Posters - IGWS

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/421

This series is comprised of maps and topical posters, usually containing a combination of photographs and graphics. Typically educational in nature, they are intended for a public audience. Posters go through a full formal review, are usually commercially offset printed in large batches, and are sold through the IGWS Bookstore.

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 23

Basin-Scale Hydrologic Impacts of CO2 Sequestration; Scaling Calculations using Sharp Interface Theory
(2008-10) Pawar, Rajesh; Celia, Mike; Banerjee, Amlan; Lichtner, Peter; Gable, Carl; Rupp, John; Person, Mark
Rational For Study: 1) The Mt. Simon Formation represents a viable saline water saturated reservoir for CO2 sequestration in the Illinois Basin and environments. It is thick (500 - >2500 ft.) and potentially has sufficient porosity and permeability to store large volumes of CO2. 2) However, freshwater withdraws from the Mt. Simon in urban areas (~ 280 Million MT/year) are on the same order of magnitude as CO2 production across the Illinois Basin (~ 80 Million MT/yr). Freshwater withdraws have had a significant hydrologic impact (600 ft drawdown in Chicago area) at the regional scale. Will CO2 injection have a regional scale impact on the hydrology of the system by displacing brine in the regions currently saturated by freshwater? 3) High number of wells required to inject 80 Million MT/yr CO2 may result in well-well interference patterns, high deviatoric pressures (especially in the deep, low-permeability portions of the basin), and displacement of brines into other aquifers. 4) We ask the question: Is there an optimal place to locate most of the injection wells across the basin?
: Bringing a novel research into the classroom: Carbon sequestration as a new opportunity for science education
(2011-02) Medina, Cristian R.; Ellett, Kevin M.; Rupp, John A.; Steinmetz, John C.
Carbon sequestration technology is an emerging area of research that is rarely presented in the current middle and high school curriculum. This poster complements a concurrent lecture at HASTI (Kevin Ellet and Cristian Medina) and presents three objectives: (1) to introduce the topic of carbon sequestration as a promising area of research for the mitigation of global warming; (2) to show how this technology draws from different science disciplines (e.g. earth science, physics, chemistry, and mathematics) and thus offers new opportunities for science education; (3) to present skills study can learn by studying this technology, such as the use and display of quantitative data and the use of online resources to perform literature searches. This poster presents issues raised in the HASTI position paper “Science Institutions in Indiana: Global Perspectives” (http://www.hasti.org/paper1.html) and encourages discussion on how to maximize science learning in Indiana classrooms.
Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity in the Upper Cambrian Basal Sandstone of the Midwest Region: A County-Based Analysis
(2009-09-20) Medina, Cristian R.; Rupp, John A.
Porosity values collected from core analyses and geophysical logs from the Upper Cambrian Mount Simon Sandstone in the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) region indicate a predictable decrease in porosity with depth that is best described by the relationship φ (d, in feet) = 16.36 * e-0.00012*d (r2=0.41). This relationship and the Mt. Simon’s thickness were used to calculate net porosity feet, which was incorporated into the methodology presented in the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada for estimating the potential storage capacity of CO2 in deep saline aquifers. The variables that affect the volumetric calculations include: 1) the area that defines the region being assessed (county by county assessment in this study); 2) the mean porosity of the stratigraphic unit; 3) the gross thickness of the basal sandstone; and 4) the CO2 storage efficiency factor, which accounts for material properties, including reservoir continuity and effective porosity. We conducted a sensitivity analysis to create two scenarios for CO2 storage capacity, including efficiency factors of 0.01 and 0.04, respectively. To gain some insights into how applicable this methodology is, we compared the theoretical values of net porosity obtained from core analyses with those obtained from geophysical logs. This approach generated solutions for the spatial distribution of net porosity feet that facilitated the calculation of storage volume potential for each county within the region. The total storage capacity for the region, calculated using efficiency factors of 0.01 and 0.04, is estimated to be 37.8 and 151.2 billion metric tons of CO2 respectively. This is approximately 74 percent higher than the values of 21.7 and 86.9 billion metric tons of CO2 estimated by the MRCSP for the capacity of the Mount Simon Sandstone in the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio.
