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Groundwater risk assessment investigations for oil shale exploitation in El-Lajjun area of central Jordan

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Abstract

Oil shales are sedimentary rocks that contain organic material in its inorganic matrix. The oil shale deposits of Jordan have been investigated since the 1960s. An extensive investigation studies have been commenced to evaluate the quality and quantity of these resources. In 2006, the government of Jordan invited pioneer companies in oil shale field to submit their proposal to utilize and develop the oil shale of Jordan using different extraction technologies. Jordan is considered one of the driest countries in the world, which poses an additional challenge for oil shale development, because a vast quantity of water is needed for this process. El-Lajjun study area is located in central Jordan; the oil shale in the study area was deposited in marine environment; it comprises massive beds of brown-black, kerogen-rich, bituminous chalky marl. Ten representative oil shale rock samples were collected for risk assessment investigations from different localities of oil shale exposures. A standardized laboratory Fischer assay test delivered oil shale characteristics. Sequential extraction was used to evaluate mobility and distribution of the trace elements Ti, V, Cr, Co, Zn, As, Zr, Cd, Pb, and U. Column leaching experiments were performed to simulate the leaching behavior of the above elements from oil shale and spent shale to evaluate the possible negative impact on groundwater in the study area. Results of sequential extraction indicate that concentration of trace elements and trace elements are richer in oil shale and in the spent shale compared to most rocks and soils. The concentrations in the leachate were below the maximum contaminant levels of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Jordanian standards for drinking water. The significance of this study lies in that its utilizes for the first time the sequential extraction and column leaching techniques to investigate the Jordanian oil shale rocks.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Royal Scientific Society/Jordan for allowing the use of their laboratories to prepare the samples, and thanks go to the Hydrogeology Department of TU Bergakademie Freiberg/Germany and Dr. Nicolai-Alexeji Kummer for assistance with practical and theoretical advice in the laboratory and analytical work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, P.O Box 140027, Amman, 11814, Jordan

    Ahmed A. Gharaibeh

  2. Environment and Water Center, Research & Development Unit, Royal Scientific Society, Amman-al Jubaiha, 11941, Jordan

    Ayoup M. Ghrair

  3. Scientific Research Commission, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Amman, Jordan

    Ayoup M. Ghrair

  4. Department of Hydrogeology, Institute of Geology, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-Str. 12, 09599, Freiberg, Germany

    Broder Merkel

Authors
  1. Ahmed A. Gharaibeh
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  2. Ayoup M. Ghrair
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  3. Broder Merkel
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Correspondence to Ahmed A. Gharaibeh.

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Editorial handling: Abdullah M. Al-Amri

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Gharaibeh, A.A., Ghrair, A.M. & Merkel, B. Groundwater risk assessment investigations for oil shale exploitation in El-Lajjun area of central Jordan. Arab J Geosci 12, 495 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4675-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4675-7

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