This is the third in a series of blogs on river PAHs (Blog 1 and Blog 2 on River PAHs are here). The aim of our investigations is to answer the question “where did the PAHs come from that were present in all of the Alberta and Saskatchewan rivers?”
River PAHs Characterization Part 2: 2016 – Foothills to Prairies
In the first post of this series on River PAHs characterization, we described the background to why we have spent many hours driving across Alberta from border to border to collect sediment samples from the rivers of southern Alberta.
River PAHs Characterization Part 1: An Introduction
For the last few years we have spent a lot of our free time collecting sediment samples from rivers across southern Alberta and characterizing these for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Often driving many hours across prairie gravel roads for a single good sample, it quickly became a passion of quality...
When Should You be Concerned with a Gas Migration Investigation?
An often-overlooked statement in the Energy Resource Conservation Board (ERCB)/Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) suggests procedures for gas migration testing, as outlined in Directive 20, reads: “Testing is to be done only in frost-free months. Periods immediately after a rainfall have to be avoided.”
Methane is from a Deeper Thermogenic Source . . . Or, is it?
The carbon isotope signature of methane is often presented as the ‘silver bullet’ capable of identifying whether soil gas is from a deeper thermogenic source or produced by microbial processes. The stakes are high because failing to identify a gas migration (GM) issue can have serious environmental consequences, and...
Why ethane is a key indicator to identify gas migration
Ethane is a reliable geochemical tracer that can be used as a single line of evidence to identify a potential gas migration issue. Ethane and longer chain hydrocarbons are produced during the thermal degradation of organic matter (kerogen) over geological timescales. Microbial processes in the shallow geology...
Measure Twice, Cut Once: How to Save Time & Money on GM Testing
Inconclusive gas migration tests are both costly and frustrating. Many times, completed tests still provide no real answer. Exposing the wellhead remains your only option to identify and fix otherwise unsuspected gas migration (GM). Wouldn’t it be great to get it right the first time?