CO2 emissions from Illinois Basin coals and influence of their petrographic composition
(2010-09-12) Drobniak, Agnieszka; Mastalerz, Maria; Chadwick, Crystal
Lithotypes from Pennsylvanian high-volatile bituminous coals from the Illinois Basin were isolated by hand and analyzed to investigate the influence of their chemical and petrographic composition on the amount of CO2 emissions during combustion. Heating values and ultimate carbon contents were used to calculate CO2 emissions from individual lithotypes as well as whole seam samples. The influence of maceral composition, vitrinite reflectance (Ro), and other selected coal properties on calculated CO2 emissions was investigated for the Danville, Springfield, and Lower Block Coal Members of the Dugger, Petersburg, and Brazil Formations, respectively. In general, little difference in CO2 emissions has been documented for each of the four locations. Calculated mean values of CO2 emission from bulk seam samples vary from 86.04 to 88.38 (in kg of CO2 per gigajoule [GJ]). Emissions from selected lithotypes show more variations. In fusains, CO2 emissions vary from 78.93 to 95.58, with 89.58 being the average. Fusain is the lithotype that has the highest average emissions of all lithotypes studied. For vitrains, calculated emissions range from 86.18 to 89.01, having the average of 87.92. Clarain, the dominant lithotype of these coals has a range of emissions from 86.02 to 86.86 kg of CO2 per gigajoule. On a maceral scale, our study shows that an increase in inertinite content correlates with an increase of CO2 emissions, whereas increasing liptinite content is associated with decreasing CO2 emissions.
Complex Lithofacies Relationships between the Ste. Genevieve and Paoli Limestones: Clarifying Reservoir Relationships in the Indiana Subsurface
(2009-09-22) Zuppann, Charles W.; Parke, Mary A.; Droste, John B.
Typically irregular vertical and lateral distribution of lithofacies within the Ste. Genevieve and Paoli Limestones (Mississippian Blue River Group) has historically resulted in the inaccurate correlation of uppermost Ste. Genevieve lithologies (Joppa Member) with Paoli units of similar composition and appearance (Aux Vases and Renault Members). The Joppa Member of the Ste. Genevieve thins northeastward toward the Illinois Basin margin, losing the distinctive log signature that characterizes this unit in more basinward locations. The Aux Vases and Renault Members of the Paoli Limestone also become difficult to distinguish from each other and from the Joppa Member in basin margin locations because of rapid changes in composition and bed distribution. As a consequence, many Ste. Genevieve and Paoli Limestone pay zones have been assigned to the wrong reservoir pool, sometimes within the same field. Pay zones from Ste. Genevieve and Paoli Limestone reservoirs were reassigned according to current stratigraphic divisions. These new correlations more accurately reflect spatial relationships within and between hydrocarbon pools, and could contribute to more effective reservoir management. Improved correlations should also provide a useful tool for future hydrocarbon exploration and development activities in Indiana. Our investigation also suggests that revisions to formal Ste. Genevieve-Paoli stratigraphic nomenclature should be considered.
Compound Specific Carbon and Hydrogen Stable Isotope Ratios of Coalbed Gases in Southeastern Illinois Basin
(2007-01-12) Strapoc, Dariusz; Schimmelmann, Arndt; Mastalerz, Maria; Eble, Cortland
Coalbed gases and waters from exploratory and production gas wells in the southeastern Illinois Basin were sampled to geochemically assess the origin of coalbed gases, with emphasis on Springfield and Seelyville coal members that are commercially targeted for coalbed methane production. On-line analyses of hydrocarbon gases (methane to butanes: C1, C2, C3, n-C4, i-C4) and CO2 yielded chemical concentrations, Delta-D, and Delta 13C values. The low thermal maturity of Indiana coals (vitrinite reflectance Ro ~ 0.6%) is in agreement with an overwhelmingly biogenic isotopic signature of coalbed gas that has greater than or equal to 96% methane generated via bacterial CO2-reduction. In contrast, thermogenic coalbed gas was generated by the stratigraphically equivalent coalbeds in western Kentucky’s Rough Creek Graben zone where higher maturities of up to Ro ~ 0.8% are reached due to tectonic and hydrothermal activity. No secondary biogenic methane was observed in Kentucky coalbed gases, probably due to greater burial depths and limited recharge of meteoric water. The two differently sourced types of coalbed gases are compositionally and isotopically distinct. Microbial biodegradation of thermogenic C2+ hydrocarbon gases in Indiana coalbeds preferentially targets C3 and introduces isotope fractionation whereby remaining C3 is enriched in heavy hydrogen and carbon isotopes.
