH AMERICA; POWDER BASIN; UNITED STATES; WYOMING;

EID: 58149242573     PISSN: 15557332     EISSN: 15557340     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2113/gsrocky.43.2.171     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Administrative Rule of Montana 17.30.1670. http://161.7.8.61/17/ 17-2757.htm (accessed December, 2007).
2. Ayers, W. B., Jr., 1986, Lacustrine and fluvial deltaic depositional systems, Fort Union Formation (Paleocene), Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 70, p. 1651-1673.
3. Ayers, W. B., Jr., and Kaiser, W. R., 1984, Lacustrine-interdeltaic coal in the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene), Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana, in Rahmani, R. A., and Flores, R. M., eds., Sedimentology of coal and coal bearing sequences: International Association of Sedimentologists, Special Publication 7, p. 61-84.
4. Bank, G. C., and Kuuskraa, V. A., 2006, The economics of Powder River Basin coalbed methane development, Department of Energy: http:// www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/oilgas/publications/coalbed_methane/ 06_prb_study.pdf (accessed December, 2007).
5. Brinck, E., and Frost, C. D., 2007, Detecting infiltration and impacts of introduced water using strontium isotopes: Ground Water, v. 45, p. 554-569.
6. Brinck, E. L., Drever, J. I., and Frost, C. D., in press, The geochemical evolution of water co-produced with coal-bed natural gas in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Environmental Geosciences.
7. Bureau of Land Management - Wyoming: http://www.blm. gov/wy/st/en/ programs/energy/Coal_Resources/PRB_Coal/production.html (accessed December, 2007).
8. Campbell, C. E., 2007, Strontium isotopes as tracers of water co-produced with coal-bed natural gas in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming [M.S. thesis]: Laramie, University of Wyoming, 124 p.
9. Colmenares, L. B., and Zoback, M. D., 2007, Hydraulic fracturing and wellbore completion of coalbed methane wells in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Implications for water and gas production: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 91, p. 51-67.
10. Culbertson, W. C., and Mapel, W. J., 1976, Coal in the Wasatch Formation, northwest part of the Powder River Basin near Sheridan, Sheridan County, Wyoming, in Geology and Energy Resources of the Powder River, Wyoming Geological Association 28th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 193-201.
11. Daddow, P. B., 1986, Potentiometric surface map of the Wyodak-Anderson coal-bed, Powder River structural basin, Wyoming, 1973-1984: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 85-4305, scale 1:250,000, 1 sheet.
12. Davis, R. W., 1976, Hydrologic factors related to coal development in the eastern Powder River Basin, in Geology and energy resources of the Powder River: Wyoming Geological Association 28th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 203-207.
13. DeBruin, R. H., and Lyman, R. M., 1999, Coalbed methane in Wyoming, in Miller, W. R., ed., Coalbed methane and the Tertiary geology of the Powder River Basin Wyoming and Montana: Wyoming Geological Association 50th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 61-72.
14. Drever, J. I., 1997, The geochemistry of natural waters: Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 436 p.
15. Dymond, J., Biscaye, P. E., and Rex, R. W., 1974, Eolian origin of mica in Hawaiian soils: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 85, 37-40.
16. Ellis, M. S., 1999, U.S. Geological Survey 1999 assessment of Wyodak-Anderson coal resources in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana, in Miller, W. R., ed., Coalbed methane and the Tertiary geology of the Powder River Basin Wyoming and Montana: Wyoming Geological Association 50th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 43-60.
17. Energy Information Administration Annual Coal Report for 2006: http:// www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/page/acr/acr_sum.html (accessed December, 2007).
18. Essington, M. E., 2004, Soil and water chemistry: An integrative approach: Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press, 552 p.
19. Flores, R. M., 1986, Styles of coal deposition in Tertiary alluvial deposits, Powder River Basin, Montana and Wyoming, in Lyons, P. C., and Rice, C. L., eds., Paleoenvironmental and tectonic controls in coal-forming basins of the United States: Geological Society of America Special Paper 210, p. 79-104.
20. Flores, R. M., and Bader, L. R., 1999, Fort Union coal in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: A synthesis: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper1625-A, Chapter PS, 75 p.
21. Flores, R. M., and Ethridge, F. G., 1985, Evolution of intermontane fluvial systems of Tertiary Powder River Basin, Montana and Wyoming, in Flores, R. M., and Kaplan, S. S., eds., Cenozoic paleogeography of west-central United States: Rocky Mountain Paleogeography Symposium 3, Denver, Colorado: The Rocky Mountain Section, Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists, p. 107-126.
22. Frost, C. D., and Brinck, E., 2005, Strontium isotopic tracing of the effects of coal-bed natural gas (CBNG) development on shallow and deep groundwater systems in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Wyoming State Geological Survey Report of Investigations 55, p. 93-107.
