Evaluation of Pump and Treat Technology for Removal of Methane Contamination in a Fresh Water Aquifer

An operating company has used salt caverns for storage of natural gas since their creation in 1971. A casing leak developed in a gas storage well used for gas injection into and production from a salt cavern. Evidence suggests that natural gas that escaped because of the casing leak flowed into regional fresh water aquifers located in formation layers above the storage cavern. Measurements in wells penetrating the aquifers show that the groundwater flows in each in a regional NW to SE direction. Removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from groundwater is done using a pump and treat system. The objective for the proposed study is to evaluate the effectiveness of pump and treat ground water remediation technology to prevent further migration of gas downstream and remove the methane contamination from the aquifer.