Assessment of Groundwater Contamination Risk in Oilfield Drilling Sites Based on Groundwater Vulnerability, Pollution Source Hazard, and Groundwater Value Function in Yitong County

Zhang Fang,Zhiguo Liu,Xia Li,Han Gao,Siyuan Zhao,Yanlin Ma

doi:10.3390/w14040628

Abstract

Oilfield drilling sites are the potential dispersive pollution source of groundwater, especially to shallow groundwater. The pollution risk assessment in these areas is an important reference for effective groundwater management and protection. The vulnerability assessment alone is not sufficient for groundwater contamination risk assessment. In this study, we developed a comprehensive groundwater pollution risk assessment method for oilfield drilling sites that combine groundwater vulnerability, pollution source hazard, and groundwater value function to produce a more comprehensive result. Consider the oilfield drilling area in Yitong County of Jilin Province, China, as an example. Thematic maps of the three aspects (groundwater vulnerability, pollution source hazard, and groundwater value function) were generated in ArcGIS environment to assess the contamination risk of groundwater in quaternary pore unconfined aquifer. The results show that 9.92% of the study area is characterized as being at high risk. These areas are mainly distributed around the center position of the oil drilling site, floodplains, and the reservoir. The moderate risk area accounts for 21.04% of the total area. It is distributed in the first-level terrace, mainly because of the high function value of groundwater. The remaining 69.04% of the study area is characterized as none and mild risk, mainly distributed in the valleys and terraces. This integrated groundwater contamination risk assessment method is suited for comparative assessment of multiple-point sources of contamination at a regional scale. Finally, the groundwater contamination risk grade distributed in this area provides a reference for effective protection and sustainable supply of groundwater in the oilfield drilling area.

Highlights

Petroleum is one of the most important resources in the world
The of groundwater pollution risk assessment show that groundwater at no risk and of groundwater pollution risk assessment show that groundwater at no risk and mildmild risk accounted for 69.04% of the total area and are mainly distributed in U-shaped valleys and first terraces
Medium risk accounted for 21.04% and is mainly distributed around the first terrace and the oil drilling sites

Summary

Introduction

Petroleum is one of the most important resources in the world. Oilfield drilling and exploitation distribute widely in the area where oil has been extracted. The oilfield drilling sites are generally considered as the multiple-point sources of contamination to groundwater. Groundwater pollution incidents occur frequently in oil exploitation, transportation, and processing [1]. Oil leakage in the process of oil recovery would produce great harm to groundwater quality, especially carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic petroleum pollutants [2]. They are greatly harmful to the ecological environment and human health [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion