Exploration Soil Gas Methods that Reduce Site Characterization Costs

Arthur J. Pyron

Intital site characterization of impacted or suspected sites is the most important section of environmental response. By use of passive soil gas (PSG) characterization methods, the author has saved his clients significant sums of money by expediting the characterization phase of a project, thus eliminating unnecessary drilling, sampling, and by advancing remedial response. Significantly, the PSG method used was developed in the oil industry, and has been used successfully in oil and gas exploration.

PSG identifies impacted areas on a given site prior to installation of soil borings and monitoring wells.This allows placement of subsequent subsurface tests (whether soil borings or monitoring wells) in optimum positions. This approach minimizes the number of wells needed to characterize a site, eliminates over characterization and unnecessary drilling and provides lateral data which in turn allows a client to determine the extent of any liability on a select property. In addition, the PSG method provides reproducible data and allows rapid characterization and priortization of multiple sites, thus allowing a more effective use of environmental budgets.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91020©1995 AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, May 5-8, 1995