hydraulic fracturing consulting services … fracturing consulting services statement of...

Hydraulic Fracturing Consulting Services Statement of Qualifications

Hydraulic Fracturing Consulting Services Statement of Qualifications Exponent, Inc. 12/11

w w w . e x p o n e n t . c o m i n f o @ e x p o n e n t . c o m ii

Contents

Page

Company Profile 1

Public Awareness and Regulatory Concerns 3

Services Offered by Exponent 5

Specialized Service Offerings 7

Geochemical and Operational Consulting 7

Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry 8

Environmental Forensics 8

Chemical Transport and Fate 9

Exposure Assessment 10

Dose Reconstruction 11

Site-Specific Human Health Risk Assessment 12

Atmospheric Sciences 13

Select Example Projects 15

Natural Gas Geochemistry Projects 15

Surface Water and Groundwater Projects Involving Health and Environmental Issues 16

Oil and Gas Drilling and Completion Projects 17

Key Staff 19

References 23

Contact Information 24

w w w . e x p o n e n t . c o m i n f o @ e x p o n e n t . c o m 1

Company Profile

Exponent is a scientific and engineering consulting firm that provides solutions to complex technical problems. Our multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and physicians performs in-depth research and analysis in more than 90 technical disciplines. At Exponent, we pride ourselves on the high quality of our approximately 900 employees. More than 700 are degreed technical professionals, and more than 350 have earned an M.D. or Ph.D. Operating in 20 regional offices and 5 international locations, Exponent is publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange under the symbol EXPO. For more than 40 years, we have provided consulting services to many of the most important companies and projects and have conducted more than 30,000 investigations in various industrial sectors, including oil and gas, energy, chemical, energy, mining, transportation, forestry, aerospace, health services, defense, and financial. More information can be found at www.exponent.com.

Exponent combines unparalleled technical expertise with the ability to respond rapidly and to focus this knowledge in extremely short time frames. We provide our clients with a team of engineering, construction, environmental, risk, and health specialists that is unique in the industry. The value that Exponent brings to its oil and gas clients includes:

Proven experience on high-profile projects of national and international significance

Scientific depth in environmental, social, and health and safety perspectives for oil and gas clients

Deep, functional knowledge of engineering fundamentals: mechanical, structural, metallurgical, chemical, electrical, environmental and others

Convergence of our skills in risk, reliability, and vulnerability analyses

Operational knowledge in down-hole drilling and related support industries.

Exponent offers a range of services from in-depth research and analysis to rapid-response evaluations, providing our clients with the critical information required for day-to-day or long-term strategic decisions. The Exponent name is recognized for its integrity, objectivity, independence, and professionalism. Our clients and people are at the center of our core values. Our values drive a commitment to client service that enables us to provide consistently high quality on a


worldwide basis. We are proud to say that our in-house quality management system is certified to ISO 9001. Our pursuit of excellence has made us one of the fastest growing firms of our kind in the world.

Exponent’s engineers and scientists can facilitate the evaluation of all scientific and regulatory aspects of hydraulic fracturing. Our consultants have significant experience working in and consulting for the oil and gas industry, and understand both the technical and operational aspects of the issues. The following capabilities and expertise enable Exponent to provide great value in meeting the challenges associated with hydraulic fracturing:

Extensive operational knowledge of oil and gas exploration and production activities and their potential environmental impacts

In-depth, functional knowledge and expertise regarding petroleum engineering, use of disposal pits and ponds, and hydraulic fracturing fluid use

Proven experience on high-profile projects of national and international significance—often in a dispute resolution setting

Scientific expertise in environmental and health perspectives, hazard characterization, chemical risk assessment and regulatory policy, and experience with conducting human health and environmental risk, impact, and baseline assessments for the oil and gas industry.


