Dissolved methane in New York groundwater, 1999-2011

Geologic and baseline groundwater evidence for naturally occurring, shallowly sourced, thermogenic gas in northeastern Pennsylvania

“…The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since determined that no contaminants were present at the time of testing, which included methane, other than those that were naturally occurring in the area (White, 2012). Although historical records and recent studies substantiate methane gas, which can be of biogenic and thermogenic origin, to be naturally occurring in local aquifers (Boyer et al, 2011;Kappel and Nystrom, 2012;Perry et al, 2012b), other studies show thermogenic methane gas to be prevalent and preexisting in the region (Molofsky et al, 2011;Baldassare et al, 2014).…”

Evaluation of Methane Sources in Groundwater in Northeastern Pennsylvania

“…For example, the 1881 publication "The Geology of Susquehanna and Wayne County" reported significant volumes of gas during the drilling of an oil boring in the Catskill Formation to a depth of 680 feet (White 1881). The presence of methane in natural springs and water wells has also been cited in adjacent New York State, where a survey of 239 water wells from 1999 to 2011 showed that 9% of water wells contained dissolved methane concentrations exceeding 10 mg/L (Kappel and Nystrom 2012). Due to potential gas contamination from natural sources, guidelines issued by the Pennsylvania DEP and other state agencies recommend the routine venting of water wells (PA DEP 2004).…”

Methane occurrence is associated with sodium‐rich valley waters in domestic wells overlying the Marcellus shale in New York State

“…In New York, methane occurs naturally in domestic wells, primarily at low concentrations (<1 mg/L), but occasionally in amounts that exceed the solubility in water and present an explosive hazard [ Heisig and Scott , ; Kappel , ; Kappel and Nystrom , ; McPhillips et al ., ]. Natural surface seeps of methane have been observed in NY along faults or laterally from swamps [ Kappel and Nystrom , ], with low levels of dissolved methane present in shallow groundwater throughout the state, and localized occurrences of elevated methane concentrations above 10, and even 28 mg/L [ Kappel , ]. In NY, natural gas has been observed in groundwater drawn from upper Devonian bedrock, the Tully limestone, surficial glacial till deposits, and in the Hamilton group above the Marcellus [ Kappel and Nystrom , ].…”

“…Natural surface seeps of methane have been observed in NY along faults or laterally from swamps [ Kappel and Nystrom , ], with low levels of dissolved methane present in shallow groundwater throughout the state, and localized occurrences of elevated methane concentrations above 10, and even 28 mg/L [ Kappel , ]. In NY, natural gas has been observed in groundwater drawn from upper Devonian bedrock, the Tully limestone, surficial glacial till deposits, and in the Hamilton group above the Marcellus [ Kappel and Nystrom , ]. Prior studies suggest naturally occurring methane in shallow groundwater in NY is derived from mixing of shallow groundwater with deep, saline methane‐bearing groundwater; such mixing is greatest in lowlands, where the boundary between fresh and saline groundwater is closest to the land surface and bedrock fracture permeability may facilitate upward gas migration [ Heisig and Scott , ].…”