Speaker Biographies and Abstracts
Frac Water Recycling Challenges in the Bakken Formation
Presenter: Dan Stepan, Energy & Environmental Research Center
Abstract: The Energy & Environmental Research Center North Great Plains Water Consortium
conducted a study, sponsored by the North Dakota Petroleum Council, The North Dakota
Industrial Commission Oil & Gas Research Council, and the U.S. Department of Energy, to
assess potential opportunities to economically treat and reuse frac flowback water in the Bakken
oil play in North Dakota. The project compiled information on the current water use practices for
hydraulic fracturing in the Bakken play, collected and analyzed frac flowback water data from five
different oil producers operating at various locations in the Bakken, assessed potentially
applicable mobile frac water recycling technologies, worked with industry to disseminate
information about the project, and developed recommendations and plans for a Phase 2
evaluation.
Treatment and recycling of frac flowback water was investigated as a means to reduce the
demand for fresh water and provide a supplemental supply near drilling and fracturing activities.
The character of the frac flowback water, with respect to both quantity and quality presented
significant challenges for widespread water recycling opportunities. A relatively small percentage
(17 to 47%) of the water used in hydraulic fracturing in the Bakken is recoverable in a reasonable
period of time (2 to 10 days). Further, the total dissolved solids levels in the frac flowback water
were observed to increase rapidly, and to levels as high as 220,000 mg/L. These factors provide
significant challenges for developing cost-effect treatment strategies, even with the most robust
technologies.
Bio: Daniel J. Stepan is a Senior Research Manager in the Water Management Center at the
EERC, where his current responsibilities include coordination of the Northern Great Plains Water
Consortium® and management of multidisciplinary wastewater treatment and remediation
research projects. He holds a M. Engr. degree in Sanitary Engineering/Water Resource
Management and a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering, both from UND. Current research activities
include treatment and reuse of oil field waters, enhanced anaerobic digestion of dairy manure,
biomass gasification wastewater treatment, water resource assessments for power generation,
and assessment and treatment of nontraditional water supplies.
Hydraulic Fracturing
Presenter: Walter Hufford, Talisman Energy
Abstract: US shale gas production is growing and is expected to continue increasing.
Responsible development and environmental stewardship are keys to successfully developing
this resource. However, there are some unique aspects to how environmental stewardship has
evolved within shale development, such as large scale baseline evaluation of domestic
groundwater sources, optimization of flowback and produced water reuse/recycling, and
disclosure of frac chemicals. This presentation will discuss some of these issues and challenges.
Bio: Walter Hufford is the Manager of US Regulatory Affairs for Talisman Energy USA. Mr.
Hufford has nearly 30 years of experience in the energy industry dealing with exploration,
production and environmental issues. His experience covers a broad background
in managing complex environmental matters dealing with hydrocarbons, chemicals and
radiological constituents. He has advanced degrees in Geology and Management - Business
Administration from Texas A&M University and Penn State University respectively. He has
served on the Board of Directors of NAEM, the Pennsylvania Resource Council and the
Pennsylvania Environmental Council. Prior to joining Talisman, Mr. Hufford served in a
management role with BP holding various positions within the firm. He worked in the Gulf of
Mexico Macondo response effort associated with government relations and community outreach.
Environmental Aspects of Hydraulic Fracturing
Presenter: Von Parkey, Halliburton
Abstract: This presentation provides information on the impact of hydraulic fracturing on
underground sources of drinking water; describes Halliburton’s approach to hydraulic fracturing
fluid disclosure; and, provides an update on regulatory activities at the US federal, state and
international levels.
Bio: Von Parkey is an engineering graduate from Texas A&M University. He began his career
with Halliburton in 1981 as a field engineer in Liberal, KS. Von has 30 years of experience in
operations, technical sales and applications, training and management. His areas of experience
include Kansas, Colorado, Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, North Louisiana and East Texas.
