Design of a Field Scale Project for Surfactant Enhanced

2,86
MB Remediation of a DNAPL Contaminated Aquifer

472
stron

6493
ID University of Texas at Austin

2004
rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES. xiv

LIST OF FIGURES . xvii

Chapter 1: Introduction . 1

1.1 Background and Motivation . 1

1.2 Objectives 4

1.3 Review of Chapters. 5

Chapter 2: Surfactant Remediation Design. 7

2.1 Introduction and Background . 7

2.1.1 Field Studies. 7

2.1.2 Laboratory Studies . 20

Surfactant selection, optimization, and solubilization studies 21

SEAR-NB, neutral buoyancy studies . 24

Unsaturated zone SEAR . 26

Surfactant sorption 27

Surfactant/NAPL phase behavior . 28

Conductivity reduction and gel formation with SEAR. 30

Non-equilibrium mass transfer . 31

Use of alcohol as a cosolvent 33

Use of polymers for mobility control . 34

Surfactant-foam remediation 35

SEAR field concentration measurements . 36

Contaminant studies 36

SEAR modeling assumptions . 37

Remediation of sorbed contaminant . 38

SEAR field economics 38

Spill event and SEAR 2-D visualization studies 39

Surface treatment of SEAR produced fluids. 40

Surfactants and chemical degradation 41

Surfactants and biodegradation. 41

2.1.3 Simulation Studies 42

2.1.4 Comparison of surfactant EOR and remediation 51

2.1.5 Approximate costs of surfactant remediation and some remediation alternatives . 53

2.2 Use of UTCHEM aquifer simulator in surfactant remediation design 55

2.2.1 Introduction 55

2.2.2 Overview of UTCHEM, The University of Texas Chemical Flood Simulator 55

Formulation 56

Phase behavior 58

Interfacial tension . 62

Density. 64

Viscosity . 64

Rock/fluid interaction properties 65

Relative permeability . 65

Capillary pressure 66

Capillary desaturation or mobilization. 67

Adsorption . 70

2.2.3 Effect of simulation parameters upon design and performance . 71

2.3 Most important surfactant flooding design parameters. 75

2.3.1 Amount of surfactant 76

2.3.2 Mobility control . 77

2.3.3 Composition of surfactant solution 78

2.3.4 Well pattern and completion design. 78

Chapter 3: Tracer Design 80

3.1 Introduction and Background . 80

3.2 Tracer Test Analysis . 82

3.2.1 Method of Moments . 82

3.2.2 Extrapolation 85

3.3 Design and Aquifer Parameters 86

Chapter 4: A New Methodology For The Design And Interpretation Of Surfactant Remediation Using

Modeling 90

4.1 Planning . 92

4.2 Site Characterization and Laboratory Studies. 97

4.2.1 Site History and Test Array Well Description . 97

4.2.2 Aquifer Characterization 100

Structure and Sedimentology 101

Hydraulic testing. 114

4.2.3 DNAPL Characterization . 118

Soil Borings Contaminant Measurements 120

4.2.4 Laboratory Experiments. 144

Phase Behavior Experiments 145

Column Surfactant Experiments. 156

Column Tracer Experiments. 159

4.2.5 Surface Treatment 162

4.3 Simulation Model Development . 163

4.3.1 Aquifer Model 163

Simulation Mesh and Aquitard Structure . 163

Model boundaries and hydraulic gradient 178

Aquifer permeability and porosity 179

Aquitard permeability and porosity 186

Initial DNAPL distribution . 187

4.3.2 Phase Behavior. 192

Phase Regions and Contaminant Solubility 192

Interfacial Tension 209

Density. 211

4.3.3 Aquifer/fluid interaction properties 213

Relative Permeability and Capillary Pressure. 213

Capillary Desaturation 215

Surfactant Adsorption. 217

4.3.4 Well Model. 218

4.4 Tracer Tests 220

4.4.1 Tracer Test Design and Simulations 220

Purpose of over-production 221

Purpose of hydraulic control well. 224

Evolution of the design and model . 226

Aquifer model changes 226

UTCHEM changes. 228

Test design changes . 228

Final initial tracer test design 229

Initial tracer test simulations. 234

Moment Analysis to determine DNAPL volume and swept volume 250

Well SB-1 Moment Analysis . 251

Well U2-1 moment analysis. 263

Pre-remediation tracer test design and simulation results. 271

Post-remediation tracer test design and simulation results . 274

4.4.2 Tracer Test Execution and Field Results 280

Initial tracer test field results 280

Determination of swept and DNAPL volumes from tracer tests 285

Hydraulic control 287

Pre-remediation tracer test 288

Post-remediation tracer test 290

4.4.3 Comparison with Simulation Results . 293

Initial tracer test and Simulation Case 46 . 293

Initial tracer test and published work plan Phase I Case, Prediction Case 17 299

Intermediate Phase I simulation case 28cd . 303

Pre-remediation tracer test and simulation Case 46 304

Post-remediation tracer test and simulation Case 47 307

4.5 Surfactant Remediation. 312

4.5.1 Remediation Design and Model Predicted performance 312

Aquifer model results . 315

Evolution of the Phase II Design and Aquifer Model 331

Surfactant Injection 331

Phase II Surfactant Remediation Test Simulation Results 333

4.5.2 Remediation Execution and Field Results 346

Surfactant Injection Pilot Test Field Results, Phase I. 346

Test of Surface and Subsurface Equipment . 347

Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation Field Test, Phase II 352

Hydraulic Conductivity 353

DNAPL Recovery. 355

Estimated from soil borings data . 359

Estimated from tracer test data. 360

Estimated from extraction well effluent data . 363

Estimated from surface treatment plant data 365

4.5.3 Field Results Analysis and Comparison with Model Predicted Performance 373

Surfactant Injection Pilot Test 373

Surfactant Enhanced Aquifer Remediation Test. 381

4.6 Surfactant Test Design Observations, Conclusions, and Recommended Design Protocol. 387

Chapter 5: Conclusions . 404

Appendix: Hill AFB Case Descriptions 407

Nomenclature, Acronyms, and notes on conversion of units 424

Nomenclature. 424

Acronyms and Definitions 428

Notes on conversion of units: . 429

References 430

VITA 450