Public Awareness and Regulatory Concerns

Recently, issues have been raised by communities and environmental action groups regarding possible health and environmental effects associated with chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations, as well as with the potential leakage of fracturing fluids into drinking water aquifers and the discharge of fracturing fluids after use. Currently, hydraulic fracturing operations and associated fluids are covered by state oil and gas regulatory programs, and are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would change the regulation of these fluids. Additionally, legislation governing disclosure of fluid composition, permitting requirements for use and disposal, and requirements for preliminary environmental assessments are under development in a number of states relating to development of the Marcellus, Barnett, Black Warrior, Powder River, and Eagle Ford Basins, among others.

The media have highlighted news of releases of fracturing fluids to the environment from holding ponds and the resulting contamination to groundwater (e.g., AMLaw 2010). In addition, several studies suggested a link between hydraulic fracturing operations and the presence of natural gas in residential water wells (see Figure 1) (Knepp 2010; Osborn et al. 2011). However, one has to be careful before accepting the media news and studies that link hydraulic fracturing to contamination without careful review of the underlying data. For example, as acknowledged by Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator, during her Congressional testimony in May 2011, there had been no documented incident of fracturing fluids contaminating any groundwater up the time of her testimony. Also, a Duke University study (Osborn et al. 2011) that linked methane contamination in water wells to hydraulic fracturing operations was based on data that were contradictory to the study conclusions (e.g., Data showed that methane concentrations were elevated in water wells far from fracking operations, while methane levels were lower in water wells close to fracking operations, which contradicts the study findings. Other data that contradicted the study conclusions were also overlooked by the Duke study).

New government regulations are under consideration, and one of the primary areas of focus will be on the inherent risks to human health and the environment posed, not only by the chemicals that make up the fracturing fluids used in the initial process, but also “flowback” water

Source: http://carbonwaters.org/wp-content/uploads/

2010/12/fire_water.jpg

Figure 1. Residential water impacted by natural gas


and “produced” water. Flowback water can be anywhere from 15 to 40 percent of the volume of fluid that is injected (i.e., forced down a well), and flows back up to the surface over a period of 3−4 weeks after fracturing. More than half of the fracturing fluid remains in the formation. The flowback water contains clay, soil, metals, chemicals, and even diesel that may have been added. The chemical profile of this water often varies from well to well because different mixtures are used in different geological conditions. As such, the risks posed by this water, should it be released, are difficult to quantify.

Because of these recent environmental concerns, several actions were taken on the state and federal levels, including the following:

In September 2010, Wyoming became the first state to require public disclosure of all chemicals used in fracturing

In August 2010, New York State regulators voted to prohibit new hydraulic fracturing permits until May 15, 2011

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce continues to examine the potential environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing

EPA is currently designing a study to examine the possible relationship between hydraulic fracturing fluids and the quality of drinking water

Texas became the first state to pass a law (HB 3328) requiring well operators to disclose chemicals used during the hydraulic fracturing process beginning in July 2012.

This mounting pressure regarding hydraulic fracturing operations and the potential adverse environmental impacts necessitates a thorough evaluation of all scientific and regulatory aspects of hydraulic fracturing.


Services Offered by Exponent

Scientists at Exponent are experienced in the technologies employed at hydraulic fracturing operations, have an extensive understanding of the geological factors that contribute to the profile of the flowback and produced water, and have experience developing realistic risk estimates for these types of scenarios.

Exponent’s consultants have been involved in all aspects of hydraulic fracturing operations, including:

Gas well drilling, completions, and operations

Well design and construction

Cementing operations and cement bod logs

Casing corrosion and stress analysis

Gas sealing integrity evaluation

Casing metallurgy and strength

Hydraulic fracturing operations

Natural gas geochemistry

Evaluation of baseline conditions

Isotope analysis to investigate sources of natural gas in residential water wells

Evaluation of natural gas migration

Groundwater and surface water

Evaluation of baseline conditions

Evaluation of the extent of contaminated plumes

Design of hydraulic barriers to contain plume

Design of groundwater treatment systems (pump-and-treat systems)

Optimization of treatment well locations to minimize treatment time


Evaluation of toxicity of completion and stimulation fluids

Health and environmental risk assessments

Treatment in surface facilities, permitting, and waste disposal

Atmospheric sciences

Air dispersion modeling

Human and environmental risk assessment

Oil and gas drilling and completions engineering

State and federal regulatory support.