Currently, Von is the Technology Manager for the Mid-continent region and is a member of
Halliburton’s North America Shale Team.
Hydrofracturing Risk Management
Presenter: Michael Lowry, RTI International
Abstract: Unavailable
Bio: Michael Lowry is a research hydrogeologist and risk assessor with RTI International. Mr.
Lowry’s training and expertise originated in interdisciplinary groundwater science, including
assessment, modeling, and visualization to support groundwater contamination and water
resource evaluations. This expertise has been the foundation for broader work in multimedia risk
assessment, supporting commercial and government clients in the development and application
of risk assessment methods for site-specific as well as regional and national risk assessment.
Some recent examples have included the development of methods to assess population risks
from coal combustion waste disposal, evaluation of risks associated with a proposed east coast
uranium mine, and the development of methods to evaluate risks from the land application of
biosolids.
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment in the Oil & Gas Industry
Presenter: Jon Dettling, Quantis
Abstract: Sustainability of operations is receiving growing emphasis by many companies in
multiple business areas. It is especially important for industries where potential environmental
impacts can be large and variable. While the term “sustainability” is limited in scope, Life Cycle
Analysis (LCA) provides a framework for a much broader assessment of potential impacts and
the ability to characterize those impacts. This presentation will discuss LCA methods, trends in
applying LCA in various industries and examples of how LCA is typically applied, including the oil
& gas sector.
Bio: Jon Dettling is the US Director for Quantis, an industry-leading consulting firm that
specializes in helping companies measure, understand, manage and make known aspects of the
environmental sustainability of their products, services and operations. He has a decade’s
professional experience in leading applications of life cycle assessment, chemical management
and environmental impact assessment.
Mr. Dettling has been a member of working groups under the World Resource Institute’s
Greenhouse Gas Protocol, of the Sustainability Consortium’s measurement sciences working
group, on the Steering Team for the Global CEO Forum’s Project on Packaging, a reviewer for
the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, and member of the technical committee of the
American Center for Life Cycle Assessment.
Jon has worked with a diverse range of leaders in in public and private enterprise, including as
such organizations as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the
Environmental Defense Fund, Pfizer, Steelcase, CalRecycle, Kraft Foods, Intel and many others.
Jon holds a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health in
Environmental Health Sciences.
Drilling Mud and Cuttings Discharge Issues
Presenter – Harry Zhang, CH2M Hill
Abstract: The objectives of this presentation are two-fold: (1) to provide an overview of available
modeling tools for simulating drilling muds & cuttings discharges; and (2) to help identify the
current “knowledge gap” and make recommendation for future research study relating to these
models. This presentation will discuss model capabilities and limitations, and actual application
under a real-world setting in support of environmental assessment and regulatory compliance.
Specifically, it will focus on Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) model and CORMIX v7 model.
Other models that are lesser-used in the US will be briefly covered as well.
In summary, the OOC model is currently one of the most technically superior models for
simulating drilling muds & cuttings discharges. CORMIX v7 has a module for simulating drilling
muds & cuttings, but its capabilities still need to be further enhanced. Other models are lesserused in the US due to the lack of published real-world applications. It should be a worthwhile
effort to: (1) conduct an independent model comparison study (e.g. between OOC and CORMIX
v7); and (2) prepare a summary document that describes a model repository for simulating drilling
muds & cuttings discharges, including example case studies.
Bio: Dr. Harry Zhang is a principal engineer and the industrial water resources lead with CH2M
HILL, where he serves as a subject matter expert on water quality modeling, regulatory support
and permitting, water resources and stormwater management for industrial and government
projects. Specifically, he successfully managed several dispersion and mixing zone modeling
projects on produced water and drilling muds & cuttings discharges.
Dr. Zhang chairs the Hydrology & Watershed Management Committee at the American Water
Resources Association (AWRA) and also serves as a national committee member on “Receiving
Water Quality Impacts” by Water Environmental Research Foundation (WERF).
