Deep Subsurface Resource Development and Groundwater Protection

地下水资源保护传统上侧重于地表和浅层地下的污染源。最近对深井安装、增产和运营的审查表明，地下水资源也可能面临来自更深水源的污染风险。 该研究计划将研究深层水文地质系统和浅层地下水供应之间自然和人为联系的强度。这将通过采取多管齐下的方法来实现，即利用石油和天然气行业、钾矿和省级地下水观测网络的现有数据、现场采样和数值模拟。 现有数据将用于支持加拿大西部沉积盆地水文地质系统的表征。虽然该流域的某些地区已经这样做了，但迄今为止的重点是绘制区域流动模式，很少考虑支持与工业发展相关的污染物迁移分析所需的许多物理参数。 该研究计划将编译和分析这些数据，以支持创建深层和浅层地下水系统之间潜在联系的数值模型。 化学数据将从一系列现有来源进行汇编，并将通过对本研究计划期间收集的样品的分析以及与萨斯喀彻温省钾矿开采公司进行的免费研究进行补充。 这些化学数据将用于建立一个适合识别来自不同地层的水的数据库。 由于加拿大很少对深层和浅层地下水系统之间的污染物迁移进行严格研究，因此这些化学数据将用作数值模型的初始条件，以探索不同地下水示踪剂在深层流体污染浅层地下水供应的一系列情况下的分布。 这将有助于集中寻找与深井安装和运营相关的遗留问题，并指导未来的环境评估和监测计划。

Groundwater resource protection has traditionally focused on contaminant sources at the ground surface and in the shallow subsurface. Recent reviews of the installation, stimulation, and operation of deep wells indicated that groundwater resources can also be at risk of contamination from deeper sources. This research program will examine the strength of both natural and anthropogenic connections between deep hydrogeological systems and shallow groundwater supplies. This will be achieved by taking a multipronged approach that uses existing data from the oil and gas industry, potash mines, and provincial groundwater observation networks, field sampling, and numerical modeling. Existing data will be used to support the characterization of hydrogeological systems in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. While this has been done for some regions of the basin, the focus to date has been on mapping regional flow patterns, with little regard for many of the physical parameters required to support analysis of contaminant transport at scales relevant to industrial development. This research program will compile and analyze these data to support the creation of numerical models of potential connections between deep and shallow groundwater systems. Chemical data will be compiled from a range of existing sources and will be supplemented by analyses of samples collected during this research program, as well as complimentary research conducted with potash mining companies in Saskatchewan. This chemical data will be used to build a database suitable for identifying water from different formations. Because few cases of contaminant transport between deep and shallow groundwater systems have been rigorously studied in Canada, these chemical data will be used as initial conditions in numerical models to explore the distribution of different groundwater tracers in a range of situations where deep fluids contaminate shallow groundwater supplies. This will help to focus the search for legacy issues related to deep well installation and operation and guide future environmental assessments and monitoring programs.