钻井泥浆固化处置对地表水环境影响

选取四川省境内比较有代表性的5处井场,通过进行不同水泥固化剂处理效果的对比,包括固化体样品性状对比及固化体浸出液污染因子监测数据对比,分析以水基泥浆为原泥浆的钻井废泥浆固化处理工艺的效果,以及现有常用固化处置对周边地表水环境的影响。     

油田钻井废泥浆固化处理研究

文章结合油田的现场实际情况,针对该区钻井废泥浆污染物的特性,研究了固化的最佳工艺条件,并对固化效果进行评价。通过多组固化处理定性对比实验,从多种处理剂中筛选出处理效果较好的水泥、粉煤灰、石灰和黄土作为固化处理废泥浆的固化剂原材料。利用筛选出的固化剂组成,设计正交实验,确定固化剂最佳配方为每100mL泥浆添加10g水泥、20g粉煤灰、8g石灰、15g黄土。影响因素对固化处理效果的影响实验结果表明:当废泥浆固相含量在30%～70%,固化温度在20～40℃之间,固化时间能够满足7d的条件下,固化效果最佳。     

油气田钻屑与废泥浆固化处理技术的初步研究

由于钻井废弃泥浆流失会对环境造成严重污染，所以必须对废弃泥浆进行固化处理。通过大量实验研究，筛选出了分别适合于钻屑与高密度（ρ〉2.0g／cm^3）、中密度（ρ=1.6g/cm^3左右）、低密度（ρ=1.2g/cm^3左右）钻井废泥浆的几种固化剂配方。现场结合具体情况选用实验筛选的固化荆配方对废钻井泥浆和钻屑固化处理，固化物的强度达到0.3MPa以上，固化物浸出液中污染物含量达到《污水综合排放标准》（GB8978-1996）一级标准要求。     

废钻井液对环境污染及固化处理室内研究

目前我国许多油田钻井井场位于稻田、麦田、虾池和鱼塘周围，而废钻井液中含有无机盐、重金属组分、油品及大量有机聚合物，其中有些是有害物质，一口井的废钻井液一般可达200～300m~3。这些废钻井液堆放在井场不进行处理会对周围环境造成较大污染。为此，如何处理这些废钻井液是目前令人极为关心的课题。本文分析了我国一些油田废钻井液的毒性；介绍了毒性提取、评价方法及其对土壤、植物和海洋生物的影响，同时重点介绍用化学固化方法处理废钻井液的结果。通过对现场的5个废钻井液的固化处理室内试验证实，废钻井液固化后有一定强度，其水浸出液清彻透明，达到排放标准，固化体可进行掩埋恢复地貌，也可作为建筑材料使用。     

水基钻屑固化填埋对周边土壤环境的影响

为了探讨水基钻屑固化填埋对周边土壤环境的影响,以西南某页岩气田为例,选取了3处具有代表性的井场,先对水基钻屑固化处置方式和效果进行了评价,然后再对水基钻屑固化填埋池周边土壤进行监测,分析了固化填埋池对周边土壤环境的影响。结果表明,井场的水基钻屑固化填埋池周边土壤重金属的综合污染指数分别是0.45,0.56,0.29,三个井场的水基钻屑固化填埋池周边土壤重金属的综合污染指数均小于0.7,与相关标准相比,说明水基钻屑固化填埋暂时未对周边土壤造成影响,属于清洁水平。短期内水基钻屑的固化填埋效果较好,对周围土壤的环境影响较小。     

钻屑、钻井液固化处理及对环境的影响分析

钻屑和废钻井液的固化处理是现阶段钻井废物无害化处理的主要研究方向,研究利用固化剂对钻屑和废泥浆进行固化处理,优选配方(水泥+粉煤灰+添加剂)进行固化处理;同时考查了钻屑、钻井液固化填埋后对周围环境的影响。结果表明,固化物浸出液的分析结果符合国家危险废物鉴别标准(GB5085.3-1996)和国家污水综合排放标准(GB8978-1996),对周围环境水质调查监测,环境水质未受到污染,与填埋前的监测指标变化不大。     

