Eliminating Naturally-Occurring Shale Oil in Well Water

Vic
Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
edited December 2021 in Solar Water Pumping #1
In an arid area of the CA Inner East Bay,  have had potential water well sites Witched.

Have had three well Test Holes drilled.  The only real candidate for a domestic water well,  which has an estimated water production of 3 - 5 GPM,  also has what the driller calls,  an "excess amount of shale oil" (black streaks in the water being air, blown out of the well).   This is not cased,  or otherwise a finished well  --  no pump.

Know that with a finished,  cased well,  and using a pump that is well  below the surface of the water,  this oil production would be reduced.   BUT,  there will be some oil suspended (or "dissolved",  etc).

The driller is experienced in these matters,  and judged that this was an excessive amount of oil.   Most other water wells do not have excessive oil.   We are probably at least 50 miles from any Fracking,  or fracking waste water injection wells.

Have searched for water treatment systems that are designed to deal with this situation,  and,  mostly find treatments of fracked water.

Looking for small-scale treatment systems,  which will not require large amounts of disposible filter media,   etc.

Of course,  the best way to know the real magnitude of the is to finish this hole,  into a well,  at an additional cost of about $25K,  without a pump/cable,  etc.  The difficulty/hassle/expense of any treatment should really drive the decision of weather or not,  to finish this hole,  into a real well.

Thanks for suggestions  --  have collected rain water at this site for the past 18 years,  but have been looking for a more convenient water source.

TIA,   Vic
Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'd develop the well, for non-potable use, and after a couple months, test and see what you really have.  In the future, drilling wells will become more & more restrictive.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

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  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi Mike,  Thank You for your perspectives.

    While we do not have too much use for non-potable water,   have sure been leaning toward having this hole in the ground developed into a well.

    Thank you very much,  take care,   Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
     It seams like if you where to pump from deep and pump slow you may get clean water the oil will stay on top . 
     You don’t know if the well will clean up with pumping . 
        How much of a investment have you made so far?  
     I just dropped my well pump down 700 feet and I get 4 gallons a minute . 
      My water tested good 👍 
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
    Hello,  wellbuilt,

    If we make the best test hole candidate,   into a well,  we have about $12.5K  US,  in surplus test holes  --  test holes are $20/foot,   with that amount credited re-drilling that hole,  into a developed well.

    Glad that you have a reasonable well,  there.

    The present plan is to roll the dice,  on the hole,  mentioned above.   Thanks,   Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
       Wow things are expensive there, I pay 10$ a foot here if I have to pay . 
     My buddy drills for me and he Dosent charge me at my place . 
       But my pump 700feet of sch120 drop tube and 700 feet of 10/2. With ground cost  A fortune . 
        I could not find any one that would put a pump in for me for reasonable money 💰   
       I was getting prices of 13 to 30k  just for the pump set up . 
         I ended up gathering all the supply’s renting a well puller on our way up to the cabin . 
       We started @ 10 am and by 2 pm I had water filling my tank in the house . 
        It went very easy , I’m not sure why every one wants so much to do the job ?
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    wellbuilt said:
      ..........
        It went very easy , I’m not sure why every one wants so much to do the job ?
    Because not every job goes so easy.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • wellbuilt
    wellbuilt Solar Expert Posts: 763 ✭✭✭✭
     I really don’t know what can go wrong with a full stone bore hole ?
      Put the first pipe on the pump , tie on 6 ‘ safety rope , crimp on wires and heat seal with water Proof wire splice .
     Tape wire every 10 ‘ add cable guards every 20’ and check valves 20’ from the pump and every 200’  
      What could go wrong ?  Short of getting a bad pump or dropping it down the hole .
       Of course I don’t make cookies all day long so a do have a certain amount of experience doing mechanical things . 
        I am having nightmares about the pump blowing off the bottom of the pipe ,  but  is seamed very easy once I found the parts .  
     I know I don’t have to many 10k days 🤷‍♂️
    Out back  flex power one  with out back 3648 inverter fm80 charge controler  flex net  mate 16 gc215 battery’s 4425 Watts solar .