Specialized Service Offerings

Geochemical and Operational Consulting

The delivery of natural gas from down hole to storage fields and through transmission lines to customers faces problems including corrosion and failure of equipment, pipelines, and seals (Figure 2). These problems occur when integrity assessments are not properly or routinely conducted, and could potentially result in large financial consequences.

Exponent offers a proven team to assist in identifying the source of the natural gas releases in question. We have particular expertise in geochemical fingerprinting techniques for this purpose. Exponent has successfully applied those techniques to disputes and litigation in several states involving gas storage fields in an effort to identify gas sources.

Our activities have included:

Design and implementation of natural gas field sampling and analysis plans

Hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon compositional determinations

Identification of natural gas tracers to identify the origin of a gas sample

Interpretation of chemical and isotope data to identify natural gas sources

Expert reports and testimony.

A key element of a successful implementation of a gas integrity program includes incorporating the lessons learned from previous failures. Exponent has investigated more than 1,200 oil and gas pipe failures, has assisted major pipeline operators all over the world in performing pipeline integrity assessments/risk assessments to quantify safety and environ-mental risks and to define cost-effective methods to reduce these risks.

Figure 2. Casing failure


Environmental Chemistry and Geochemistry

Our clients rely on Exponent for environmental chemistry support on a wide variety of regulatory and litigation projects related to site characterization, exposure assessments, environmental forensics, and remediation. Our team is a diverse group of professionals with expertise in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, biochemistry, process chemistry, and materials science and metallurgy, including specialists in laboratory analyses, data validation, chemical fingerprinting, and geochemical modeling.

We have nationally and internationally recognized experts in PAHs, pesticides, chlorinated solvents, PCBs, dioxins and furans, petroleum, natural gas, oxygenates, persistent fluorinated and brominated compounds, organic metalloids (e.g., monomethyl arsonic acid and methyl mercury), asbestos, silica, nanomaterials, and many elements on the periodic table.

At Exponent, our environmental chemists and geochemists routinely work on multidisciplinary teams with other scientists and engineers in a wide variety of specialties in environmental and earth sciences, human health, ecological risk, fires and explosions, process engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science.

Environmental Forensics

Environmental forensics provides a scientific basis for determining quantitative liability allocation among potentially responsible parties at contaminated sites, as well as for identifying contaminant sources in toxic tort cases. The need for environmental forensics frequently occurs when there are successive owners of a contaminated property, when there are commingled groundwater plumes, or when wastes have been distributed in a community—for example, as fill or for surfacing roads. In addition to identifying the origin of contaminating material, it is often necessary, particularly in insurance coverage cases, to determine how and when contaminating events occurred.

An environmental forensics consulting assignment may combine historical documentation such as aerial photographs, historical maps, facility engineering, and other company records, with fact-witness accounts, and with recent environmental monitoring data. At Exponent, we emphasize interpretation of monitoring data. The tools we use are many, including chemical fingerprinting and isotope analysis, as well as mathematical techniques, for both statistical analysis and modeling chemical transport and behavior in groundwater, sediments, air, and other media. When existing data are insufficient, we can design and implement data collection programs. Our environmental forensics project experience includes chlorinated solvents, dioxins, metals, PAHs,


PCBs, oil spills, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, product additives, and many other compounds.

Exponent has a broad range of environmental forensics expertise, in one of the largest such consulting groups in the United States. We serve industry, attorneys, and selected government agencies as both testifying and consulting experts. In either case, we help our clients critique opposing witness testimony and formulate case strategies that are based on reliable scientific methods.