Dr. Zhang received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and is a registered professional
engineer in Virginia and Maryland.
Shale Gas and Oil-Produced Water Treatment
Presenter: Michele Migliavacca , Veolia
Abstract: Two different produced water case studies are presented: results of a Shale gas
produced water treatment pilot plant in WY are discussed together with the results accumulated
over the past years of the full scale treatment of Oil produced water at the Chevron San Ardo, CA
production site. Two different approaches for the treatment of the two different produced water
are presented: the shale gas produced water is high in COD (mainly methanol) and TDS while
the oil produced water is low in COD and is moderately saline.
The process scheme selected for the Shale Gas produced water treatment is:
DAF->MPPE -> MBR -> Double Pass RO.
The process scheme selected for the oil produced water treatment is our Veolia OPUS
technology:
HX ->Degasification -> Chemical Softening ->Media Filtration -> Ion Exchange Softening ->
Double Pass RO.
Both Systems achieve high recovery and produce effluents in compliance with the reuse or
discharge limits.
Bio: Michele Migliavacca is an environmental engineer with 14 years of experience in the water
and wastewater business. Mr. Miglivacca started his career in designing and starting up large
thermal desalination (MSF process) for water supply systems in the Middle East. He has
operated municipal wastewater treatment systems in the North Eastern US and has been working
for over 7 years in the Oil & Gas water and wastewater business.
Comparison of Marine Dispersion Models for Offshore E&P Activities – Proposal
Presenter: Ben Kampala, TOTAL
Abstract: Given the complexity of numerical modelling of produced water discharges and drilling
discharges, E&P companies share an interest in better understanding the results of our
respective marine dispersion models. Furthermore, as regulations become more stringent
globally and the demands for risk management for marine discharges grows, so does the need
for reliable model results and a understanding of the variability in modelled responses. The idea
presented in proposal intends to contribute to that growing need.
What is proposed is a comparison between the models currently being used by E&P companies
by examining modelled results which arise from a common set of input parameters, applied to
several models. Such a comparison would be useful to gain an idea of the variation in responses
possible from available marine models. This work is not intended to promote any E&P operator
to change the model currently in use, but rather, provide insight on the range of responses from
the models and determine what differentiates them.
Bio: Benjamin Kampala (M.A.Sc.) is an environmental engineer working for TOTAL’s R&D
Center in southern France. He currently works to address water management issues facing E&P
operations, including monitoring, modelling and water conservation. He has experience in water
and air quality issues, environmental assessment of E&P projects, stakeholder engagement,
regulatory approvals and numerical modelling. He holds a masters of applied science (civil
engineering) from the University of British Columbia.
Canada Heavy Oil Water Issues
Presenter: Warren Zubot, Syncrude Canada
Abstract: Unavailable
Bio: Mr. Zubot holds BSc degrees in chemistry and civil engineering and a MSc degree in
environmental engineering, all from the University of Alberta. He has been with Syncrude
Canada Ltd. For 10 years, and is currently a Senior Engineering Associate at Syncrude’s R&D
facility in Edmonton, Alberta.
Challenges in Modeling Water Treatment for SAGD
Presenter: Chris Copeland, ConocoPhillips
Abstract: SAGD water treatment trains present some of the largest challenges in modeling for
optimization and fine tuning. Traditional modeling software packages have useful capabilities but
often struggle to capture the fundamental chemistries and processing technologies specific to
SAGD. This presentation outlines approaches taken by ConocoPhillips R&D Heavy Oil in the
development of advanced water treatment modeling capabilities. The integration of this approach
to address the impacts to technology development and an evolving regulatory environment for
SAGD will also be discussed.
Bio: Chris Copeland obtained a Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering at Michigan State
University and completed his Masters of Science and PhD in Chemical Engineering at Michigan
Technological University in May of 2007. He started with ConocoPhillips in June 2007, and has
been working in the Heavy Oil R&D group focusing on water treatment for SAGD. Chris has 13
combined conference presentations and peer reviewed journals.
