Open-path dual-comb spectroscopy of methane and VOC emissions from an unconventional oil well development in Northern Colorado

Griffin J Mead; Eleanor M Waxman; Daniel Bon; Daniel I Herman; Esther Baumann; Fabrizio R Giorgetta; Jacob T Friedlein; Gabriel Ycas; Nathan R Newbury; Ian Coddington; Kevin C Cossel

doi:10.3389/fchem.2023.1202255

Open-path dual-comb spectroscopy of methane and VOC emissions from an unconventional oil well development in Northern Colorado

Front Chem. 2023 Jun 2:11:1202255. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1202255. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ National Institute of Standards and Technology, Spectrum Technology and Research Division, Boulder, CO, United States.
² Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, CO, United States.
³ Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States.

Abstract

We present results from a field study monitoring methane and volatile organic compound emissions near an unconventional oil well development in Northern Colorado from September 2019 to May 2020 using a mid-infrared dual-comb spectrometer. This instrument allowed quantification of methane, ethane, and propane in a single measurement with high time resolution and integrated path sampling. Using ethane and propane as tracer gases for methane from oil and gas activity, we observed emissions during the drilling, hydraulic fracturing, millout, and flowback phases of well development. Large emissions were seen in drilling and millout phases and emissions decreased to background levels during the flowback phase. Ethane/methane and propane/methane ratios varied widely throughout the observations.

Keywords: Colorado Front Range; dual-comb spectroscopy; methane emissions; mid-infrared (IR) absorption; open-path spectroscopy; unconventional well development.

Copyright © 2023 This work is authored by Griffin J. Mead, Eleanor M. Waxman, Daniel Bon, Daniel I. Herman, Esther Baumann, Fabrizio R. Giorgetta, Jacob T. Friedlein, Gabriel Ycas, Nathan R. Newbury, Ian Coddington and Kevin C. Cossel on behalf of the U.S. Government and as regards Dr. Mead, Dr. Waxman, Dr. Bon, Dr. Herman, Dr. Baumann, Dr. Giorgetta, Dr. Friedlein, Dr. Ycas, Dr. Newbury, Dr. Coddington, Dr. Cossel, and the U.S. Government, is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Foreign and other copyrights may apply.