Abstract
The United States has experienced exceptional growth in oil production via unconventional extraction for over a decade. This boom has led to an increase in hydrocarbon emissions to the atmosphere. With Texas as the leading contributor to growing oil production, it is important to assess the effects the boom has had on the environment and communities at local and regional levels. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the use of passive samplers for evaluating potential off-site risk from hydrocarbon emissions in a relatively low production activity area of the Texas Eagle Ford shale. Emissions from production sites include benzene, a hazardous air pollutant and known carcinogen. Passive hydrocarbon sampling devices (Radiello samplers) were used to monitor hydrocarbon levels on a rural property near a production site with an occasional flare for one year. Selected hydrocarbons were analyzed using thermal desorption and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Benzene concentrations were found to be correlated with changes in season, with higher abundance in the winter months. Benzene levels at this site were similar or higher than those observed in urban areas, away from shale oil and gas production. Increased benzene concentrations were distinguished when winds advected hydrocarbons from the production site, suggesting that oil and gas site emissions have a greater impact on the local community when winds advect them towards those living downwind; however, hydrocarbon levels in this low production area never exceeded state air monitoring comparison standards.
Highlights
U.S oil production has recently exhibited rapid growth due to unconventional extraction methods [1], using hydraulic fracturing of horizontally drilled well bores [2], a technological combination commonly identified as “fracking”
Benzene levels at this site were similar or higher than those observed in urban areas, away from shale oil and gas production
The main sources of these hydrocarbon releases at oil and gas production sites are from liquids storage tanks and equipment leaks [6,7,8,9,10]
Summary
U.S oil production has recently exhibited rapid growth due to unconventional extraction methods [1], using hydraulic fracturing of horizontally drilled well bores [2], a technological combination commonly identified as “fracking”. Production is expected to continually set annual growth records through 2027 [3]. With this trend in oil production, concerns for the effect this development has on the environment and the communities nearby arise. The state of Texas, as a top producer of unconventionally extracted oil from shale resources, sits at the center of these environmental and social impacts. The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) production in the Texas Eagle Ford shale (https://www.rrc.state.tx.us/media/55436/eagle-ford-oil.pdf) has led to an increase in fugitive hydrocarbon emissions [4,5]. Raw natural gas, when produced as a byproduct of unconventional oil production, is often burned off at the well site in a flare. Inefficient flares emit substantial amounts of raw gas, but even efficiently burning flares (98 + % conversion to CO2 [11]) may produce a considerable amount of additional air pollution in the form of unsaturated hydrocarbons and partially oxidized volatile organic compounds [4,12,13], as well
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