23. Frost, C. D., Pearson, B. N., Ogle, K. M., Heffern, E. L., and Lyman, R. M., 2002, Sr isotopic tracing of aquifer interactions in an area of coal and methane production, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Geology, v. 30, p. 923-926.
24. Frost, C. D., Viergets, J. E., Pearson, B. N., Heffern, E. L., Lyman, R. M., and Ogle, K. M., 2001, Sr isotopic identification of coal and sandstone aquifers and monitoring of aquifer interactions in an area of active coalbed-methane production, Powder River Basin, Wyoming, in Stilwell, D. P., ed., Wyoming gas resources and technology: Wyoming Geological Association 52nd Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 107-122.
25. Glass, G. B., 1976, Update on the Powder River coal basin, in Geology and energy resources of the Powder River: Wyoming Geological Association 28th Annual Field Conference Guidebook, p. 209-220.
26. Graustein, W. C., and Armstrong, R. L., 1983, The use of strontium-87/ strontium-86 ratios to measure atmospheric transport into forested watersheds: Science, v. 219, p. 289-292.
27. Hinaman, K., 2005, Hydrogeologic framework and estimates of ground-water volumes in Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous hydrogeologic units in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5008, 18 p.
28. Kanizay, S. P., 1978, Preliminary geologic map of the Sheridan area, northwestern Powder River Basin, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1043, scale 1:50,000, 1 sheet.
29. Lee, R. W., 1981, Geochemistry of water in the Fort Union Formation of the northern Powder River Basin, southeastern Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2076, 17 p.
30. Love, J. D., and Christiansen, A. C., 1985, Geologic map of Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey, State Geologic Map, scale 1:500,000, 3 sheets.
31. Lyman, R. M., and Hallberg, L. L., 2000, Wyoming coal mines and markets: Wyoming State Geological Survey Coal Report CR 00-1, 11 p.
32. McLellan, M. W., Biewick, L. R. H., Molnia, C. L., and Pierce, F. W., 1990, Cross sections showing the reconstructed stratigraphic framework of Paleocene rocks and coal-beds in the northern and central Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Map I-1959-A, scale 1:500,000, 2 sheets.
33. McPherson, B. J. O. L., and Chapman, D. S., 1996, Thermal analysis of the southern Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 61, p. 1689-1701.
34. Montgomery, S. L., 1999, Powder River Basin, Wyoming: An expanding coalbed methane (CBM) play: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 83, 1207-1222.
35. Morozov, I., 2002, County line CDP seismic survey, in Institute for Energy Research/Anadarko Coal-Bed Methane Project Phase 1 (June 2001-February 2002) Final Report, 11 p.
36. Négrel, P., Allegre, C. J., Dupre, B., and Lewin, E., 1993, Erosion sources determined by inversion of major and trace element ratios and strontium isotopic ratios in river water: The Congo Basin case: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 120, p. 59-76.
37. Pearson, B. N., 2002, Sr isotope ratio as a monitor of recharge and aquifer communication, Paleocene Fort Union Formation and Eocene Wasatch Formation, Powder River Basin, Wyoming and Montana [M.S. thesis]: Laramie, University of Wyoming, 151 p.
38. Rankl, J. G., and Lowry, M. E., 1985, Ground-water-flow systems in the Powder River structural basin, Wyoming and Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 85-4229, 39 p.
39. Rice, C. A., Ellis, M. S., and Bullock, J. H., Jr., 2000, Water co-produced with coalbed methane in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Preliminary compositional data: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-372, 18 p.
40. Seeland, D., 1992, Depositional systems of a synorogenic continental deposit: The upper Paleocene and lower Eocene Wasatch Formation of the Powder River Basin, northeast, Wyoming: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1917-H, 20 p.
41. Surdam, R. C., Jiao, Z., Clarey, K., DeBruin, R. H., Bentley, R., Stafford, J., Deiss, A., Ewald, M., 2007, An evaluation of coalbed methane production trends in Wyoming's Powder River Basin: A tool for resource management: Wyoming State Geological Survey Challenges in Geologic Resource Development No. 3, 42 p.
42. Van Voast, W. A., and Hedges, R. B., 1975, Hydrogeologic aspects of existing and proposed strip coal mines near Decker, southeastern Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 97, 31 p.
43. Van Voast, W. A., Hedges, R. B., and McDermott, J. J., 1977, Hydrogeologic conditions and projections related to mining near Colstrip, southeastern Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 102, 43 p.
44. Wheaton, J., and Donato, T., 2004, Coalbed-methane basics: Powder River Basin, Montana: Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology Information Pamphlet 5, 25 p.
45. Whipkey, C. E., Cavaroc, V. V., and Flores, R. M., 1991, Uplift of the Bighorn [sic] Mountains, Wyoming and Montana - A sandstone provenance study: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1917-D, 20 p.
46. Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: http:// www.wogcc.state.wy.us/ (accessed December, 2007).
47. Wyoming State Geological Survey Coal Section: http://www.wsgs.uwyo.edu/ Coal/CBM_Info.aspx (accessed December, 2007)