US 8,739,867 B2 · Mass/volume estimation of contamination, removal and/or in situ treatment using subsurface pressure waves

Abstract

A remediation process that a employs improved quantitative method(s) of estimating of the volume and/or mass of contaminant in the subsurface, removal and or in situ degradation of the contamination using subsurface pulsing treatment (“SPT”) technology, and evaluation of the degree of remediation by re-applying the quantitative contaminant evaluation methods. The process uses SPT technology with the addition of a vacuum or sub-atmospheric pressure to an extraction well in order to create a push-pull effect to remove free contaminant or residual in conjunction with the pressure wave driving force created in the excitation or excitation well. The process can quantitatively measure the amount of residual contaminant, which up until now has not been possible or tractable using in situ methods, as well as measure the amount of residual that can be removed by SPT.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A method for removal of non-aqueous phase liquid (“NAPL”) contaminants from a contaminated volume of the earth, the method comprising the steps of:

a. measuring a static NAPL thickness for one or more monitoring wells extending into the contaminated volume;
b. calculating a recoverable NAPL value for the contaminated volume by:
i. applying a stress and/or pulse to the contaminated volume by operation of one or more subsurface pulsing treatment apparatus;
ii. measuring a stressed NAPL thickness in the monitoring wells;
and
iii. calculating a recoverable NAPL measurement utilizing the difference between the static NAPL thickness and stressed NAPL thickness;
c. introducing a fluid into the contaminated volume of earth while the stress and/or pulse is applied to the contaminated volume of earth by the one or more subsurface pulsing treatment apparatus;
d. applying a withdrawing force to the contaminated volume and, thereby, removing a portion of the fluid and the NAPL;
e. measuring the amount of NAPL removed;
and
f. assessing the efficacy of removal by comparing the value of recoverable NAPL to the amount of NAPL removed.

8 more elements

A method for removal and/or in situ treatment of non-aqueous phase liquid (“NAPL”) contaminants from a subsurface area of the earth, the method comprising the steps of:

a. calculating a value for recoverable NAPL comprising the steps of:
i. applying a stress and/or pulse to an earth volume of interest by operation of one or more subsurface pulsing treatment apparatus;
and
ii. measuring a NAPL thickness in each of a plurality of monitoring wells;
b. introducing a fluid into the earth volume of interest while the stress and/or pulse is applied to the earth volume of interest by the one or more subsurface pulsing treatment apparatus;
c. extracting a portion of the fluid and the NAPL from the earth volume of interest;
d. monitoring the amount of extracted NAPL;
e. calculating a revised value for recoverable NAPL by measuring a NAPL thickness in each of a plurality of monitoring wells;
and
f. repeating the extracting step.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mass/volume estimation of contamination, removal and/or in situ treatment using subsurface pressure waves

Life of this patent

Mass/volume estimation of contamination, removal and/or in situ treatment using subsurface pressure waves

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29