Managing N & P in the Waste Stream and Water Environment
Presenter: Dan Woltering, WERF
Abstract: Nutrients, and in particular nitrogen, is a refinery wastewater challenge. Regulatory
agencies across the nation are evaluating, proposing and in some locales attempting to
implement lower effluent limits for nitrogen and phosphorus. The Water Environment Research
Foundation (WERF) is conducting research covering a wide range of topics central to this issue
including treatment and performance reliability, costs, and sustainability trade-offs involving low
limits and higher greenhouse gas emissions.
A multi-year monitoring and statistical analysis effort shows that even plants with advanced
treatment will be hard pressed to achieve the proposed low limits on a consistent basis. There is
also a clear tipping point between achieving very low nutrient levels and concurrent increases in
GHG emissions, and capital and O&M costs.
In addition to trying to answer the question of ‘how low can we go’ (what are the limits of
technology) there is the question of linking the amount of nutrients in the effluent to biological
indicators of stress and designated uses in receiving waters. WERF is proposing a final research
project in its nutrients program that will be a modeling effort to support site-specific evaluations
and loading limits for facilities that are treating and releasing N & P in their effluents. The
question is raised whether the petroleum industry would benefit from and whether PERF member
companies would want to help support this research effort that will begin in early 2012. Any
aspects unique to the petroleum facilities and operations would be addressed in the scope of
work based on the participation of industry representation on the research advisory committee.
Bio: Dan Woltering is the Director of Research and the Water Environment Research
Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. He has 30 years experience in the environment and water
research field, equally spread across industry, consulting and now contract research
management. Dan is an environmental toxicologist and holds a PhD degree from Oregon State
University.
Case Studies in Chemical Approach for Hg and Se Removal
Presenter: Jeff Gardenhire, Nalco
Abstract: The oil and gas industry is currently experiencing, or is anticipating a reduction in the
discharge limits for mercury and selenium in their wastewater effluent streams. As a result, there
is a growing need and interest in improved methods of removal of these metals from refinery
wastewater and produced water. Mercury and selenium are naturally occurring in crude oil and
are contaminants in the wastewater stream when the crude oil is refined to useable product. Low
levels of these can be toxic to aquatic life and plant discharge limits are controlled. The existing
treatment programs are very limited to meeting these discharge demands and can pose problems
such as downstream toxicity and high capital equipment costs. Chemical treatment programs
utilizing Polymeric DTC (Nalmet) can provide a cost effective option for meeting low PPB and
PPT effluent limits.
Bio: Jeff Gardenhire graduated from Texas A&M in 1990 and has been working in industrial
wastewater treatment ever since. For the past 20 years, he has been working for Nalco in
various energy related wastewater sales, marketing, and industry development roles. Currently,
he has the position of global industry manager for refinery wastewater and upstream produced
water.
Case History: Building a Biokinetic Software Model that works in Refinery Wastewater
Presenter: David Kujawski, RWEA
Abstract: Biological Wastewater Treatment is the most complicated process in an oil refinery.
Historically most refineries control this process via trial and error methodology. Recent advances
in Biotechnology can now deliver mathematics-based process control solutions and plant-specific
limiting factor quantifications, all packaged in a software platform that can quickly and accurately
deploy predictive "what-if" simulations. Dynamic loading capacities, effluent qualities, and
operational costs can be instantaneously determined. All of this is considered to be at the heart of
the science of Wastewater Biokinetic Modeling. This lecture will illustrate how to build and deploy
a Biokinetic Model for operational use in real time in oil refinery wastewater.
