Assessment of the impact of underground disposal of liquid waste on a geological environment (using the example of depleted gas fields)

The aim was to conduct a study and evaluate the impact of underground disposal of industrial wastewater and liquid waste on the geological environment when they are placed (injected) into a Paleocene aquifer complex and placed within a mining allotment, using the example of a depleted gas field.

The following were carried out: collection and synthesis of geological, geophysical and hydrogeological materials for the study area; results of drilling and testing of wells; measurements of formation pressures and temperatures; assessment of the compatibility of liquid waste with formation waters.

The impact of industrial waste injection on the hydrodynamic conditions of the absorption horizon was assessed. The wellhead pressures contributing to hydraulic fracturing and the increase in reservoir pressure in injection wells due to the injection of industrial waste were calculated. The radii of distribution of industrial wastewater at the end of the estimated period of operation of the landfill were determined, taking into account the volume already injected and the removal of ‘pollution spots’ under the natural pressure of formation water over 20 years. A geological model of deviations from design indicators during the operation of the facility has been proposed and options have been considered in which industrial wastewater may go beyond the boundaries of the mining allotment.

It has been established that according to the proposed geological model, it is possible to prevent deviations from the design indicators of the operation of the facility, to predict and prevent the release of disposed liquid waste in the geological environment beyond the boundaries of the mining allotment. The impact on the hydrodynamic system of the absorbent formation is considered to be insignificant and concentrated mainly within the permissible limits. When operating a landfill, it is necessary to constantly monitor the repression on the formation and not allow it to increase above 8.5 MPa. During the operation of the landfill, it is necessary to constantly monitor the repression on the formation and not allow it to increase above the recommended level. Despite the growth of formation pressure due to the injection of liquid waste being less intense, the release of industrial waste beyond the mining allotment with the actual volumes of injection into the absorbing formation of the thickness proposed is not expected to be possible.

1. Gasumov E.R., Gasumov R.A., Minchenko Yu.S. Features of the underground storages construction in depleted oil and gas cjndensate fields. Notes of the Mining Institute, 2020, vol. 244, pp. 418–427. (In Russian). DOI: 10.31897/pmi.2020.4.4

2. Ivchenko M.V., Mel'nikov E.A., Khvostova V.YU., Chugunov A.V. Chronation of industrial wastewater in underground gas storage facilities. Gazovaya promyshlennost' [Gas Industry Journal]. 2017, no. S1(750), pp. 112–117. (In Russian)

3. Gasumov E.R., Veliev V.M. [Metody obespecheniya ehkologicheskoi bezopasnosti pri razrabotke malykh gazokondensatnykh mestorozhdenii]. In: Sbornik trudov Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii «Innovatsionnye tekhnologii v neftegazovoi otrasli. Problemy ustoichivogo razvitiYA», Stavropol', 2020 [Collection of works of the International scientific and practical conference "Innovative technologies in the oil and gas industry. Problems of sustainable development", Stavropol, 2020]. Stavropol, North Caucasus Federal University Publ., 2020, pp. 402–412. (In Russian)

4. Gasumov E.R., Pavlyukova I.V., Gasumov R.A. Effect of man-made factors on geotechnical systems and ensuring ecological safety of hydrocarbon fields development. Territoriya Neftegaz [Territory "Neftegaz"]. 2016, no. 7-8, pp. 110–115. (In Russian)

5. Beshentsev V.A. [Disposal of waste water in deep aquifers]. Scientific leader, 2021, no. 9(11). (In Russian) Available at: https://scilead.ru/article/154-zakhoronenie-stochnikh-vod-v-glubokie-vodonosn (accessed 3.04.2024)

6. Zverev V.P. Gidrokhimicheskie issledovaniya sistemy gipsy podzemnye vody [Hydrochemical studies of the gypsum-groundwater system]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 1967, 99 p. (In Russian)

7. Il'chenko V.P. et al. Tekhnologiya gazopromyslovykh gidrogeologicheskikh issledovanii [Technology of gas field hydrogeological research]. Moscow, Nedra Publ., 1997, 300 p. (In Russian)

8. Il'chenko V.P. et al. Tekhnologiya glubinnykh neftegazopoiskovykh gidrogeologicheskikh issledovanii [Technology of deep oil and gas exploration hydrogeological research]. Moscow, Nedra Publ., 1992, 173 p. (In Russian)

9. Gasumov R.A. The specifics of operating minor deposits (as given by the examples of gas conden-sate deposits of the Northern Caucasus). Journal of Mining Institute, 2016, vol. 220, pp. 556–563. (In Russian) DOI: 10.18454/PMI.2016.4.556

10. Ilinykh G. et al. A life cycle assessment of drilling waste management: a case study of oil and gas condensate field in the north of western Siberia, Russia. Sustainable Environment Research, 2023, vol. 33, no. 9, pp. 01–17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-023-00171-0

11. Krupnova T.G., Rakova O.V. Spetsial'nye metody ochistki vodnykh sistem v promyshlennosti [Special methods of cleaning water industry]. Chelyabinsk, South Ural State University Publ., 2020, 70 p. (In Russian)

12. Abdrakhmanov R.F. The problem of removal of liquid industrial effluents in deep aquifers. Geologicheskii vestnik, 2019, no. 1, pp. 159–165. (In Russian) DOI: http://doi.org/10.31084/2619-0087/2019-1-13

13. Borevskaya V.A. et al. Gidrogeologicheskie issledovaniya dlya zakhoroneniya promyshlennykh stochnykh vod v glubokie vodonosnye gorizonty [Hydrogeological studies for the disposal of industrial wastewater in deep aquifers]. Moscow, Nedra Publ., 1976, 311 p. (In Russian)

14. Abdulmutalimova T.O., Ramazanov O.M., Alhasov A.B., Gazaliev I.M. The assessment of quality of groundwater used for drinking by the population of the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. South of Russia: ecology, development, 2023, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 92–101. (In Russian) https://doi.org/10.18470/1992-1098-2023-2-92-101

15. Rybalchenko A.I. et al. Glubinnoe zakhoronenie zhidkikh radioaktivnykh otkhodov [Deep burial of liquid radioactive waste]. Moscow, IzdAT Publ., 1994, 256 p. (In Russian)

16. Njuguna J. et al. The fate of waste drilling fluids from oil & gas industry activities in the exploration and production operations. Waste Management, 2022, vol. 139, pp. 362–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.12.025.

17. Krupskaya L.T., Orlov A.M., Golubev D.A., Kolobanov K.A., Filatova M.A. Assessment of environmental hazard of accumulated mineral processing waste of closed mining enterprises in the Amur river region and Primorye. Mining Science and Technology (Russia), 2020, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 208–223. https://doi.org/10.17073/2500-0632-2020-3-208-223