Our environmental forensics work is supported by other Exponent capabilities, including toxicological risk assessment, reconstruction of historical industrial processes, analysis of system failures leading to a release, corrosion analysis, and critical review of remediation costs.

Chemical Transport and Fate

Exponent provides state-of-the-art expertise in the field of chemical transport and fate. Our scientists and engineers have published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles, and advised numerous government entities and industrial clients on chemical transport and fate issues. We have been recognized for our work in toxic tort, property damage, cost allocation, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) cases nationwide.

Exponent’s chemical fate-and-transport services cover a broad spectrum of chemical contaminants and involve evaluations in media such as air, water groundwater, soil, surface sediment, and house dust. We also evaluate remedial alternatives, apportion sources, and reconstruct exposure.

Exponent’s cost-effective, scientifically defensible, and realistic assessments begin with the development of a conceptual site model, which often identifies the key pathways that require evaluation.

We routinely provide expert evaluations based on conceptual site models and assessment of existing data. In cases where supplemental information is required, our scientists and engineers are accomplished at designing field and laboratory studies, and employing state-of-the-art experiments and methods to resolve scientific issues.

Exponent possesses strong capabilities in data evaluation and model prediction. This includes GIS and statistical capabilities to evaluate trends in contaminant concentrations in space and time. It also includes numerical modeling of chemical transport and fate in air, unsaturated soil, groundwater, sediments, and water bodies (rivers, lakes, estuaries, oceans). Depending on the specific project objectives, the numerical models developed by Exponent can range from simple to complex.


Examples of the latter include state-of-the-art geochemical and hydrological models developed specifically by Exponent scientists and engineers to understand chemical mobility in multifaceted environmental systems.

Exponent provides unique synergy between environmental science and our failure analysis, drawing on engineering expertise in material failures, fires and explosions, and structural failures. We use this expertise when evaluating the source, mechanism, and timing of environmental releases. In addition, our environmental scientists and engineers work closely with ecological and health scientists, utilizing these capabilities to understand exposure and effects. This cooperation among the diverse Exponent practices provides our clients with unmatched value and resources in successfully managing their regulatory and litigation needs.

Exposure Assessment

Exposure assessment is one of four major components in the risk assessment process. Characterizing and estimating the magnitude of potential exposures is an essential component for evaluating health risks posed by a particular chemical or physical agent. Exposure depends on various characteristics of the agent, such as particle shape or fiber size (for inhalation), form of radiation, chemical composition, bioavailability, human behavior, whether natural barriers or personal protective equipment prevent actual exposure, and whether the substance is transformed within the body.

Characterizing historical occupational, environmental, or consumer product exposures is challenging, because there are frequently few or no chemical concentration data specific to the historical exposure event(s), and in many cases, the occupational or environmental conditions have changed or the consumer product is no longer produced or has been reformulated. Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in historical exposure(s) that individuals or groups experienced as part of their activities. Exponent has significant experience in this area, and has helped clients assess exposures from various consumer products using exposure simulation, where industrial hygiene (exposure) data are collected during testing of re-formulated products. The term coined for historical exposure assessments where specific doses are calculated on a job-specific, task-specific, or person-specific basis is “exposure reconstruction” or “dose reconstruction.” Exponent also has substantial experience assisting clients with planning for new facilities or products using prospective exposure assessment techniques. These forward-looking assessments are of great value to clients in getting necessary permits, mitigating potential future exposures, and limiting future liabilities.


Exponent’s health scientists, particularly those in the Center for Exposure Assessment and Dose Reconstruction, provide a depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise to our clients from a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives. Exponent complements this strong and diverse depth of scientific experience with its considerable knowledge base regarding current government and international standard-setting organizations’ activities regarding risk assessment, mathematical modeling, and exposure limits. Exponent’s work is supported and supplemented by our close ties with analytical laboratories for fast turnaround time on samples and our ability to design, construct, and operate exposure-testing chambers.

