Publications
Below are publication products associated with the Brine Research Instrumentation and Experimental (BRInE) Laboratory:
Lithium resource in the Smackover Formation brines of Southern Arkansas Lithium resource in the Smackover Formation brines of Southern Arkansas
Lithium-rich brine deposits occur throughout the United States, including in the Smackover Formation. The concentration of lithium in Smackover Formation brines was predicted across southern Arkansas by using a machine-learning model that incorporated lithium concentration data and geologic information. Between 5.1 and 19.0 million metric tons of lithium are calculated to be present in...
Authors
Katherine Knierim, Andrew Masterson, Philip A. Freeman, Bonnie McDevitt, Amanda Herzberg, Peng Li, Ciara Mills, Colin Doolan, Aaron Jubb, Scott Ausbrooks, Jessica Chenault
Produced water geochemistry from hydraulically stimulated Niobrara Formation petroleum wells: Origin of salinity and temporal perspectives on treatment and reuse Produced water geochemistry from hydraulically stimulated Niobrara Formation petroleum wells: Origin of salinity and temporal perspectives on treatment and reuse
Produced water (i.e., a mixture of returned injection fluids and geologic formation brines) represents the largest volumetric waste stream associated with petroleum production in the United States. As such, produced water has been the focus of intense study with emphasis on understanding the geologic origin of the fluids, environmental impacts of unintended or intentional release...
Authors
Aaron M. Jubb, Jenna L. Shelton, Bonnie McDevitt, Kaela Amundson, Amanda Sha Herzberg, Jessica Chenault, Andrew Laurence Masterson, Matthew S. Varonka, Glenn Jolly, Christina DeVera, Elliott Barnhart, Michael Wilkins, Madalyn S. Blondes
Dissolved organic matter within oil and gas associated wastewaters from U.S. unconventional petroleum plays: Comparisons and consequences for disposal and reuse Dissolved organic matter within oil and gas associated wastewaters from U.S. unconventional petroleum plays: Comparisons and consequences for disposal and reuse
Wastewater generated during petroleum extraction (produced water) may contain high concentrations of dissolved organics due to their intimate association with organic-rich source rocks, expelled petroleum, and organic additives to fluids used for hydraulic fracturing of unconventional (e.g., shale) reservoirs. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) within produced water represents a challenge...
Authors
Bonnie McDevitt, Aaron M. Jubb, Matthew S. Varonka, Madalyn S. Blondes, Mark Engle, Tanya J. Gallegos, Jenna L. Shelton
Insights on geochemical, isotopic, and volumetric compositions of produced water from hydraulically fractured Williston Basin oil wells Insights on geochemical, isotopic, and volumetric compositions of produced water from hydraulically fractured Williston Basin oil wells
Tracing produced water origins from wells hydraulically fractured with freshwater-based fluids is sometimes predicated on assumptions that (1) each geological formation contains compositionally unique brine and (2) produced water from recently hydraulically fractured wells resembles fresher meteoric water more so than produced water from older wells. These assumptions are not valid in...
Authors
Tanya J. Gallegos, Colin Doolan, Rodney Caldwell, Mark Engle, Matthew S. Varonka, Justin Birdwell, Glenn Jolly, Tyler Coplen, Thomas Oliver
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Utica shale play oil and gas brines: Geochemistry and factors influencing wastewater management Utica shale play oil and gas brines: Geochemistry and factors influencing wastewater management
The Utica and Marcellus Shale Plays in the Appalachian Basin are the fourth and first largest natural gas producing plays in the United States, respectively. Hydrocarbon production generates large volumes of brine (“produced water”) that must be disposed of, treated, or reused. Though Marcellus brines have been studied extensively, there are few studies from the Utica Shale Play. This...
Authors
Madalyn S. Blondes, Jenna L. Shelton, Mark Engle, Jason Trembly, Colin Doolan, Aaron M. Jubb, Jessica Chenault, Elisabeth L. Rowan, Ralph Haefner, Brian E. Mailot
Repetitive sampling and control threshold improve 16S rRNA results from produced waters associated with hydraulically fractured shales Repetitive sampling and control threshold improve 16S rRNA results from produced waters associated with hydraulically fractured shales
Sequencing microbial DNA from deep subsurface environments is complicated by a number of issues ranging from contamination to non-reproducible results. Many samples obtained from these environments - which are of great interest due to the potential to stimulate microbial methane generation - contain low biomass. Therefore, samples from these environments are difficult to study as...
