June, 2003
HGS Meetings

HGS Environmental / Engineering Dinner Meeting

"Alternative Final Covers for Landfills"

Abstract:

Final covers for landfills are used to reduce the quantity of water that percolates into closed landfills and contaminated soils. Reducing the volume of percolating water reduces both the rate of leachate generation and the risk of groundwater contamination. EPA regulations prescribe a final cover design based on resistive principles (e.g., low-permeability clay, geomembranes). These covers are commonly used in most landfills and are generally referred to as “conventional” covers. Alternative covers are also permitted provided the alternative cover is equivalent to conventional cover.

There is a growing interest in alternative landfill cover designs because these covers are perceived to be less expensive to construct and maintain than conventional covers while providing long-term protection of human health and the environment. USEPA has initiated an Alternative Cover Assessment Program (ACAP) to address growing interest in innovative technology. ACAP is currently focusing on an evapotranspiration cover (ET) that utilizes plants to cycle water from the soil profile to the atmosphere.

Under ACAP, test facilities have been constructed at 12 sites across the United States to assess the hydrological performance of alternative and conventional covers. This presentation will focus on the ACAP program and its preliminary findings.

Biographical Sketch:

Faizur Khan has over 20 years of engineering experience in waste disposal facility permitting, design, construction, and closure. Mr. Khan worked in the consulting industry (PSI and Woodward Clyde) for 10 years prior to working for waste treatment and disposal facilities (Clean Harbors). Mr. Khan has provided cost savings and results-oriented solutions to many treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. Mr. Khan provides direction to the staff in the creation of landfill design/construction drawings, analyses, specifications, bid documents, and CQA documents. Professional highlights include project management experience on multi-million dollar projects including cost and schedule tracking, resource allocation contracting, and regulatory agency interference for clients. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of CA, CO, LA, TX, OK, NE, NJ, MN, SC, UT, and ND.

HGS International Dinner Meeting

"Characteristics of Recent Oil and Gas Discoveries in the Deep Water Portion of the Western Nile Delta, Egypt "

Abstract:

Over the past 35 years more than 4.0 BBOE have been discovered in the Nile Delta, primarily as gas and condensate. Figure 1 shows a location map of the area presented in this talk. With the discovery of multi-TCF gas fields in the western Nile Delta, interest in the deepwater Pliocene play has increased significantly in the past few years.

In 2002, Apache Egypt and partners RWE, DEA, and BP completed four discoveries in the deepwater portion of the West Mediterranean in Egypt’s Nile Delta. Figure 2 shows a depth structure map on the Top Rosetta (Messinian) deep water portion of Apache’s West Mediterranean Concession, Nile Delta, Egypt, with the location of five wells drilled in 2002-2003.The first two wells, Abu Sir-1X and Al Bahig-1X, discovered dry gas from the Upper Lower Pliocene of the Kafr el Sheik Formation. The third well, El Max-1X, recovered gas and gas condensate from the same formation. El King-1X, the forth well, tested 33º API oil, gas and gas condensate from the Messinian Abu Madi Formation and gas and gas, condensate from the Lower Pliocene of the Kafr el Sheik Formation. Oil from El King-1X represents the first oil discovered in the deep water portion of the Egyptian Nile Delta.

The Pliocene gas discoveries consist of northwest-trending deep water levee-channel complexes draped over structures. Abu Sir is a combination structural/ stratigraphic trap with closure to the southwest provided by pinchout of the Abu Sir deepwater fan complex. El Max and Al Bahig are both fault-dependent structural traps. El Max is a high-side fault-dependent trap whereas Al Bahig is a low-side fault-dependent trap. All the Pliocene discoveries are „ characterized by flat spots, phase changes, Class III AVO responses, and structurally conformable amplitude anomalies.

El King is an east-west trending anticlinal structure with hydrocarbons in both the Lower Pliocene and Upper Miocene (Messinian). The Pliocene accumulation is a northwest-trending levee-channel complex draped over the El King anticline. The Messinian reservoirs at El King are interpreted as shallow water deposits and are interbedded with the Rosetta anhydrite. A 16-ft oil leg was encountered in the Messinian at El King.

Geochemistry of the El King-1X oils and condensates from El Max-1X is dissimilar to onshore Cretaceous and Jurassic sources, thus it suggests the possibility of Tertiary source rocks capable of generating both oil and gas in the western portion of the Nile Delta. Preliminary biomarker analyses of the El King-1X show broad similarity with other offshore condensates in the area. Although the condensate in El Max is a different API and has a different gas chromatography trace to the El King oil, both have broadly similar biomarker data. The carbon isotope composition of the dry gas from Abu Sir-1X indicates a thermally mature source for the Abu Sir gas. Carbon isotopes from the dry gas at Al Bahig-1X, on the other hand, indicate that it is predominantly biogenic. n

Biographical Sketch:

Jonathan Bork received his BS and MS in geology from Michigan State University in 1965 and 1967, respectively, and his PhD in geophysics from Colorado School of Mines in 1973. He has worked in exploration offices in New Orleans, Houston, and London for Amoco but spent more than 20 years at Amoco’s Tulsa research center as a research supervisor in interpretation, field acquisition, modeling, AVO, and inversion. Since 1998 he has worked for Apache Corporation in Houston, doing rock property and seismic modeling and AVO interpretation. His email is jonathan.bork@usa.apachecorp.com.

David Phelps is currently a senior geological advisor for Apache Egypt, based in Cairo, Egypt. He received a BS in geology from Kent State University, and an MA and PhD in geology from Rice University. He has 22 years of experience in petroleum research, exploration, and production. His areas of expertise include exploration play and prospect development, structural geology, fault seal evaluation, and reserve risk analysis and assessment. Prior to the current assignment in Cairo, Dave completed a three-year assignment with Apache Corporation in Houston. Before joining Apache, Dave worked with Exxon Production and Research for 16 years in a variety of domestic and foreign assignments including Houston, England, Sydney, and Stavanger. He is active with the Geological Society of America and the AAPG. His email is david.phelps@egy.apachecorp.com.

David Allard is currently the exploration manager for Apache North Sea, based in Aberdeen. He obtained hi BS in geology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. David recently completed an exploration assignment in Cairo, Egypt. Previous assignments include a variety of international concerns for Exxon International: Azerbaijan, Russia, Chad, Niger, Venezuela, Guatemala, and others. He has 22 years of petroleum exploration and production experience. Key skills include exploration play and prospect development, fault seals, production enhancement, reserve assessment, risk analysis, petrophysics, well operations, and economics. Domestic USA assignments with Exxon included the Permian Basin and several Rocky Mountain basins. He also explored the Santa Maria Basin of California for Sohio. He is an active member of the HGS and the AAPG. His email is david.allard@gb.apachecorp.com .