Dose Reconstruction

Dose reconstruction is the determination of historical doses, whether by inhalation, ingestion, or entry through the skin. Doses depend on the current concentration levels, in air, water, soil, food, and other media and duration and frequency of exposure. If concentration data are available for the time period and location at which exposure is being claimed, estimating exposure and dose for each chemical is straightforward. However, for exposures that occurred historically, often this information is not available.

Exponent has used a variety of assessment tools to gather data to reconstruct and characterize historical exposures. These include:

Extrapolations to historical conditions based on current data and conditions

Factors representing differences between historical and current conditions (e.g., use of differences in ventilation conditions and air exchange rates between the historical and current work facility conditions

Mathematical modeling of historical exposure conditions (e.g., use of emission and dispersion models to estimate chemical concentrations in air under specific historical conditions)

Exposure simulations of historical conditions and collection of industrial hygiene data (e.g., tests of chemical releases from historical products under controlled conditions).

Using these methods, Exponent has calculated the historical chemical dose to which persons were exposed.


Site-Specific Human Health Risk Assessment

Exponent uses a multidisciplinary approach in developing and evaluating site-specific risk assessments. Site-specific risk assessments are an appropriate scientific tool for evaluation of the health risk posed by sites and circumstances that involve possible exposures to known or potentially toxic agents. The elements of a site-specific risk assessment include site characterization and data evaluation, exposure assessment, dose-response evaluations (toxicology), and risk characterization. Using well-established scientific principles along with innovative approaches, our uniquely qualified team of professionals can investigate and provide a detailed assessment of risks to both onsite and offsite receptors.

Regulatory agencies routinely use the results of site-specific risk assessments as the primary bases for decision-making at contaminated sites. The results of a site-specific risk assessment can help determine the need for and nature of remedial actions at hazardous waste sites, support the derivation of cleanup levels, and assist in permitting new facilities and developing closure plans for solid waste management units and facilities that are going out of service. At Exponent, our scientists and engineers perform and critique site-specific risk assessments and derive risk-based remediation goals for hazardous waste sites and facilities under a variety of federal and state regulatory frameworks.

We also perform these services for clients acting voluntarily to address sites not governed by any regulatory mandate. These risk analyses can be a powerful tool in assessing potential environmental liabilities and managing an inventory of sites. Our risk assessors have applied their expertise to perform site-specific analyses and assist our clients in developing effective strategies for managing hundreds of sites.

Our services include:

Data evaluation

Bioavailability studies

Fish consumption surveys and studies

Toxicity assessments

Chemical Fate and Transport modeling

Emissions characterization

Air dispersion modeling

Characterization of exposed populations

Screening-level risk evaluations


Comprehensive baseline risk assessments

Sensitivity analysis

Derivation of risk-based cleanup levels

Deterministic and probabilistic exposure assessments

Research and development to address sources of uncertainty

Risk communication in public forums, seminars, and presentations

Expert/consulting-level support for toxic tort, class action, and general litigation.

Atmospheric Sciences

The Atmospheric Sciences Team at Exponent provides consulting services in air quality and atmospheric sciences. Our staff specializes in air quality and meteorological modeling, permitting, and licensing. They investigate accidental releases of chemicals to the atmosphere, simulate transport and fate of chemical substances, and develop measures of prevention and control, such as emergency preparedness and response. Areas of air quality modeling include industrial plumes, dense gases, photochemical reactions, mobile sources, forest fires, explosions, radioactive releases, and odors.

Clients benefit from our multidisciplinary approach, which includes the support of staff across multiple practice areas. Our atmospheric scientists work closely with chemical engineers, combustion specialists, atmospheric modelers, and thermal and process engineers to predict and evaluate the dispersion of air emissions. They also work with Exponent’s risk assessors to evaluate health risks posed by atmospheric releases to the ambient air and to indoor environments, as well as the health effects of air pollution.

