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

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- Number: US 8,739,867 B2
- Document ID: US8739867B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/437,824
- Filed: 2009-05-08
- Published: 2009-11-12
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2008-05-09
- Assignees: RemMetrik, LLC
- Applicants: Steven Panter
- Inventors: Steven Panter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8739867B2

## CPC

- B09C 1/002: {involving in-situ ground water treatment}
- B09C 1/02: Extraction using liquids, e.g. washing, leaching {, flotation}
- B09C 1/08: chemically
- B09C 2101/00: In situ
- C02F 2103/06: Contaminated groundwater or leachate
- E21B 47/18: through the well fluid {, e.g. mud pressure pulse telemetry}
- B09C: RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (gatherers for removing stone or the like from the soil A01B43/00; sterilising soil by steam A01G11/00; removing undesirable matter, e.g. rubbish, from the land E01H15/00)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
a. determining a NAPL saturation level over the contaminated volume.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1 wherein the contaminants are at least one of non-naturally occurring hydrocarbons and naturally occurring hydrocarbons.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1 wherein the step of introducing the fluid into the earth volume of interest utilizes one or more injection wells and the step of applying a withdrawing force utilizes one or more extraction wells.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The removal method of claim 4 wherein the stress and/or pulse is a plurality of subsurface treatment pulses and the subsurface treatment pulses are introduced to the contaminated volume via the injection wells.

### Claim 6

A method for removal and/or in situ treatment of non-aqueous phase liquid (“NAPL”) contaminants from subsurface area of the earth, the method comprising the steps of:
a. determining an estimated NAPL mass over an earth volume of interest;
i. calculating a residual NAPL saturation level;
b. estimating at least one of a static volume and a static mass of recoverable NAPL over the earth volume of interest;
c. determining a residual NAPL mass;
d. estimating a NAPL thickness for one or more monitoring wells;
e. calculating a value for recoverable NAPL by:
i. applying a stress and/or pulse to the earth volume of interest by operation of one or more subsurface pulsing treatment apparatus;
ii. measuring a change in NAPL thickness in the monitoring wells; and
iii. calculating a revised recoverable NAPL measurement; and
f. 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.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the fluid is a treatment fluid that causes the NAPL to be chemically transformed into a non-contaminant.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:
a. applying a withdrawal force to the earth volume of interest to remove at least a portion of the fluid and NAPL.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:
a. repeating the step of calculating the value of recoverable NAPL either with or without applying stress and/or pulse to the earth volume of interest; and
b. determining the efficacy of NAPL removal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:
a. determining a post-treatment estimated NAPL mass over the earth volume of interest;
b. calculating a post-treatment residual NAPL saturation level; and
c. determining the efficacy of NAPL removal by comparing residual NAPL saturation level to the post-treatment residual NAPL saturation level.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:
a. introducing a fluid into the earth volume of interest.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the step of introducing the fluid into the earth volume of interest utilizes one or more injection wells and comprising the further step:
a. applying a withdrawing force on the earth volume of interest utilizing one or more extraction wells to remove a portion of the fluid and NAPL from the earth volume of interest.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the stress and/or pulse is a plurality of subsurface treatment pulses and the subsurface treatment pulses are introduced to the earth volume of interest via the injection wells.

### Claim 14

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.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1 further comprising the step of increasing overall available, recoverable NAPL as compared to not using the pulsing treatment.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1, wherein the pulse and/or stress operates to: (i) cause NAPL thickness to decrease or increase; and (ii) reduce the resistance to NAPL flow such that the overall potential NAPL for extraction is increased, thereby allowing the NAPL to move at least one of within, through and from the contaminated volume.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1, wherein a change in the NAPL thickness occurs as a function of at least one of: one or more soil properties of the contaminated volume, one or more fluid properties of the introduced fluid, one or more properties of the NAPL, a frequency of the pulse and/or stress, the amplitude of the pulse and/or stress, the size of one or more pores of the one or more wells, an increase in conductivity of the contaminated volume caused by the stress and/or pulse, number of openings in the contaminated volume that are opened by the stress and/or pulse, a relationship between capillary pressure and the entry pressure of one or more pores or openings in the contaminated volume, a change of a ratio of the capillary pressure and the entry pressure of one or more pores or openings in the contaminated volume due to the stress and/or pressure; the fluid properties including at least one of: density, surface tension and interfacial tension; and the soil properties including at least one of: texture of the soil of the contaminated volume, particle size, permeability of the soil of the contaminated volume, soil pore size of the soil of the contaminated volume, aperture or throat size of the one or more soil pores of the soil of the contaminated volume, subsurface geology of the contaminated volume, conductivity of the contaminated volume, number of apertures or openings in the contaminated volume, mineral makeup, physical structure, and porosity.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1, further comprising determining the change in the amount of the NAPL that resulted from one or more changes in at least one of one or more aquifer properties and one or more fluid properties due to the pulse and/or stress.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of increasing overall available, recoverable NAPL as compared to not using the pulse treatment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the pulse and/or stress operates to: (i) cause NAPL thickness to decrease or increase; and (ii) reduce the resistance to NAPL flow such that the overall potential NAPL for extraction is increased, thereby allowing the NAPL to move at least one of within, through and from the earth volume of interest.