国外钻井废泥浆处理水平调查

钻井废泥浆的处理方法和水平与泥浆的性质、组成、环境的管理法规和标准,以及油田的地理、地质、水文、气候、生产管理、经济等条件密切相关。目前废泥浆的处理方法主要有填埋、土地耕作、固化、注入安全地层和环形空间以及闭合回路系统等方法,闭合回路系统可以做到无液体排放。废泥浆处理装置有可移动组合型的,也有与钻井装置配套的。文中对上述方法的适用条件、实施方法、达到的水平、优缺点、成本、以及废泥浆处理中难于满足环境要求的共性问题,如可溶性盐油脂类的解决途径都作了介绍。     

MEG环保泥浆在王庄油田强水敏储层的应用

王庄油田属强水敏储层,过去采用污染强、费用高的油基泥浆、强抑制泥浆,对周边环境影响较大,施工费用高。针对上述情况,在分析MEG(甲基葡萄糖苷)环保泥浆优势的基础上,通过实验室对比和现场应用对比,研究MEG泥浆的应用效果及其固化浸出液对环境的影响。结果表明,MEG钻井液固化浸出液满足GB 8978—1996《污水综合排放标准》的一级标准要求,固化泥浆池固化后对周边土壤环境影响不大,不影响作物的正常生长。     

废弃钻井泥浆的固化处理

废弃钻井泥浆的处理是油气勘探与开发工业中人们极为关注的。文章在分析废弃钻井泥浆性质的基础上，通过化学稳定与固化处理试验研究得出以水泥为主，烟炭，石灰等为添加剂的固化剂配方，实验结果表明，经固化处理的废弃泥浆，其固化产物重金属浸出率低，稳定性好，具有一定的抗氧强度，从而能有效地降低废弃泥浆对环境的污染危害，文中还对各种辅加剂对固化效果的影响进行了分析。     

川渝地区页岩气钻井固废分类资源化处置利用

在简要分析川渝地区主要页岩气区域长宁、威远和涪陵页岩气钻井作业主要特点基础上,重点论述了页岩气钻井不同井段及不同钻井液体系钻井固废性质特点,针对页岩气钻井水基钻井固废和油基钻屑两大类固废的资源化处置利用情况及目前存在的主要问题进行了论述,提出了川渝地区页岩气钻井固废应分井 段或分不同钻井液体系进行收集并分类采用不同技术进行资源化处置利用,以达到更经济安全环保的效果。水基钻井固废就地生物处理资源化土壤利用是最优选择,第二选择是就地作为井场公路及井场场地路基建设利用,其次是制成水泥块或免烧砖,最后是转运制砖利用;脱油后的油基钻屑较好的资源利用方式是协同水泥窑焚烧处置,其次制成水泥块或作井场路基材料利用。同时针对性地提出了页岩气钻井固废分类处理利用等方面的建议措施,对油气勘探钻井环保决策管理具有一定参考价值。     

The localized environmental degradation of protected areas adjacent to bird feeding stations: a case study of the Australian brush-turkey Alectura lathami

This study investigated the potential for wildlife feeding to artificially increase population densities of the Australian brush-turkey, Alectura lathami and assessed the indirect adverse effects that this may have on surrounding forest floor vegetation. Census counts and observations of feeding activity conducted in recreation areas of Australia's Gold Coast hinterland confirmed that brush-turkey population densities were significantly elevated by the provision of food by humans. Brush-turkey densities were high at sites where birds are actively fed, moderate at sites where birds feed opportunistically and low at sites where humans have negligible impact on local food availability. Brush-turkeys caused significant environmental impact at sites where their population densities have been substantially elevated by active feeding. Across all sites, increases in brush-turkey density were accompanied by a significant decline in ground cover, leaf litter weight, seed density and seedling density. Natural environmental variables such as gradient, vegetation type and canopy cover did not explain the observed impacts. The impacts were consistent with those described in trampling studies and suggest that at high density, even small animals can have significant trampling impacts on their local environment. This study demonstrates that wildlife feeding can have detrimental impacts on the integrity of local environments and recommends greater consideration of small animals and their potential indirect impacts when regulating wildlife feeding in National Parks and other nature conservation areas.     