We offer core services to our clients that include:

Air quality modeling

Meteorological modeling

Model development

Air quality permitting and licensing

Litigation support

Training courses.


Exponent’s Atmospheric Sciences staff has experience serving a wide range of industrial and government clients around the world. Team members have been influential in the evolution of air quality modeling. Exponent scientists have participated in the original development of, or contributed to, five of the seven U.S. EPA models recommended in the Guideline on Air Quality Models. Most notable of these is the CALPUFF model, an advanced non-steady-state meteorological and air quality modeling system recommended by the EPA as the preferred model for assessing long-range transport of pollutants and their impacts on Federal Class I areas or for near-field applications involving complex meteorological conditions. Other EPA-recommended models that bear the imprint of the Atmospheric Sciences staff include the Buoyant Line and Point source model commonly used for aluminum reduction facilities, the Offshore and Coastal Dispersion model for emission sources in offshore or shoreline locations, and the Complex Terrain Dispersion Model. Our staff also developed the PRIME building downwash model that is incorporated into the CALPUFF and AERMOD models.


Select Example Projects

A summary of some of our current and recent projects specific to hydraulic fracturing is presented below. The details for some of the projects we are currently involved with are confidential.

Natural Gas Geochemistry Projects

Sources of Natural Gas in Residential Water Wells

For an energy company, this work involved identifying the sources of natural gas reported to be bubbling in residential water wells in northern Pennsylvania. The residential area is located near gas storage fields and is known to contain native gas near the ground surface. Our investigation included using isotope analysis to differentiate between native gases in the area, and gas from the storage fields. The analysis concluded that the natural gas in the residential wells was isotopically similar to the native shallow gases abundant in the area (baseline natural gas) and not the gas from the storage fields. Findings presented to the Pennsylvania DEP.

Evaluation of Natural Gas Migration from a Storage Reservoir

For a natural gas company, observation wells located around a storage gas reservoir indicated that gas was migrating from the field into third-party wells located north of the field. Our investigation included collecting storage gas samples from the field, native gas samples from areas around the field, and gas samples from the third-party wells. Using chemical composition and isotope analysis, we showed that the storage gas was indeed migrating from the field. We authored several expert and rebuttal reports, and testified in state and federal courts, and in front of a FERC technical team.


Allocation of Percent of Native Gas and Storage Gas in Producing Gas Wells

For a natural gas company in New York, we evaluated the percent of storage gas and native gas in producing gas wells. Our work involved geochemical characterization of native gas and storage gas. Subsequently, we created a mixing curve between the two gases and were able to determine the percentage of the two gases in a well that produced the gas of disputed origin.

Surface Water and Groundwater Projects Involving Health and Environmental Issues

Evaluation of the Toxicity of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids

Scientists in Exponent’s Center for Toxicology and Mechanistic Biology have assisted clients in developing the information currently of interest to regulators and the general public. For a fracturing fluid producer, we assisted in the development of a 14-point checklist of environmental, toxicological, and physical categories to evaluate chemical components of the fracturing fluid systems. This type of scientific scoring system is used for assessing and comparing potential product hazards within regulatory guidelines, enhancing limited regulations, or establishing benchmarks when regulations do not exist. The scoring system was based on the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, which is a worldwide initiative to promote standard criteria for classifying chemicals according to their health, physical, and environmental hazards. The system is being used to help the company optimize the human health and environmental safety and performance of their fracturing fluid systems. Similarly, on behalf of an international industry association, Exponent’s consultants are conducting an assessment of the use and potential hazards of their product as a component of fracturing fluids. And recently, for a hydraulic fracturing company in the southern United States, our scientists evaluated the toxicity of fracturing compounds including tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC) and quaternary ammonium compounds.


