Deep hydrogeological research to support brine management for Saskatchewan's potash industry

沉积盆地的资源开发和废物管理活动需要更好地了解深层地下水系统。在许多情况下，现场调查和监测这些系统的费用高得令人望而却步。与钾肥行业合作为研究萨斯喀彻温省的深层水文地质提供了一个诱人的机会。盐水管理是萨斯喀彻温省钾肥行业的一项关键活动。卤水是通过加工活动生产的，也会作为矿场的流入而遇到。需要进行研究，以确定矿井周围卤水的特征，以便预测和缓解潜在的流入。处置井是处理这些卤水的首选方法，但深层含水层接受注入流体的能力尚不清楚。随着钾肥行业的持续扩张，这是一个新出现的担忧。随着钾肥行业的持续扩张，需要努力了解深层含水层对短期和长期注水的反应。从这个项目中获得的见解将使钾肥行业能够了解是否存在与深度注入废盐水相关的任何长期风险，并以更有效的方式管理盐水注入。研究结果还将有助于沉积盆地的其他开发，如石油和天然气生产、碳封存和核废料储存。

Resource development and waste management activities in sedimentary basins have created a need to better understand the deep groundwater systems. Site investigations and monitoring of these systems are prohibitively expensive in many cases. Working with the potash industry provides an appealing opportunity to study the deep hydrogeology of Saskatchewan. Brine management is a key activity for Saskatchewan's potash industry. Brines are produced through processing activities and are also encountered as inflows into mine workings. Research is required to characterize brines around mine workings to allow for prediction and mitigation of potential inflows. Disposal wells are the preferred method of handling these brines but the capacity of deep aquifers to accept the injected fluids is not well understood. This is an emerging concern with the ongoing expansion of the potash industry. Efforts are needed to understand the response of deep aquifers to injection of short and long terms as the potash industry continued to expand. The insights gained from this project will allow for the potash industry to understand if there are any long-term risks associated with deep injection of waste brine and to manage brine injection in a more efficient manner. The results will also be useful to other developments in sedimentary basins, such as oil and gas production, carbon sequestration and nuclear waste storage.