Environmental effects of oil and gas lease sites in a grassland ecosystem

The northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan is one of the most significantly modified landscapes in Canada. While the majority of anthropogenic disturbances to Saskatchewan’s grasslands are the result of agricultural practices, development of petroleum and natural gas (PNG) resources is of increasing concern for grassland conservation. Although PNG developments require formal assessment and regulatory approval, follow-up and monitoring of the effects of PNG development on grasslands is not common practice. Consequently, the effects of PNG activity on grasslands and the spatial and temporal extent of such impacts are largely unknown. This paper examines the spatial and temporal extent of PNG development infrastructure from 1955 to 2006 in a grassland ecosystem in southwest Saskatchewan. The effects of PNG development on grassland ecology were assessed from measurements of ground cover characteristics, soil properties, and plant community composition at 31sites in the study area. PNG lease sites were found to have low cover of herbaceous plants, club moss (Lycopodiaceae), litter, and shallow organic (Ah) horizons. Lease sites were also characterized by low diversity of desirable grassland plants and low range health values compared to off-lease reference sites. These impacts were amplified at active and highly productive lease sites. Impacts of PNG development persisted for more than 50 years following well site construction, and extended outward 20 m–25 m beyond the direct physical footprint of PNG well infrastructure. These results have significant implications with regard to the current state of monitoring and follow-up of PNG development, and the cumulative effective of PNG activity on grassland ecosystems over space and time.     

Risk-based economic decision analysis of remediation options at a PCE-contaminated site

Remediation methods for contaminated sites cover a wide range of technical solutions with different remedial efficiencies and costs. Additionally, they may vary in their secondary impacts on the environment i.e. the potential impacts generated due to emissions and resource use caused by the remediation activities. More attention is increasingly being given to these secondary environmental impacts when evaluating remediation options. This paper presents a methodology for an integrated economic decision analysis which combines assessments of remediation costs, health risk costs and potential environmental costs. The health risks costs are associated with the residual contamination left at the site and its migration to groundwater used for drinking water. A probabilistic exposure model using first- and second-order reliability methods (FORM/SORM) is used to estimate the contaminant concentrations at a downstream groundwater well. Potential environmental impacts on the local, regional and global scales due to the site remediation activities are evaluated using life cycle assessments (LCA). The potential impacts on health and environment are converted to monetary units using a simplified cost model.A case study based upon the developed methodology is presented in which the following remediation scenarios are analyzed and compared: (a) no action, (b) excavation and off-site treatment of soil, (c) soil vapor extraction and (d) thermally enhanced soil vapor extraction by electrical heating of the soil. Ultimately, the developed methodology facilitates societal cost estimations of remediation scenarios which can be used for internal ranking of the analyzed options. Despite the inherent uncertainties of placing a value on health and environmental impacts, the presented methodology is believed to be valuable in supporting decisions on remedial interventions.     

Testing the scoping phase of a bottom-up planning guide designed to support Australian Indigenous rangers manage the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage sites

