Monitoring well into abandoned deep-well disposal formations at Sarnia, Ontario

1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. G. Raven ◽  
D. W. Lafleur ◽  
R. A. Sweezey
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Industrial Waste ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
High Pressures ◽  
Hydraulic Head ◽  
Upward Migration ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Monitoring Well ◽  
Deep Well ◽  
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity

A 300 m deep monitoring well was completed to the Detroit River Group of formations in Sarnia, Ontario, to evaluate the potential near-surface impacts resulting from previous deep injection of industrial waste. Detailed logging, testing, and sampling were performed to evaluate the vertical distribution of industrial waste and to determine hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic head in the disposal horizon and in the confining formations. Results of hydraulic testing indicate the hydraulic conductivity of the disposal formation is 2 × 10−9 to 2 × 10−7 m/s and that of most of the confining shale and limestone formations is less than 1 × 10−10 m/s. Analyses of groundwater samples and results from other studies show that industrial waste, characterized by elevated phenol concentrations, is present in a 10 m horizon in the Lucas dolomite disposal formation at 192 m depth. Waste is also likely present within 2–3 m thick, high-permeability limestone layers at 74 and 123 m depth in the confining units of the Hamilton Group. Because of the generally low vertical hydraulic conductivity of the confining formations, waste in the permeable limestone layers was likely introduced via poorly constructed disposal wells, cavern storage wells, or abandoned oil and gas wells. The hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic head data indicate the high pressures resulting from injection into the disposal formation have dissipated. The head within the zone of residual contamination in the disposal formation is now 8 m below the level of the St. Clair River. The hydraulic data and chemical composition of the injected waste show that the discharges of tarry liquids on the bottom of the St. Clair River in 1984 and 1985 were not caused by upward migration of injected waste. Key words: deep-well disposal, pressurized waste injection, industrial waste, Sarnia.

The heterogeneity of 3-D vertical hydraulic conductivity in a streambed

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangdong Wu ◽  
Longcang Shu ◽  
Chengpeng Lu ◽  
Xunhong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Deposition Process ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
River Bank ◽  
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Permeameter Tests ◽  
D Model

The heterogeneity of vertical hydraulic conductivity (Kv) is a key attribute of streambed for researchers investigating surface water–groundwater interaction. However, few three-dimensional (3-D) Kv models with high spatial resolutions have been achieved. In this study, in-situ permeameter tests were conducted to obtain Kv values. A 3-D model with 443 Kv values was built comprising 10 lines, 10 rows, and five layers. Statistical analysis was done to reveal the spatial characteristics of Kv. The influence of bedform on Kv values was restricted to the near-surface streambed. Kv increased with the increasing distance from the south river bank for the upmost layer, but it was not the case for other layers and the combined Kv values of five layers; the spatial pattern at transects across the channel did not differ significantly. The Kv values of each layer pertained to different populations; the sediments of individual layers were formed under different sedimentation environments. The coupling of erosion/deposition process and transport of fine materials primarily contributed to a reduction of the mean and median of Kv values and an increase of heterogeneity of Kv values with depth. Thus, a collection of Kv values obtained from different layers should be considered when characterizing the heterogeneity of streambed.

Evidence for recent groundwater flow through Late Wisconsinan till near Toronto, Ontario

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Gerber ◽  
K WF Howard
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Pore Waters ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Degree Of Protection ◽  
Core Samples ◽  
South Central ◽  
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Late Wisconsinan

The Northern till is a thick (~50 m) Late Winsconsinan diamict unit that occurs throughout south-central Ontario. The till has generally been regarded as massive and uniform, with a very low vertical hydraulic conductivity. It is similar to many other till units of mid-continental North American glaciated terrain in that it is believed to inhibit recharge to underlying aquifers and afford a high degree of protection to these aquifers from surface and near-surface sources of contamination. Standard methods of estimating hydraulic conductivity (K) for the Northern till, such as laboratory testing of core samples (other studies) and rising–falling head field piezometer tests (this study and other studies), characteristically yield values on the order of 10–11 to 10–9 m/s. Typically, these values indicate advective traveltimes through the till on the order of hundreds to thousands of years. In contrast, isotopic evidence (2H, 18O, and 3H) from till pore waters indicates the presence of modern (post-1952) waters at depths of up to 50 m, suggesting either that certain facies of the till are considerably more permeable or that minor sand lenses or hydrogeologically active secondary permeability structures are locally important. In some areas, vertical flow velocities may approach 1 m/year. By comparing pore-water isotopic data from cores acquired using mud (sodium bentonite) and dry rotary methods, this study further demonstrates that representative pore-water samples can be obtained using a drilling fluid providing care is taken in preparing core samples for analysis. Key words: till, aquitard, permeability, recharge, contaminant transport, isotopes.

