Purge-and-Trap GC Analysis of Methane in Water Samples Associated with Hydraulic Fracturing

摘要

Shale gas reservoirs, such as the Marcellus shale reserve in Pennsylvania and Barnett shale reserve in Texas are a growing source of natural gas in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing or "Tracking" involves pumping water, sand, and chemicals at extremely high pressure into deep underground wells to crack open hydrocarbon-rich shale formations and extract natural gas. Chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing include potentially toxic substances such as diesel fuel and disinfectants which can contaminate underground sources of drinking water (USDW). In some cases methane has been detected in household drinking water from wells (1).