REMEDIATION OF LOW PERMEABILITY SUBSURFACE FORMATIONS BY FRACTURING ENHANCEMENT OF SOIL VAPOR EXTRACTION

This paper describes the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (S ITE) of pneumatic and hydraulic fracturing to augment and improve the extraction of volatile contaminants from soil. The fracturing procedur es involve a physical pressurization process that creates fissures and channels in soils to enhance fluid or vapor flow in the subsurface. F ractures are placed at specific locations and depths inside the boreho les of wells to increase the effectiveness of in situ remedial technol ogies, especially soil vapor extraction (SVE). The fracturing technolo gy is primarily beneficial in tightly packed geologic formations havin g low permeabilities. Results from several demonstrations indicated or ders of magnitude increases in subsurface vapor flow and contaminated vapor extraction rates after soil fracturing.