Effect of precipitation on LNAPL recovery performance: An integration of laboratory and field results

Highlights

• LNAPL recovery rate at the 322.5K site in Taiwan was affected by precipitation.

• Design laboratory waterfloods to mimic LNAPL recovery at the 322.5K site.

• Integrate laboratory and field waterflood results through a log–log type-curve.

• Estimate infiltration factor of precipitation from a log–log type-curve-match.

• Laboratory core waterfloods can be scaled up to predict field LNAPL recovery.

Abstract

The recovery rate of light-non-aqueous-phase-liquids (LNAPLs) in an unconfined aquifer was affected by precipitation and the rise and fall of the water table at the 322.5K site in Taiwan. The field performance of LNAPL recovery can be generated in the laboratory waterflood experiments using undisturbed soil samples taken from the 322.5K site. A log–log type-curve-matching method was developed in this paper to compare the laboratory waterflood results with the performance of LNAPL recovery observed on the 322.5K site. Laboratory-observed LNAPL recovery can be scaled up to predict field performance of LNAPL recovery through the log–log type-curve.