Slide 1: Caroona Coal Project Groundwater Studies
CAROONA COAL PROJECT GROUNDWATER STUDIES PRESENTATION TO CAROONA COAL PROJECT COMMUNITY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE 1 September 2009 Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 2: Review of Groundwater Regime – Plan showing distribution
CAROONA COAL PROJECT REVIEW OF GROUNDWATER REGIME – Plan showing distribution There are 3 aquifer systems in the Caroona area: - alluvial aquifers (most important) - fractured rock aquifers (coal seams, some sandstones) - regolith aquifers An aquifer is defined as a groundwater formation that is cap
Slide 3: Yields from Farm Bores from DWE Database
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Yields from Farm Bores from DWE Database Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 4: Review of Groundwater Regime – Cross Section
CAROONA COAL PROJECT REVIEW OF GROUNDWATER REGIME – Cross Section SCHEMATIC - NOT TO SCALE Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 5: Why the Need to Investigate in Alluvial Areas
CAROONA COAL PROJECT WHY THE NEED TO INVESTIGATE IN ALLUVIAL AREAS In order to assess the regional hydrogeology of the area, the relationship between the aquifers and hence to assess the impact of mining on the aquifer systems, if any it is necessary to define: the extent of the alluvial aquifers
Slide 6: Bore/Monitoring Locations
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Bore/Monitoring Locations Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 7: CAROONA COAL PROJECT
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 8: CAROONA COAL PROJECT
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 9: Test Work Undertaken in Selected Exploration Bores
CAROONA COAL PROJECT TEST WORK UNDERTAKEN IN SELECTED EXPLORATION BORES Downhole geophysical logging to define the alluvium, coal seams, interburden, overburden (all boreholes). Compliments the lithological logs Permeability tests (lugeon tests, falling head tests, pump out tests) Core sample
Slide 10: Borehole Log
CAROONA COAL PROJECT BOREHOLE LOG SHOWING Lithology Monitoring Bore construction Some of the geophysical logs that were run A Borehole Log is produced for all monitoring bores that are installed Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 11: Lugeon or Packer Test and Falling/Rising Head Test
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Lugeon or Packer Test (192 No.) Falling/Rising Head Test (46 No,) Single-hole in situ test of formation Inserting or removing a slug of water permeability performed by measuring and measuring the rate of recovery to the volume of water taken in a section the static level of test
Slide 12: Pumping Test – Site C102
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Pumping Test – Site C102 Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 13: C102 Pumping Test Analysis
CAROONA COAL PROJECT C102 Pumping Test Analysis 285.00 24 hour Constant Rate Pumping Test RecoveryTest 284.50 284.00 283.50 Groundwater Level (RLm) 283.00 282.50 282.00 C102B (17-20m) C102A (33-36m) 281.50 C102D (89-95m) C102C (148-154m) 281.00 28/05/08 4:48 28/05/08 9:36 28/05/08 14:24 28/05/08 19:
Slide 14: Monitoring of Groundwater Levels
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Monitoring of Groundwater Levels 284.5 284.0 283.5 farmer irrigating Water Level (RLm) 283.0 282.5 282.0 281.5 C102-A alluvium (33.0-36.0m ) C102-B alluvium (17.0-20.0m ) C102-C Clift Seam (148.0-154.0m ) C102-D alluvium (89.0-95.0m ) 281.0 13/03/08 12/04/08 13/05/08 13/06/08 Au
Slide 15: Monitoring of Groundwater Levels
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Monitoring of Groundwater Levels 296 C76 (24-30m) Manual measurement VWP-80m 294 VWP-103.5m VWP-207m VWP-299m 292 interburden Caroona/Hoskisson Seams 290 Water Level (mRL) interburden Seams 11 &12 288 286 alluvium below base of alluvium 284 Roof of Seam 2 282 280 01/10/07 01/01/
Slide 16: Groundwater Monitoring/Sampling
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Groundwater Monitoring/Sampling sampling undertaken in accordance with the Murray Darling Basin Guidelines for Groundwater Sampling; water level measured, loggers downloaded at least three casing volumes purged prior to sample being taken samples collected by ALS-ACIL an
Slide 17: Monitoring of Groundwater Quality
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Monitoring of Groundwater Quality Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 18: Summary of Data Collected
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Summary of Data Collected Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 19: Groundwater Model
CAROONA COAL PROJECT GROUNDWATER MODEL Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 20: What is a Groundwater Model?
CAROONA COAL PROJECT What is a Groundwater Model? A groundwater model is a 3D representation of an aquifer. It is developed based on the information obtained from the exploration and testing program. (the distribution of the aquifers and non aquifers, permeability profiles, degree of hydraulic con
Slide 21: Model Development
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Model Development Conceptualize the system (broad understanding of how the aquifers interact with each other and their recharge and discharge processes). Model structure (layers) are defined by drill logs. Will have layers representing the alluvium, coal seams and interburde
Slide 22: Model Calibration
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Model Calibration Calibration is the refining of model inputs to get model outputs to match corresponding historical measurements. A calibrated model provides more reliable predictions The model is built and calibrated to Australian Guidelines Australasian Groundwater & En
Slide 23: Model Output
CAROONA COAL PROJECT Model Output A calibrated model is used to predict: Impact on groundwater levels within the aquifers represented Flows within and between aquifers Flow into the mine workings Flows to and from surface features (i.e. streams) Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consu
Slide 24: AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Structure
CAROONA COAL PROJECT AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Structure Plan view of the model area 30km showing: 35km Outcrop and alluvial areas Lease boundary (red) Model boundary (blue) Model requires data beyond the mining lease area Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 25: AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Structure
CAROONA COAL PROJECT AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Structure Alluvium is simulated in the upper 2 model layers The model grid representing alluvium in these two upper layers is shown at the right. Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 26: AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Layers
CAROONA COAL PROJECT AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Layers West to east cross-section of the 14 layer model: W E Doona Point Nicholas Ridge Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd
Slide 27: AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Layers
CAROONA COAL PROJECT AGE Numerical Groundwater Model - Layers North to south cross-section of the 14 layer model: N Doona Point S Australasian Groundwater & Environmental Consultants Pty Ltd