Constraints on the origin and volume of gas in the New Albany Shale (Devonian – Mississippian), eastern Illinois Basin
(2010-09-25) Mastalerz, M; Drobniak, A; Rupp, JA; Strąpoć, D; Schimmelmann, A; Hasenmueller, NR
This study investigates kerogen petrography, gas desorption, geochemistry, and micro- and mesoporosity of the New Albany Shale (Devonian-Mississippian) in the eastern part of the Illinois basin. Core analysis from two locations, one in Owen County, Indiana and one in Pike County, Indiana was conducted. The volumes of gas in the locations studied are primarily dependent on total organic carbon (TOC) content and the micropore volume of the shales. Gas origins were assessed using stable isotope geochemistry, whereas maturity assessments utilized both measured and modeled Ro values. Different depths of burial and formation water salinities are likely responsible for dominant origins of the gas in the two locations studied. The shallower Owen County location (415 to 433 m deep) contains significant microbial methane, whereas the Pike County location (832 to 860 m deep) is characterized exclusively by thermogenic gas. Despite differences in the gas origins, the total gas in both locations is similar, reaching up to 2.2 cm3/g (70 scf/ton). The lower thermogenic gas content at the shallower location (probably because of the lower thermal maturity and possibly higher loss of gas related to uplift and leakage via relaxed fractures) is compensated by additional generation of microbial methane most probably stimulated by influx of glacial meltwater causing both brine dilution and microbial inoculation. The characteristics of the shale of the Maquoketa Group (Ordovician) in the Pike County location indicate that the controls on the gas volumes are similar to those in the New Albany Shale.
Contact Metamorphism of Bituminous Coal by Intruding Dike in the Illinois Basin Causes Short-Range Thermal Alteration
(2007-08) Drobniak, Agnieszka; Mastalerz, Maria; Schimmelmann, Arndt; Sauer, Peter
Changes in high-volatile bituminous coal (Pennsylvanian) near contacts with volcanic intrusions in Illinois were investigated with respect to coal chemistry, carbon and hydrogen stable isotope ratios, and pore structure. Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) increases from ~0.6% to ~5% within 4.7 m from the dike. Elemental chemistry of the coal shows distinct reduction in hydrogen and nitrogen content approaching the intrusions. No trend was noticed for total sulfur content, but decreases in sulfate and organic sulfur contents towards the dikes indicate thermal sulfur reduction (TSR). Carbon isotopic values did not show significant changes, whereas hydrogen isotopic values showed a distinct trend of becoming more negative toward the dikes. Contact metamorphism has a dramatic effect on coal porosity. The mesopore volume decreases 3 3 from 0.01 cm /g in the unaffected coal to 0.004 cm /g at a distance 3 of 4.5 m away from the contact, then hovers around 0.004 cm /g closer to the contact. In contrast, the micropore volume shows a 3 progressive decrease from 0.04 cm /g in unaffected coal to almost 3 0.01 cm /g at the contact. Strongly decreasing mesopore and micropore volumes in the altered zone, together with frequent cleat and fracture-filling by calcite, indicate deteriorating conditions for both coalbed gas sorption and gas transmissibility.
Deglacial chronology of the Sturgis Moraine in south-central Michigan and northeast Indiana
(2014-10-19) Horton, Jennifer; Fisher, Timothy; Loope, Henry; Karaffa, Marni
The landscape of south-central Michigan and northeastern Indiana was formed from the retreat of the Saginaw Lobe of the LIS. Studying this landscape aids an understanding of the climate conditions during the retreat of the lobe from its LGM position. The purpose of this study is to generate chronology for the retreat of the Saginaw Lobe by dating the Sturgis Moraine. Previous work suggests that the Sturgis Moraine formed sometime between 15.5 14C and 16.1 14C kyrs BP. To date the Sturgis Moraine, Livingstone sediment cores were collected from lakes associated with the moraine. Ages of 13.7±6014C, 13.75±8014C, and 13.3±6014C kyrs BP were from wood fragments at the bottom of each sediment core. These ages are similar to the age of the Ft. Wayne Moraine and the Valparaiso Moraine.