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Clayey Tills and the Role of Fractures

1990 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnny Fredericia
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
American Studies ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Present Knowledge ◽  
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Laboratory Measurements ◽  
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Data Field

The background for the present knowledge about hydraulic conductivity of clayey till in Denmark is summarized. The data show a difference of 1-2 orders of magnitude in the vertical hydraulic conductivity between values from laboratory measurements and field measurements. This difference is discussed and based on new data, field observations and comparison with North American studies, it is concluded to be primarily due to fractures in the till.

Effect of temperature on streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity

2013 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weihong Dong ◽  
Gengxin Ou ◽  
Xunhong Chen ◽  
Zhaowei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
In Situ Tests ◽  
Effect Of Water ◽  
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Streambed Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity

In this study, in situ and on-site permeameter tests were conducted in Clear Creek, Nebraska, USA to evaluate the effect of water temperature on streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity Kv. Fifty-two sediment cores were tested. Five of them were transferred to the laboratory for a series of experiments to evaluate the effect of water temperature on Kv. Compared with in situ tests, 42 out of the 52 tests have higher Kv values for on-site tests. The distribution of water temperature at the approximately 50 cm depth of streambed along the sand bar was investigated in the field. These temperatures had values in the range 14–19 °C with an average of 16 °C and had an increasing trend along the stream flow. On average, Kv values of the streambed sediments in the laboratory tests increase by 1.8% per 1 °C increase in water temperature. The coarser sandy sediments show a greater increase extent of the Kv value per 1 °C increase in water temperature. However, there is no distinct increasing trend of Kv value for sediment containing silt and clay layers.

scholarly journals Formation environments and mechanisms of multistage paleokarst of Ordovician carbonates in Southern North China Basin

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haitao Zhang ◽  
Guangquan Xu ◽  
Mancai Liu ◽  
Minhua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Carbonate Rocks ◽  
North China ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Carbonate Reservoir ◽  
Carbonate Reservoirs ◽  
Geochemical Data ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Pore Types ◽  
North China Basin

AbstractWith the reduction of oil and gas reserves and the increase of mining difficulty in Northern China, the carbonate rocks in Southern North China Basin are becoming a significant exploration target for carbonate reservoirs. However, the development characteristics, formation stages, formation environments and mechanisms of the carbonate reservoirs in Southern North China Basin are still unclear, which caused the failures of many oil and gas exploration wells. This study focused on addressing this unsolved issue from the Ordovician carbonate paleokarst in the Huai-Fu Basin, which is located in the southeast of Southern North China Basin and one of the key areas for oil and gas exploration. Based on petrology, mineralogy and geochemical data, pore types, distribution characteristics, and formation stages of the Ordovician paleokarst were analyzed. Then, in attempt to define the origins of porosity development, the formation environments and mechanisms were illustrated. The results of this study showed that pore types of the Ordovician carbonates in the Huai-Fu Basin are mainly composed of intragranular pores, intercrystalline (intergranular) pores, dissolution pores (vugs), fractures, channels, and caves, which are usually in fault and fold zones and paleoweathering crust. Furthermore, five stages and five formation environments of the Ordovician paleokarst were identified. Syngenetic karst, eogenetic karst, and paleoweathering crust karst were all developed in a relatively open near-surface environment, and their formations are mainly related to meteoric water dissolution. Mesogenetic karst was developed in a closed buried environment, and its formation is mainly related to the diagenesis of organic matters and thermochemical sulfate reduction in the Permian-Carboniferous strata. Hydrothermal (water) karst was developed in a deep-buried and high-temperature environment, where hydrothermal fluids (waters) migrated upward through structures such as faults and fractures to dissolve carbonate rocks and simultaneously deposited hydrothermal minerals and calcites. Lastly, a paleokarst evolution model, combined with the related porosity evolution processes, nicely revealed the Ordovician carbonate reservoir development. This study provides insights and guidance for further oil and gas exploration in the Southern North China Basin, and also advances our understanding of the genesis of carbonate paleokarst around the world.

Hydraulic Conductivity of Compacted Tropical Clay Treated with Rice Husk Ash

2011 ◽  
Vol 367 ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian O. Eberemu ◽  
Agapitus A. Amadi ◽  
Joseph E. Edeh
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Rice Husk ◽  
Industrial Waste ◽  
Rice Husk Ash ◽  
Waste Product ◽  
Dry Density ◽  
Waste Containment ◽  
Hydraulic Behaviour ◽  
Waste Containment Systems

Laboratory study on compacted tropical clay treated with up to 16% rice husk ash (RHA), an agro-industrial waste; to evaluate its hydraulic properties and hence its suitability in waste containment systems was carried out. Soil-RHA mixtures were compacted using standard Proctor, West African Standard and modified Proctor efforts at-2, 0, 2 and 4% of optimum moisture content (OMC). Compacted samples were permeated and the hydraulic behaviour of the material was examined considering the effects of moulding water content, water content relative to optimum, dry density and RHA contents. Results showed decreasing hydraulic conductivity with increasing moulding water content and compactive efforts; it also varied greatly between the dry and wet side of optimum decreasing towards the wet side. Hydraulic conductivity generally decreased with increased dry density for all effort. Hydraulic conductivity increased with rice husk ash treatment at the OMC; but were within recommended values of 1 x 10-7 cm/s for up to 8% rice husk ash treatment irrespective of the compactive effort used. This shows the suitability of the material as a hydraulic barrier in waste containment systems for up to 8% rice husk ash treatment and beneficial reuse of this agro-industrial waste product.