Since the early 1990s archaeologists have suggested archaeological and cultural heritage sites (cultural sites) will face major challenges from anthropogenic climate change. While techniques to manage such impacts are emerging, no planning tools exist for bottom-up, community-based management of the issue. This paper forms part of an overarching research project that aims to fill this gap by developing a bottom-up planning guide (the Guide). The paper tests the first of the proposed Guide’s five phases: the scoping phase. It presents the results of workshops conducted with two Australian Indigenous rangers groups. While existing studies document Indigenous peoples’ perceptions of climate change in general, none have focussed on their perceptions of impacts on cultural heritage sites. Here, Indigenous rangers related strong perceptions of particular climate change impacts on specific cultural sites in particular bio-regions. While the rangers were actively engaged with sites, they felt site management should be extended in the face of additional threats from climate change. Rangers were able to nominate a preferred methodological approach, based on a risk analysis of biophysical hazards, as well as local adaptive capacity building in the face of governance challenges. Various barriers to adaptation planning and resource limitations were identified but these were not regarded as insurmountable in terms of the current project. Testing of the scoping phase of the Guide suggested rangers had a strong organisational capacity to achieve practical adaptation results.     

The Impacts of Human Visitation on Mussel Bed Communities Along the California Coast: Are Regulatory Marine Reserves Effective in Protecting These Communities?

Rocky intertidal habitats frequently are used by humans for recreational, educational, and subsistence-harvesting purposes, with intertidal populations damaged by visitation activities such as extraction, trampling, and handling. California Marine Managed Areas, particularly regulatory marine reserves (MRs), were established to provide legal protection and enhancement of coastal resources and include prohibitions on harvesting intertidal populations. However, the effectiveness of MRs is unclear as enforcement of no-take laws is weak and no regulations protect intertidal species from other detrimental visitor impacts such as trampling. The goal of this study was two-fold: (1) to determine impacts from human visitation on California mussel populations (Mytilus californianus) and mussel bed community diversity; and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of regulatory MRs in reducing visitor impacts on these populations. Surveys of mussel populations and bed-associated diversity were compared: (1) at sites subjected to either high or low levels of human use, and (2) at sites either unprotected or with regulatory protection banning collecting. At sites subjected to higher levels of human visitation, mussel populations were significantly lower than low-use sites. Comparisons of mussel populations inside and outside of regulatory MRs revealed no consistent pattern suggesting that California no-take regulatory reserves may have limited effectiveness in protecting mussel communities. In areas where many people visit intertidal habitats for purposes other than collecting, many organisms will be affected by trampling, turning of rocks, and handling. In these cases, effective protection of rocky intertidal communities requires an approach that goes beyond the singular focus on collecting to reduce the full suite of impacts.     

Soil chemical changes resulting from irrigation with water co-produced with coalbed natural gas

Land application of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) co-produced water is a popular management option within northwestern Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming. This study evaluated the impacts of land application of CBNG waters on soil chemical properties at five sites. Soil samples were collected from different depths (0-5, 5-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 cm) from sites that were irrigated with CBNG water for 2 to 3 yr and control sites. Chemical properties of CBNG water used for irrigation on the study sites indicate that electrical conductivity of CBNG water (EC(w)) and sodium adsorption ratio of CBNG water (SAR(w)) values were greater than those recommended for irrigation use on the soils at the study sites. Soil chemical analyses indicated that electrical conductivity of soil saturated paste extracts (EC(e)) and sodium adsorption ratio of soil saturated paste extracts (SAR(e)) values for irrigated sites were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than control plots in the upper 30-cm soil depths. Mass balance calculations suggested that there has been significant buildup of Na in irrigated soils due to CBNG irrigation water as well as Na mobilization within the soil profiles. Results indicate that irrigation with CBNG water significantly impacts certain soil properties, particularly if amendments are not properly utilized. This study provides information for better understanding changes in soil properties due to land application of CBNG water. These changes must be considered in developing possible criteria for preserving fragile PRB ecosystems.     

