Many traditional site investigation methods have been replaced in recent years by high resolution site characterization tools that are designed for deployment using push-tool boring advancement techniques, but there are depth and other practical limitations to many of those technologies. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) geophysical tools have recently been designed for near-surface and shallow aquifer characterization that are based on decades-old oil field NMR geophysical logging methods. NMR logging provides high-resolution quantification of porosity (mobile and bound water) and hydraulic conductivity, and can detect hydrocarbon saturation to less than 5%, making it a great tool for site investigation and remediation optimization at sites with petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Best of all, NMR can be deployed in existing PVC cased wells, eliminating the need for additional intrusive drilling and derived waste handling. Direct quantification of porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and hydrocarbon saturation in real-time throughout the affected media can be a game-changer for effective characterization, cleanup and closure of legacy sites with petroleum contamination.

Primary Author / Conference Presenter:
Bradley Cross
Partner/Hydrogeologist
ERM
Scottsdale, Arizona, USA