Simulating transient infiltration in unsaturated soils

1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1093-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R McDougall ◽  
I C Pyrah
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Unsaturated Soils ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Unsaturated Flow ◽  
Surface Region ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Soil Suction ◽  
Wetting Front ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Transient responses to various infiltration events have been examined using an unsaturated flow model. Numerical simulations reveal a range of infiltration patterns which can be related to the ratio of infiltration rate to unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. A high value of this ratio reflects a prevailing hydraulic conductivity which cannot readily redistribute the newly infiltrated moisture. Moisture accumulates in the near-surface region before advancing down through the soil as a distinct wetting front. In contrast, low values of the ratio of rainfall to unsaturated hydraulic conductivity show minimal moisture accumulation, as the relatively small volumes of infiltrating moisture are readily redistributed through the soil profile.Key words: numerical modelling, infiltration, unsaturated soil, soil suction, groundwater.

scholarly journals ADAPTATION OF THE METHOD OF CHROMATOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF GASOLINE TO ACHIEVE PURPOSES OF GEOCHEMICAL PROSPECTING FOR OIL AND GAS

2019 ◽  
pp. 16-23
Author(s):  
A. R. Kurchikov ◽  
R. I. Timshanov ◽  
E. A. Ustimenko
Keyword(s):  
Chromatographic Analysis ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Seismic Survey ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Petroleum Potential ◽  
Geological Interpretation ◽  
Gasoline Hydrocarbons ◽  
Snow Water ◽  
Individual Hydrocarbons ◽  
Background Content

Geochemical survey is commonly applied during geological exploration to predict petroleum potential of large areas and to estimate the content of traps identified by the results of seismic survey. C1-C6 hydrocarbon concentrations in samples of surface and subsurface air, soil, snow, water, etc. are used as predictive indicators. At the exploration stage the capabilities of geochemical methods can be significantly expanded by comparing the content of gasoline hydrocarbons in samples of formation fluids and in samples of near-surface sediments. The method of chromatographic analysis of gasolines Chromatec Gazolin has been adapted for sample analysis. The taken measures to increase the sensitivity allowed us to register individual hydrocarbons C1-C10 in concentrations up to 0,01 ppb, which is obviously lower than their background content in the oil prospect areas. The revealed patterns are used in the geological interpretation of geochemical distributions based on theoretical ideas about the subvertical migration of hydrocarbons from the reservoir to the surface.

scholarly journals New insights into the drainage of inundated ice-wedge polygons using fundamental hydrologic principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan R. Harp ◽  
Vitaly Zlotnik ◽  
Charles J. Abolt ◽  
Brent D. Newman ◽  
Adam L. Atchley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Annular Region ◽  
Active Layer Thickness ◽  
Conductivity Anisotropy ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
High Anisotropy ◽  
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Ice Wedge

Abstract. The pathways and timing of drainage from inundated ice-wedge polygon centers in a warming climate have important implications for carbon flushing, advective heat transport, and transitions from carbon dioxide to methane dominated emissions. This research provides intuition on this process by presenting the first in-depth analysis of drainage from a single polygon based on fundamental hydrogeological principles. We use a recently developed analytical solution to provide a baseline for the effects of polygon aspect ratios (radius to thawed depth) and hydraulic conductivity anisotropy (horizontal to vertical hydraulic conductivity) on drainage pathways and temporal depletion of ponded water heights of inundated ice-wedge polygon centers. By varying the polygon aspect ratio, we evaluate the effect of polygon size (width), inter-annual increases in active layer thickness, and seasonal increases in thaw depth on drainage. One of the primary insights from the model is that most inundated ice-wedge polygon drainage occurs along an annular region of the polygon center near the rims. This implies that inundated polygons are most intensely flushed by drainage in an annular region along their horizontal periphery, with implications for transport of nutrients (such as dissolved organic carbon) and advection of heat towards ice wedge tops. The model indicates that polygons with large aspect ratios and high anisotropy will have the most distributed drainage. Polygons with large aspect ratio and low anisotropy will have their drainage most focused near the their periphery and will drain most slowly. Polygons with small aspect ratio and high anisotropy will drain most quickly. Our results, based on idealized scenarios, provide a baseline for further research considering geometric and hydraulic complexities of ice-wedge polygons.

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