Bio: Mr. David Kujawski has 32 years of waste water and supply water process engineering
experience in 46 Oil Refineries. David's recent projects have been featured in:
o Chemical Engineering Magazine (May 2011)
(http://accessintelligence.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vche11/i5/p64)
o Pollution Engineering Magazine (April 2010)
(http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=33863)
o Hydrocarbon Processing Magazine (July 2010)
(http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/IssueArticle/2620156/Discover-newtrends-in-oily-wastewater-reclamation.html)
o For more info., see: http://refinerywater.zoomshare.com/files/BIO_Slides.ppt
Refinery Water Issues& Reuse
Presenter: Steve Easterly, GE Water & Process Technology
Abstract: Regulatory requirements continue to become stringent, water sources vary by
geography, drinking water and wastewater regulations are changing and new technologies will be
required to meet current and future regulations. Energy and Water face the same challenges:
demand outstripping sustainable supply, and both are interdependent; energy is needed to
produce water, and water is needed to produce energy. This presentation will cover some
developments by GE for water reuse, specifically in refinery settings.
Bio: Mr. Easterly is a graduate of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, receiving a B.S.
degree in Biology in 1974. He has 30 years of experience in water treating, and currently serves
as regional sales manager for the mobile and build, own, operate systems for GE Water and
Power.
Optical Monitoring of Flare Combustion Efficiencies
Presenter: Robert Spellicy, IMACC
Abstract: Flare emissions have been getting more attention of the US EPA. However, until
recently there has been no good way to directly monitor these emissions. For the past several
years Industrial Monitor and Control Corp. (Imacc) has been developing a passive FTIR method
for continuous monitoring flare combustion efficiencies. This method is “passive” because the
instrument only needs a clear line of sight to the flare and does not need to interact with it in any
way. The approach permits direct monitoring of elevated flares.
Although the passive FTIR method was initially developed in 1984 it was not rigorously tested
until the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) test of 2003. That test provided
critical data that permitted the procedures to be refined to the point that they became viable for
industrial monitoring. In the past two years, several consent decree programs were undertaken
at: Marathon Oil, Ineos, Flint Hills Resources, and Shell Oil. These tests showed nearly identical
results of combustion efficiency with fuel BTU content and steaming level. Late last year, a
rigorous test was undertaken by TCEQ at the John Zink facility comparing extractive monitoring
to passive FTIR. This test confirmed the validity of the passive FTIR approach.
Comparisons of results for the individual flare tests will be presented showing the influence of fuel
energy content (BTU/scf) and steaming level (steam to vent gas ratio) on combustion efficiency.
The results of the TCEQ test will also be shown comparing the extractive measurements with the
passive FTIR results.
Bio: Dr. Spellicy received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan specializing in
infrared spectroscopy. After graduation he worked for 15 years at White Sands Missile Range on
Department of Defense R&D programs related to high energy laser development and electrooptical system performance. In 1989 he began work with Radian Corporation in Austin Texas,
starting the Optical Remote Sensing (ORS) group there. This group developed IR and UV
systems for environmental monitoring and industrial process control. After Dow Chemical
purchased Radian, Dr. Spellicy and Dr. Brewer started Industrial Monitor and Control Corporation
(Imacc). Imacc currently builds FTIR and UV-DOAS systems for environmental applications.
These include extractive systems for stack monitoring and process control as well as open-path
systems for fence-line monitoring and worker exposure. Many of their systems are custom
developments for unique customer needs.
Flares: Regulations and Emissions
Presenter: Zach Kodesh, John Zink
Abstract: A short description of the presentation:
·
Definition of a flare and some of the various flare configurations available.
·
Current regulations regarding flares and from whence they were derived.
·
·
Recent activity by regulators regarding flare operations.
Results of recent flare emissions testing.
Bio: Zach Kodesh is a native Oklahoman and a graduate of Oklahoma State University with B.S.
and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state
of Oklahoma as well as a Certified Functional Safety Expert for process industry applications. He
started work with the John Zink Company in 1990 and has held several positions throughout the
years. Currently he is the Technology Manager for the Flare Systems Division responsible for
product development and knowledge management.