Depth Relationships in Porosity and Permeability in the Mount Simon Sandstone (Basal Sand) of the Midwest Region: Applications for Carbon Sequestration
(2008-10) Medina, Cristian R.; Barnes, David A.; Rupp, John A.
Porosity and permeability values collected from core analyses in the Upper Cambrian Mount Simon sandstone indicate a predictable relationship with depth owing to diagenetic changes in the pore structure. This predictive relationship is useful for evaluating the geological carbon sequestration capacity in the Midwestern region. Porosity logs from wells in the study area provide additional sources of petrophysical data. The regional trend of decreasing porosity with depth is described by the equation: φ(d) = 16.36 * e-0.00012*d (r2=0.41), where φ equals porosity and d is depth in feet. The correlation between burial depth and porosity can help predict the petrophysical character of the Mount Simon sandstone in more deeply buried and largely undrilled portions of the basin. Understanding the relationship among porosity, permeability, and depth also provides information for use in numerical models that simulate supercritical carbon dioxide flow within the Mount Simon sandstone. The decrease of porosity and permeability with depth generally holds true on a basinwide scale. However, localized stratigraphic and spatial variations in sedimentary facies also affect reservoir quality. In some areas, we observed a reversal in the porosity/depth relationship. Careful documentation of the mineralogical and sedimentological characteristics of the reservoir are critical to the successful prediction of the petrophysical attributes of deep saline aquifer systems and how they perform at a given locality.
Dressing the Emperor: The Role of GIS in the Development of Three-Dimensional Hydrogeologic Models
(2006-11-20) Letsinger, Sally L.; Olyphant, Greg A.; Medina, Cristian R.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (2001) mapped structure contours for the tops of each of 20 individual units in intersecting and overlapping glacial morphosequences in Berrien County, Michigan (1,350 km2), as part of the mapping program of the Central Great Lakes Geologic Mapping Coalition (CGLGMC). We have developed a methodology to translate this detailed morphostratigraphy first into a solid three-dimensional geologic model, and then into a three-dimensional block of data that can be used as input to a finite-difference groundwater-flow model. The technique involves a hybrid approach involving geographic information systems (GIS), three-dimensional information visualization software (3DIVS), and customized data-processing code. The methodology begins by converting Stone’s structure contours (they are attributed vector contours) for each individually mapped unit into a raster surface at a defined grid resolution (200 m x 200 m). The top of the geologic model is the surface topography (digital elevation model), which is also used to derive the drainage network that is an important boundary condition in the groundwater-flow model. The bottom of the geologic model is the bedrock topography, which was also mapped and contoured by USGS (2001). Stone constructed his structure contour model such that the bottom of each map unit is described by the surface contours of the unit that lies immediately below it. Complex interrelationships dictate that the tops of a number of individually mapped units are sometimes required to describe the bottom surfaces of laterally more extensive units. Once all of the requisite raster grids have been derived, they can be manipulated to provide input that is necessary for development of a detailed solid geologic model using 3DIVS. GIS software and custom code are also used to assign hydrogeologic attributes to the elements of the final three-dimensional finite-difference geologic model.
Dressing the Emperor: The Role of Three-Dimensional Information Visualization Software in the Development of Three-Dimensional Hydrogeologic Models
(2006-11-20) Medina, Cristian R.; Olyphant, Greg A.; Letsinger, Sally L.
The goal of this research is to develop a model that describes the saturated and unsaturated groundwater flow in Berrien County, Michigan (1,350 km2), an area containing a complex sequence of glacio-lacustrine deposits. Stone and others (2001) mapped the morphosequences in Berrien County at a scale of 1:24,000, which includes georeferenced structure contours for 20 individual units. We have developed a methodology to translate this detailed morphostratigraphy into a solid three-dimensional geologic model, and then into a three-dimensional block of data that can be used as input to a finite-difference groundwater-flow model. Letsinger and others (2006) describe the process of using geographic information system software to convert the structure contours into georeferenced raster layers that describe each unit. At this stage of the reconstruction, only the bounding surfaces between the units are defined. In order to stack the units in vertical space using customized computer code, a “virtual well field” (regularized two-dimensional array of points) samples each x-y location in each of the 20 rasterized data layers. Units that are intersected from the top bounding surface (surface topography) to the bottom bounding surface (bedrock surface) are then identified. The result of this step is a vector (one-dimensional array) at each virtual well location that describes the elevation of each morphostratigraphic unit boundary intersected at that location. However, at this stage, the model is essentially a regularized three-dimensional point cloud, and three-dimensional information visualization software (3DIVS) is then utilized to generate a solid geologic model by interpolating the vertical geologic “samples” throughout the model domain. A finite-difference grid (“brickpile”) at the chosen resolution of the groundwater-flow model is then generated from the solid geologic model using data-processing functions of the 3DIVS.