### Claim 21 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein a change in the NAPL thickness occurs as a function of at least one of: one or more soil properties of the earth volume of interest, one or more fluid properties of the introduced fluid, one or more properties of the NAPL, a frequency of the pulse and/or stress, the amplitude of the pulse and/or stress, the size of one or more pores of the one or more wells, an increase in conductivity of the earth volume of interest caused by the stress and/or pulse, number of openings in the earth volume of interest that are opened by the stress and/or pulse, a relationship between capillary pressure and the entry pressure of one or more pores or openings in the earth volume of interest, a change of a ratio of the capillary pressure and the entry pressure of one or more pores or openings in the earth volume of interest due to the stress and/or pressure; the fluid properties including at least one of: density, surface tension and interfacial tension; and the soil properties including at least one of: texture of the soil of the earth volume of interest, particle size, permeability of the soil of the earth volume of interest, soil pore size of the soil of the earth volume of interest, aperture or throat size of the one or more soil pores of the soil of the earth volume of interest, subsurface geology of the earth volume of interest, conductivity of the earth volume of interest, number of apertures or openings in the earth volume of interest, mineral makeup, physical structure, and porosity.

### Claim 22 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the change in the amount of the NAPL that resulted from one or more changes in at least one of one or more aquifer properties and one or more fluid properties due to the pulse and/or stress.

### Claim 23 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of increasing overall available, recoverable NAPL as compared to not using pulse treatment.

### Claim 24 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the pulse and/or stress operates to: (i) cause NAPL thickness to decrease or increase; and (ii) reduce the resistance to NAPL flow such that the overall potential NAPL for extraction is increased, thereby allowing the NAPL to move at least one of within, through and from the earth volume of interest.

### Claim 25 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein a change in the NAPL thickness occurs as a function of at least one of: one or more soil properties of the earth volume of interest, one or more fluid properties of the introduced fluid, one or more properties of the NAPL, a frequency of the pulse and/or stress, the amplitude of the pulse and/or stress, the size of one or more pores of the one or more wells, an increase in conductivity of the earth volume of interest caused by the stress and/or pulse, number of openings in the earth volume of interest that are opened by the stress and/or pulse, a relationship between capillary pressure and the entry pressure of one or more pores or openings in the earth volume of interest, a change of a ratio of the capillary pressure and the entry pressure of one or more pores or openings in the earth volume of interest due to the stress and/or pressure; the fluid properties including at least one of: density, surface tension and interfacial tension; and the soil properties including at least one of: texture of the soil of the earth volume of interest, particle size, permeability of the soil of the earth volume of interest, soil pore size of the soil of the earth volume of interest, aperture or throat size of the one or more soil pores of the soil of the earth volume of interest, subsurface geology of the earth volume of interest, conductivity of the earth volume of interest, number of apertures or openings in the earth volume of interest, mineral makeup, physical structure, and porosity.

### Claim 26 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the change in the amount of the NAPL that resulted from one or more changes in at least one of one or more aquifer properties and one or more fluid properties due to the pulse and/or stress.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The removal method of claim 1, further comprising using the fluid to remove at least a portion of the NAPL from the contaminated volume of the earth while the stress and/or pulse is being applied.

### Claim 28 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising using the fluid to remove at least a portion of the NAPL from the earth volume of interest while the stress and/or pulse is being applied.

### Claim 29 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising using the fluid to remove at least a portion of the NAPL from the earth volume of interest while the stress and/or pulse is being applied.