Design of Hydraulic Barrier Systems to Stop Groundwater Contamination Plumes from Reaching Downgradient Areas

For a specialty chemical manufacturer, we designed the location for a set of injection wells to create a water mound (or a hydraulic barrier) to stop the migration of contaminated groundwater plumes from reaching residential areas downgradient from the plume. Our work involved numerical simulations of the contaminated plumes and injection wells to ensure the effectiveness of the hydraulic barrier system before implementation in the field.

Optimization of the Locations of Pump-and-Treat Wells to Minimize the Treatment Time of a Contaminated Plume

At a groundwater treatment site, we optimized the location of the pump-and-treat system wells to minimize treatment time. The work involved numerical simulation of the plume, and design of the well locations using an optimization computer code. Work was approved by EPA and was implemented in the field.

Oil and Gas Drilling and Completion Projects

Gas Well Blowouts and Leaks

Exponent has provided technical expertise and litigation support for many onshore and offshore gas well blowouts, accidents, and well failures. The cases and projects include gas blowouts and explosions due to surface equipment failures, poor cement jobs, corroded or failed casing, and inadequate well operations. Alleged communication between wells and storage caverns has been addressed, as well as leaks to the surface or shallow sediments. Issues have ranged from gas production losses, fluid migration from the wellbore with environmental impacts, to major explosions and fires with fatalities and injuries. Such gas well applications have been both unconventional and conventional formations.

Natural Gas Storage

Natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons are stored in engineered mines and caverns. The gas sealing integrity is important for both the safety of the surrounding communities and the financial interests of the gas owners. Exponent has conducted root cause investigation of casing and


cementing failures, including geomechanical modeling of the gas storage mines, thermodynamic analysis of the natural gas, engineering analysis of gas storage operations, document review, and onsite inspections for several such operations.


Key Staff

Tarek Saba, Ph.D.—Senior Managing Scientist

Telephone: 508-314-2771, [email protected]

Specializes in the natural gas geochemistry, and transport and fate of chemicals in groundwater

Experience in evaluating natural gas sources in residential water wells

Investigated gas migration using isotope analysis in several states throughout the United States including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Kansas, and Wyoming, and testified in front of FERC technical team

Designed hydraulic barrier systems and groundwater treatment systems to contain and remediate groundwater plumes.

James R. (Bob) Bailey, Ph.D., P.E.—Senior Managing Engineer


Consulting in the fields of civil and petroleum engineering. Has worked in and consulted with the petroleum exploration and production industry since 1980.

Expertise in completions and workovers, specifically well cement design and cementing operations.

Provides litigation and consulting support in areas pertaining to well completion failures, platform and rig design, and environmental loadings (wind and wave) for both onshore and offshore operations, including deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Previously a Senior Engineering Specialist in the Drilling & Completions Division and the Offshore Division of Exxon Production Research Company (now ExxonMobil Upstream Research Center). Taught Well Cementing and Completions & Workovers schools in the United States and Malaysia.


Brun Hilbert, Ph.D., P.E.—Principal Engineer


Consulting in the fields of mechanical and petroleum engineering. Has worked in and consulted with the petroleum exploration and production industry for more than 30 years.

Expertise in oil and gas well design, drilling and completion engineering, well stimulation and hydraulic fracturing, well integrity and tubular design, drilling mechanics, reservoir geomechanics, and gas and liquid hydrocarbon storage.

Provides litigation and consulting support in well blowouts, drilling and production equipment failures, environmental impact of producing and abandoned wells, for both onshore and offshore operations, including deep Gulf of Mexico. Consulting in reservoir geomechanics and completion equipment, tubular design, well integrity management for domestic and international developments.

Previously an Engineering Specialist in the Drilling & Completions Division of Exxon Production Research Company. Taught drilling, subsurface, workover and well stimulation, and production engineering schools in the United States, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia.