An estimate of carbon dioxide storage capacity in the Upper Cambrian basal sandstone of the Midwest region
(2009-05-04) Medina, Cristian R.; Rupp, John A.
Porosity values collected from core analyses and geophysical logs from the Upper Cambrian Mount Simon Sandstone in the western part of the Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP) region indicate a predictable decrease in porosity with depth. Using this relationship and the methodology of the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada, we have estimated the potential geologic storage capacity of CO2 in this deep saline aquifer. The storage capacity is a function of the area being assessed, the porosity and gross thickness of the stratigraphic unit, and the CO2 storage efficiency factor, which accounts for reservoir continuity, effective porosity, and the level of certainty of characterization. Our calculations include different scenarios for CO2 storage capacity, which is highly sensitive to changes in the subsurface properties. The porosity and thickness of the deep saline aquifer were used to calculate net porosity feet by using the regional trend of decreasing porosity (φ) with depth relationship (d, in feet) [φ (d) = 16.36 * e-0.00012*d; r2=0.41]. To evaluate the applicability of this relationship, we compared the theoretical values of net porosity with those obtained from geophysical logs. This approach generates solutions of the spatial distribution of net porosity feet that can be used to calculate storage volume potential at specific localities. The summation of these locality-specific calculations is in agreement with the value of 86 billion metric tons of CO2 estimated by the MRCSP for the total capacity of the Mount Simon Sandstone in the region.
Geocellular Model Development for Simulation of CO2 Storage in the Arches Province and Southern Michigan of the Midwestern United States
(2011-05) Sminchak, Joel; Patterson, Kyle; Kelley, Stephen; Medina, Cristian; Rupp, John A.; Greb, Stephen
A geocellular model was developed for areas of the midwestern United States to facilitate numerical simulations on the injection of supercritical carbon dioxide into the Mount Simon Sandstone (Cambrian). These simulations are focused on evaluating the infrastructure necessary to implement large-scale CO2 storage in the region. The study area is located in southern Michigan and the Arches Province, which includes areas of northwestern to southeastern Indiana, north-central Kentucky, and western Ohio, where Paleozoic rocks form broad arch and platform structures. The main rock formation for potential CO2 storage in the study area is the Mount Simon Sandstone (Cambrian), which has been used as a repository for waste disposal for many decades. Geophysical well logs, deep injection operational data from wells, reservoir test results, and geotechnical core test data were collected for the Mount Simon Sandstone and the overlying Eau Claire Formation (Cambrian) confining layer. This study integrates these various types of data into a geocellular model. For example, reservoir permeability was estimated using reservoir test results obtained at injection well sites. In addition, geostatistical analysis was used to interpret spatial trends in parameters. The geocellular model includes parameters for numerical simulations, such as porosity and permeability distribution. Our model development improves the understanding of the nature of the Mount Simon Sandstone in the Arches Province, and will provide input for numerical simulations of large-scale CO2 injection in the region.
Hindostan Whetstone Tombstone Industry in Indiana. 1811-1860
(2004) Kvale, Erik P.; Powell, Richard L.
Stone from the Hindostan Whetstone beds in southwestern Indiana was used to fashion gravestones during the early 1800s. Whetstone grave markers were among the very first commercial tombstones used in Indiana. The production of whetstone grave markers peaked during the 1840s and dropped off rapidly in the early 1850s. This drop in production can be tied to improvements in transportation in southern Indiana. The establishment of regional railroad lines opened Indiana to white marble from places like Tennessee, Georgia, and Vermont. The Indiana limestone industry also began to produce and market commercial gravestones. The lighter colors of these later monuments were preferred. Unfortunately, the marble and limestone markers were much more susceptible to the ravages of the weather and deteriorated rapidly. During the late 1800s they were eventually displaced by monuments of igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granite, or, for a short period of time in the 1890s, by metal monuments. The whetstone tombstone industry was by then largely forgotten.