Evaluating Holistic Environmental Consequences of Brownfield Management Options Using Consequential Life Cycle Assessment for Different Perspectives

Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused sites whose reuse necessitates some sort of intervention. These sites are largely urban and are frequently contaminated. Brownfield management options can be associated with three types of environmental consequences: those resulting from changes in the site’s environmental quality (primary impacts); those resulting from the actual intervention stage (secondary impacts); and, if the vocation of the site changes, those resulting from effects on regional land use (tertiary impacts). Different stakeholders and decision-making contexts will place a different importance on each of these types of impacts. This article proposes a framework for comparing brownfield management options in regard to these three types of environmental impacts and for interpreting these results from different perspectives. The assessment framework is based on consequential life cycle assessment (LCA), which is shown to provide environmental information on the three types of impacts. The results for a case study are presented, where a “rehabilitation” option allowing residential redevelopment is compared to an “exposure minimization” option not resulting in the site being reused. Calculated primary and tertiary impacts are favorable to the rehabilitation option, whereas secondary impacts are favorable to the exposure minimization option. A ternary diagram presents the favorable option for different stereotypical perspectives. Tertiary impacts are much greater than secondary impacts, and consequently all perspectives that consider tertiary impacts favor rehabilitation. The perspective that considers primary and secondary impacts receives conflicting information. The ternary diagram, showing results for all perspectives, could possibly be useful for consensus-building among stakeholders.     

An approach for integrating economic impact analysis into the evaluation of potential marine protected area sites

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one tool that can be used in the comprehensive management of human activities in areas of the ocean. Although researchers have supported using MPAs as an ecosystem management tool, scientific research on MPAs in areas other than fisheries and fisheries management is limited. This paper presents a model for designing marine protected areas that protect important components of the ecosystem while minimizing economic impacts on local communities. This model combines conservation principles derived specifically for the marine environment with economic impact assessment. This integrated model allows for consideration of both fishery and non-fishery resources and activities such as shipping and recreational boating. An illustration of the model is presented that estimates the total economic impacts on Massachusetts' coastal counties of restricting fishing and shipping at certain sites in an area in the southern Gulf of Maine. The results suggest that the economic impacts on the region would differ according to the site in which shipping and fishing were restricted. Restricting activities in certain sites may have considerable impacts on local communities. The use of the model for evaluating and comparing potential MPA sites is illustrated through an evaluation of three different policy scenarios. The scenarios demonstrate how the model could be used to achieve different goals for managing resources in the region: protecting important components of the ecosystem, minimizing economic impacts on the local region, or a combination of the two.     

The use of critical loads maps to assess the effects of sulphur pollution control policies on nature conservation sites in England

Maps showing the critical loads for soil acidification and their exceedence produced by the UK Department of the Environment were examined for the potential impacts on nature conservation in England. Consideration was given to modelled depositions in 2005, after full implementation of the EC Large Combustion Plant Directive (i.e. a 60% reduction in UK sulphur emissions from 1980 levels). A second scenario was also examined, in which the remaining deposition was further reduced by 50% (i.e. an 80% reduction from 1980 levels). No examination was made of the impacts of present day deposition. Critical load exceedence maps for soil acidification were studied at the 1 km square scale for all of England. All SSSIs in England within squares where the critical load will remain exceeded were identified; geological SSSIs were excluded. In these squares 736 biological SSSIs were found to occur. The special interest for 136 of these was not considered to be susceptible to soil acidification damage. The remaining 600 sites are, therefore, considered to be at risk from continued acidification. The 600 sites represent 16.3% of the total number of SSSIs in England. The actual ‘exceeded’ area on these sites was found to represent 26.2% of the total SSSI area of Britain. If emissions are further reduced by 50% the proportions drop to 6.8% and 15.6% respectively. The sites are located throughout England, especially in upland areas of the north and west. However, a large number of sites also occur on exceeded areas on the dry acidic soils of southern and eastern parts of the country. These sites exhibit a wide range of habitat types. Most common are woodlands, peatlands and heathlands. A significant proportion of the nature conservation resource of England will remain at risk from acidification even after full implementation of existing UK government policy commitments. Even a major reduction beyond that commitment is not sufficient to prevent exceedence of critical loads on 250 of these SSSIs. Protection of Britain's natural environment would, therefore, require a very significant reduction in acid emissions beyond that which is currently agreed.