Farrukh Mohsen, Ph.D., P.E.—Senior Managing Scientist


Specializes in numerical modeling of the transport and fate of single and multiple chemicals in groundwater and soil vapor

Evaluated the transport, fate, and risk from fracturing fluid compounds to surface water and groundwater

Conducted several studies to track the behavioral changes of chemicals as a result of groundwater/surface water interaction.

Gary E. Mosher, CIH—Senior Managing Scientist


Specializes in numerical modeling of the transport and fate of single and multiple chemicals in groundwater and soil vapor

Evaluated the transport, fate, and risk from fracturing fluid compounds to surface water and groundwater


Conducted several studies to track the behavioral changes of chemicals as a result of groundwater/surface water interaction.

Juan Perri, Ph.D., P.E. – Managing Engineer

Telephone: (510) 268-5051, [email protected]

Specializes in geotechnical and earthquake engineering, and has completed a full range of geotechnical studies for seismic vulnerability assessments, liquefaction analyses, and probabilistic risk assessment.

Dr. Perri has also experience in conducting studies on ground vibrations, site amplification, wave propagation, liquefaction, and lateral spreading.

John D. Schell, Ph.D.—Principal Toxicologist


Worked with leading producers of fracturing fluids and oil and gas companies to develop a scoring system for individual fracturing compounds as well as fracturing fluid “systems” (combination of various compounds developed for specific fracturing fluid properties)

The fracturing fluid scoring was designed to satisfy the European Union’s new directive on Global Harmonization of Labeling

Assisted the oil and gas industry on several projects involving understanding the human health and ecological impacts of different fracturing fluid compounds.

Joseph S. Scire, CCM, Principal Scientist


More than 30 years of experience in the design, development, and application of research and regulatory air quality models.

Played a major role in the development of several widely used models, including the CALPUFF modeling system, the CALGRID photochemical model, the Buoyant Line and Point Source (BLP) model, the MESOPUFF II mesoscale puff dispersion model, the building downwash algorithm in the Industrial Source Complex (ISC) model, the PRIME building


downwash model used in AERMOD, and the FOG cooling-tower model

Served as an expert witness in projects involving CALPUFF modeling, building downwash, herbicide drift, and the deposition of toxic pollutants.

Ali Reza, P.E. — Corporate Vice President and Principal Engineer

310-754-2718, [email protected]

Specialized expertise in the design and risk, reliability and safety based evaluation of equipment and processes utilized in the chemical, petrochemical, and combustion industry

Investigated incidents involving equipment in various chemical and manufacturing plants around the world

Specializes in the engineering analysis of process safety failures and especially, fires, explosions, and detonations

Expertise includes the various heat transfer, gas dynamics, and fluid mechanics processes associated with fires


References

AMLaw. 2011. Pennsylvania shale boom: Drilling for trouble? Available at: http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/ 2010/11/btpreviewshale.html. The AmLaw Daily. November 24, 2010.

Knepp, R. 2010. EPA orders drilling company to clean up water at Barnett Shale site. Houston Energy Industry Examiner, December 8, 2010. Available at: http://www.examiner.com/energy‐industry‐in‐

houston/epa‐orders‐drilling‐company‐to‐clean‐up‐water‐at‐barnett‐

shale‐site.

Osborn, S.G., A. Vengosh, N.R. Warner, and R.B. Jackson. 2011). Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Available at: www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1100682108.


Contact Information

Additional information can be found on our web site:

www.exponent.com

888-656-EXPO

[email protected]

International Locations: Düsseldorf, Germany • Hangzhou, China • Derby and Harrogate, United Kingdom • Basel, Switzerland

U.S. Locations: Alexandria • Atlanta • Boston Area (Maynard, Natick • Bowie • Chicago Area (Downtown Chicago, Warrenville) • Denver • Detroit • Houston • Miami • New York • Philadelphia • Phoenix • San Francisco Bay Area (Menlo Park, Oakland) • Seattle • Southern California Area (Los Angeles, Orange County) • Washington, DC

hydraulic fracturing consulting services … fracturing consulting services statement of...

Documents