Using ground based geophysics to evaluate hydrogeologic effects of subsurface drip irrigation systems used to manage produced water in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

The U.S Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory has been evaluating various geophysical methods for site characterization regarding environmental issues associated with fossil fuels including produced water management. A relatively new method of managing produced water from coal bed natural gas production is through subsurface drip irrigation. This system involves disposing the produced water near the bottom of the root zone in agricultural fields, which would provide a beneficial use of this resource. The focus of this paper is to present results from a pre-injection geophysical survey for site assessment and background data. A pre-construction survey of approximately 1.2 km2 was completed in June 2007 using a Geophex GEM-2 broadband sensor over six fields along the Powder River floodplain. Quality assurance measures included drift checks, duplicate line surveys, and repeat field surveys using the Geometrics OhmMapper instrument. Subsequent surveys will be completed once the system is installed and operational. Geophysical inversion models were completed to provide a detailed cross-section of the subsurface geoelectrical structure along each line. Preliminary interpretations reveal that the subsurface conductivity distribution correlates to geomorphologic features