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