Authors
Jenna L. Shelton, Elliott Barnhart, Leslie Ruppert, Aaron M. Jubb, Madalyn S. Blondes, Christina DeVera
Origin and geochemistry of formation waters from the lower Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast Basin, south central Texas Origin and geochemistry of formation waters from the lower Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast Basin, south central Texas
The lower Eagle Ford Group (LEFG) is one of the most productive continuous hydrocarbon plays in the United States but few associated produced waters data and minimal interpretation have been published. This effort focuses on results from compositional and isotopic data from 39 produced water samples collected from horizontal wells producing from the LEFG in south central Texas. The depth...
Authors
Mark Engle, Colin Doolan, Janet K. Pitman, Matthew S. Varonka, Jessica Chenault, William Orem, Peter McMahon, Aaron M. Jubb
Organic compounds in produced waters from the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin, North Dakota Organic compounds in produced waters from the Bakken Formation and Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin, North Dakota
The organic composition of produced waters (flowback and formation waters) from the middle member of the Bakken Formation and the Three Forks Formation in the Williston Basin, North Dakota were examined to aid in the remediation of surface contamination and help develop treatment methods for produced-water recycling. Twelve produced water samples were collected from the Bakken and Three...
Authors
Matthew S. Varonka, Tanya Gallegos, Anne Bates, Colin Doolan, William Orem
Direct trace element determination in oil and gas produced waters with inductively coupled plasma - Optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES): Advantages of high salinity tolerance Direct trace element determination in oil and gas produced waters with inductively coupled plasma - Optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES): Advantages of high salinity tolerance
Waters co-produced during petroleum extraction are the largest waste stream from oil and gas development. Reuse or disposal of these waters is difficult due to their high salinities and the sheer volumes generated. Produced waters may also contain valuable mineral commodities. While an understanding of produced water trace element composition is required for evaluating the associated...
Authors
Aaron M. Jubb, Mark Engle, Jessica Chenault, Madalyn Blondes, Cloelle Danforth, Colin Doolan, Tanya Gallegos, Dan Mueller, Jenna Shelton
Accuracy of methods for reporting inorganic element concentrations and radioactivity in oil and gas wastewaters from the Appalachian Basin, U.S. based on an inter-laboratory comparison. Accuracy of methods for reporting inorganic element concentrations and radioactivity in oil and gas wastewaters from the Appalachian Basin, U.S. based on an inter-laboratory comparison.
Accurate and precise analyses of oil and gas (O&G) wastewaters and solids (e.g., sediments and sludge) are important for the regulatory monitoring of O&G development and tracing potential O&G contamination in the environment. In this study, 15 laboratories participated in an inter-laboratory comparison on the chemical characterization of three O&G wastewaters from the Appalachian Basin...
Authors
Travis Tasker, William Burgos, Moses Ajemigbitse, Nancy Lauer, Alen Gusa, Maksat Kuatbek, Dustin May, Joshua Landis, Daniel Alessi, Amanda Johnsen, James Kaste, Kurt Headrick, Franziska Wilke, Mark McNeal, Mark Engle, Aaron M. Jubb, Radisav Vidic, Avner Vengosh, Nathaniel Warner
Geochemistry of formation waters from the Wolfcamp and “Cline” shales: Insights into brine origin, reservoir connectivity, and fluid flow in the Permian Basin, USA Geochemistry of formation waters from the Wolfcamp and “Cline” shales: Insights into brine origin, reservoir connectivity, and fluid flow in the Permian Basin, USA
Despite being one of the most important oil producing provinces in the United States, information on basinal hydrogeology and fluid flow in the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico is lacking. The source and geochemistry of brines from the basin were investigated (Ordovician- to Guadalupian-age reservoirs) by combining previously published data from conventional reservoirs with...
Authors
Mark Engle, Francisco Reyes, Matthew Varonka, William Orem, Ma Lin, Adam Ianno, Tiffani Westphal, Pei Xu, Kenneth C. Carroll