Improvements to the Indiana Geological Survey’s Petroleum Database Management System
(2011-09) Zuppann, C. W.; Daniels, M.I.S.; Rohwer, P.; Jacob, D.; Proffitt, T. A.
The Indiana Geological Survey’s Petroleum Database Management System (PDMS) is a web application that provides online access to petroleum-related geological information. Since its debut in 2004, the application has been widely used by the petroleum industry, academia, government agencies, and the general public. On June 6, 2011, a significantly enhanced version of the PDMS went online. New features include a robust search menu that permits elaborate queries of more than 74,000 petroleum wells, rapid and convenient online viewing and downloading of PDF-file well reports and both PDF- and TIFF-file geophysical and other well logs, and streamlined menus for easily accessing extensive well data. An interactive, context-driven web help explains every concept or term used. The PDMS is organized in three main sections. The Well Tables Section includes such information as well location descriptions, completion zones, logs, operators, lease names, tests, reports, hydrocarbon shows, samples, cores, geologic formations and tops, and directional survey data. The Map Viewer Section contains many user-selectable layer options for showing well locations, petroleum fields, producing formations, aerial photographs, and topographic maps. Wells shown in the Map Viewer are hyperlinked to the Well Tables for easy access to the well data. The Fields and Production Section summarizes oil, natural gas, and gas storage field data, including historical oil production volumes in both tables and charts.
Indiana Shallow Geothermal Monitoring Network: A Test Bed for Optimizing Ground-Source Heat Pumps in the Glaciated Midwest
(2012-04-23) Gustin, Andrew R.; Naylor, Shawn; Ellett, Kevin M.
Ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) represent an important technology that can be further developed by collecting data sets related to shallow thermal regimes. Computer programs that calculate the required lengths and configurations of GSHP systems use specific input parameters related to the soil properties to enhance the accuracy of models and produce efficient system designs. The thermal conductivity of sediments varies significantly depending on texture, bulk density, and moisture content, and it is therefore necessary to characterize various unconsolidated materials under a wide range of moisture conditions. Regolith texture data are collected during some installations to estimate thermal properties, but soil moisture and temperature gradients within the vadose zone are rarely considered due to the difficulty of collecting sufficient amounts of data. Six monitoring locations were chosen in Indiana to represent unique hydrogeological settings and glacial sediments. Trenches were excavated to a depth of 2 meters (a typical depth for horizontal GSHP installations) and sediment samples were collected at 0.3-meter intervals for a laboratory analysis of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, bulk density, and moisture content. Temperature sensors and water-content reflectometers were installed in 0.3-meter increments to monitor changes in temperature and soil moisture with depth. In-situ thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity were measured at 1.5-meters using a sensor that detects radial differential temperature around a heating wire. Micrometeorological data were also collected to determine the surface conditions and water budgets that drive fluxes of energy and moisture in the shallow subsurface. Preliminary results indicate that increases in water content can increase thermal conductivity by as much as 30% during wetting front propagation. Although there is a change in temperature associated with the infiltration of wetting fronts, thermal conductivity appears to be independent of soil temperature. By establishing continuous data sets, fluctuations in seasonal energy budgets and unsaturated zone soil moisture can be determined. This information can then be used to establish accurate end members for thermal properties and improve the efficiency of geothermal systems.
Monitoring near-surface thermal properties in conjunction with energy and moisture budgets to facilitate the optimization of ground-source heat pumps in the glaciated Midwest
(2011-12-07) Naylor, Shawn; Gustin, Andrew R.; Ellett, Kevin M.
