Mobility of shale drill cuttings constituents

This study focuses on the abundance and mobility of metals and trace elements from shale drill cuttings into water, being the main component of the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The relationship between composition of the shale rock and the potential element release during standard water-based leaching tests was characterized by means of X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). The XRF analysis confirmed the assumption of shales constituents mobility due to the water-rocks interaction. The mobility of studied constituents was expressed by means of variations in content of individual elements. Increased pH of leachates obtained as a result of water based leaching medium indicated releasing of alkaline origin components such as Ca, Rb, Mo, Sr. Measurements of TOC of the leachates indicated low levels of dissolved organic carbon.