Zero Flaring Initiatives
Presenter: Esam Al Sayid, Saudi Aramco
Abstract: Unavailable
Bio: Esam M. Al Sayid is an evironmental engineer in Saudi Aramco. He has over 12 years
experience with Aramco in the Environmental Protection department. He worked as a process
engineer in the Gas Plant and Flare & Relief System unit. Esam earned a BS degree from King
Fahd University in 1998 and a MS degree in chemical engineering from California State
University – Long Beach. Esam has worked on major flare projects such as flare gas recovery
and zero flaring initiative.
Where Does Pollution Come From? An Approach Using Advanced Modeling Tools
Presenter: Professor Athanasios Nenes, Georgia Tech
Abstract: This presentation will cover aspects of inverse modeling of air pollution and long-range
transport of different species. It will include the latest results from modeling efforts.
Bio: Athanasios Nenes is a Professor and Georgia Power Faculty Scholar in the Schools of
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia
Institute of Technology. He received a diploma in chemical engineering from the National
Technical University of Athens, Greece (1993), a masters degree in atmospheric chemistry from
the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (1997) and a doctorate in chemical
engineering from the California Institute of Technology (2002). He is the author/coauthor of over
120 peer-reviewed publications, the developer of the ISORROPIA aerosol thermodynamic
models and co-inventor of the Continuous Flow Streamwise Thermal Gradient CCN Chamber. He
has received the Ken Whitby Award of the American Association for Aerosol Research (2011),
the Henry G. Houghton Award of the American Meteorological Society (2009), the Sheldon
Friedlander Award of the American Association for Aerosol Research (2005), a National Science
Foundation CAREER Award (2004) and a NASA New Investigator Award (2004).
EPA Refinery ICR: Data Quality Implications for Residual Risk
Presenter: Stan Hayes, ENVIRON International Corp.
Abstract: Unavailable
Bio: Mr. Hays is a Principal with ENVIRON International Corporation. He has more than 30
years experience in air-related areas, including emission estimation, air quality modeling, and
health risk assessment. For more than 10 years, he has worked with API and individual
companies on refinery residual risk and other air-related issues.
Compliance Challenges in Meeting 1-Hour Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
NAAQS
Presenters: Sube Vel, Dyron Hamilton, Conestoga-Rivers and Associates
Abstract: The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) promulgated
revisions to National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for SO 2 and NO2 provide
compliance challenges to industries in permitting new sources. These new 1 hour SO2 and NO2
standards are more stringent than the previous NAAQS they replaced, the traditional approach of
over-estimation built into EPA’s present modeling guidance document proves to be an
impediment for the industries to demonstrate compliance. As a result, refined approaches are
required to utilize the models such as AERMOD in predicting impacts. This presentation will
provide an overview of 1 hour, NO2, and SO2 NAAQS, discuss challenges and approaches to
dispersion modeling procedures in meeting these standards.
Bio: Mr. Vel is an Associate of CRA and a senior environmental engineer. Mr. Vel is a registered
professional engineer in the State of Michigan. Mr. Vel has over 25 years of experience in air
quality related projects, managing hundreds of clients across the country. Mr. Vel is an expert in
NSR permitting and has directly managed many complex NSR projects involving complex
dispersion modeling analysis for various industrial clients in the oil and gas and manufacturing
sectors.
Mr. Hamlin is a Registered Professional Chemical Engineer with CRA. He has over 10 years’
experience conducting air monitoring, air dispersion modeling, environmental fate assessments,
and other engineering analyses for emergency responses, transportation and industrial risk
assessments, and litigation projects. Mr. Hamlin has responded on-site to over 50 major
hazardous materials emergencies, and he has performed dispersion modeling remotely for over
100 more chemical releases and release prevention scenarios. Mr. Hamlin has served as an
expert for litigation in multiple cases and as an expert in the chemical manufacturing and
transportation sectors regarding matters related to Toxic Inhalation Hazards (TIHs). He has also
been retained to evaluate, through field testing, new technologies in development-stage air
monitoring equipment and the fate and transport of large-scale TIH releases.