Nevada Petroleum & Geothermal Society Monthly Dinner Meeting—April 7—RSVP by April 5
Speaker: Greg Pohll, Ph.D. – Research Professor, Desert Research Institute (DRI)
Topic: Hydraulic Fracturing in the Upper Humboldt River Basin – Aquifer Quality Assessment Program
Abstract: Noble Energy recently began oil exploration activities in northeastern Nevada to determine the potential for unconventional oil plays. The oil play is in a low permeable shale and will require hydraulic fracturing. The Nevada Legislature passed a bill in 2013 requiring adoption of new regulations guiding hydraulic fracturing and also paved the way for a study to determine the migration potential to shallow groundwater resources. The Desert Research Institute (DRI) just completed the Aquifer Quality Assessment Program (AQUA) study which collected baseline and post-fracking groundwater quality data and developed numerical modeling tools to assess the migration potential of hydraulic fracturing fluids to the shallow aquifer. This presentation will discuss results from the AQUA study which indicate that water quality has not been degraded following hydraulic fracturing. The numerical modeling suggests that hydraulic fracturing fluids are not likely to migrate to the shallow aquifer at concentrations greater than detection within the next 1,000 years.
Biography: Dr. Pohll is a research professor of hydrogeology at the Desert Research Institute in Reno, NV. He is an expert in the field of hydrogeology with over 20 years’ experience solving real-world problems within complex hydrologic systems that require tools from the fields of surface water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, and statistics. Dr. Pohll’s primary research focus is related to the development of three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport models for local and basin-scale assessment of water resources and groundwater contamination issues. In addition to his research responsibilities, he also teaches and advises graduate students within the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Meeting Details:
Ramada Reno Hotel
1000 East 6th Street, Reno, NV 89512
Cocktail Reception 6:30, Skyline Bar, 14th Floor
Cocktails served at 6:30 PM, sponsored by Enviroscientists, Inc
Dinner Served at 7:00 PM
NPGS Members $20, Non-Members $23, Students $10
Please RSVP by April 5 here.
If you find that you cannot attend, please email Vicki Ehni at vehni@aol.com or you can call at 775-720-6387.
NPGS will be charged for all no shows. Thank you for your consideration.