By exploiting the near-surface heat reservoir, ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) represent an important renewable energy technology that can be further developed by establishing data sets related to shallow (<100m) thermal regimes. Although computer programs are available for GSHP installers to calculate optimal lengths and configurations of ground-coupling geothermal systems, uncertainties exist for input parameters that must first be determined for these models. Input parameters include earth temperatures and thermal properties of unconsolidated materials. Furthermore, thermal conductivity of sediments varies significantly depending on texture and moisture content, highlighting the need to characterize various unconsolidated materials under varying soil moisture regimes. Regolith texture data can be, and often are, collected for particular installations, and are then used to estimate thermal properties for system design. However, soil moisture and temperature gradients within the vadose zone are rarely considered because of the difficulty associated with collecting a sufficient amount of data to determine predominant moisture and temperature ranges. Six monitoring locations were chosen in Indiana to represent unique hydrogeologic settings and near-surface glacial sediments. The monitoring approach includes excavating trenches to a depth of 2 meters (a typical depth for horizontal GSHP installations) and collecting sediment samples at 0.3-meter intervals to determine thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and heat capacity in the laboratory using the transient line heat source method. Temperature sensors are installed at 0.3-meter intervals to continuously measure thermal gradients. Water-content reflectometers are installed at 0.3, 1, and 2 meters to determine continuous volumetric soil moisture. In-situ thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity are measured at 1.5 meters using a differential temperature sensor that measures radial differential temperature around a heating wire. Micrometeorological data (precipitation, insolation, ambient air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) are also collected to determine surface energy and water budgets that drive fluxes of energy and moisture in the shallow subsurface. By establishing continuous, year-round data, fluctuations in seasonal energy budgets and unsaturated zone soil moisture can be considered such that GSHP system designers can establish accurate end members for thermal properties, thereby optimizing the ground-coupling component of GSHPs. These data will also provide empirical controls such that soil moisture and temperature regimes can be spatially distributed based on mapped soil units and hydrogeologic settings in Indiana.
The New Albany Shale gas play in southern Indiana
(2006) Comer, J. B.; Hasenmueller, N. R.; Mastalerz, M. D.; Rupp, J. A.; Shaffer, N. R; Zuppann, C. W
The New Albany Shale (Devonian and Mississippian) in Indiana is mostly brownish-black organic-rich shale with lesser greenish-gray shale. The formation is 100 to 140 feet thick in southeastern Indiana and dips and thickens to the southwest into the Illinois Basin, where it attains a thickness of more than 360 feet in Posey County. Gas production from New Albany Shale began in 1885 and drilling activity continued into the 1930s, when interest waned in favor of more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. Renewed activity, driven by higher gas prices, has been brisk since the mid-1990s, witnessed by the completion of more than 400 productive wells. The majority of these wells were drilled in Harrison County, where production typically occurs at depths from 500 to 1,100 feet and production rates generally range from 20 to 450 MCFGPD. In the past 2 years, Daviess County and surrounding areas have become the focus of New Albany exploration after the El Paso Production No. 2-10 Peterson horizontal discovery well was rumored to have tested 1.3 MMCFGPD at an approximate measured depth of 2,200 feet. New Albany production is mostly from the organic-rich Clegg Creek Member. Gas compositions (C1-C4 and CO2) and carbon and hydrogen isotopic signatures indicate that both purely thermogenic and mixed thermogenic and biogenic gases are produced from the New Albany. Produced water ranges from brine to water diluted through recharge by modern precipitation; the brine zones contain primarily thermogenic gas and the diluted water zones contain gas of mixed thermogenic and biogenic origin.
Recent Additions and Ongoing Features of the Indiana Geological Survey's Online Petroleum Database Management System
(2006-11-06) Zuppann, Charles W.; Radhakrishnan, Prem
The Indiana Geological Survey's (IGS) Petroleum Database Management System (PDMS) was made available online in 2003 (http://www.igs.indiana.edu/pdms). At that time the PDMS contained one module which provided (and continues to provide) extensive data on more than 71,000 petroleum test wells drilled in Indiana. This module is at present termed the "Well Record Tables" of the PDMS. Well records can be searched and sorted by various criteria. Complete data for individual wells is printable in a convenient well history report. For those who wish to incorporate PDMS data into their own databases or mapping programs, all the PDMS well data tables can be downloaded, in whole or in part, as ASCII spreadsheet files. In 2005, a second module, the Map Viewer, went online. It offers an interactive map interface that presents considerable well data in map view, as well as other supporting spatial data such as topographic maps, aerial photographs, and cultural and natural features. The map view may be configured to show productive formations (pay zones), wells with samples or cores, and wells which have been designated as "Type Wells" (so designated for their particular geologic significance). The Fields and Production module, added in 2006, summarizes information on more than 800 oil, gas, and gas storage fields in the state. A table and accompanying graph portray current and cumulative primary and secondary oil production for each oil field. Links to available field studies are also presented. Additional resources in the PDMS include IGS Petroleum Topic Reports (short single-topic reports related to petroleum geology in Indiana) and an extensive interactive Help.

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