| Title | Assessment of non-saline aquifers and potential impacts of oil and gas development activities, including induced seismicity, on these aquifers in the Fox Creek area (AB) / Évaluation des aquifères non
salins et des impacts potentiels des activités liées à l'exploitation des hydrocarbures, dont les séismes induits, sur ces aquifères dans la région de Fox Creek (AB) |
| Download | Download (whole publication) |
| |
| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | Rivard, C |
| Source | Public presentations of May 21st, 2019: Environmental Geoscience Program, current status of research projects for the 2019-2024 program cycle; by Jacob, N; Bringué, M; Galloway, J M; Gammon, P R; Outridge, P M; Desbarats, A J; Rivard, C; Ahad, J M E; Duchesne, M J; Geological Survey of Canada, Scientific Presentation 103, 2019 p. 32-39, https://doi.org/10.4095/314913  Open Access |
| Year | 2019 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English; French |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is contained in Public presentations of May
21st, 2019: Environmental Geoscience Program, current status of research projects for the 2019-2024 program cycle |
| Related | This publication is related to Assessment of potential
impacts of oil and gas development activities on shallow aquifers in the Fox Creek area (AB) |
| File format | pdf (Adobe® Reader®) |
| Province | Alberta |
| NTS | 83F |
| Area | Fox Creek |
| Lat/Long WENS | -118.0000 -116.0000 54.0000 53.0000 |
| Subjects | hydrogeology; environmental geology; fossil fuels; geophysics; geochemistry; Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; Government and Politics; Economics and Industry; environmental studies;
environmental impacts; groundwater resources; aquifers; groundwater geochemistry; groundwater pollution; groundwater flow; flow regimes; petroleum industry; hydrocarbons; oil; gas; hydrocarbon recovery; hydraulic fracturing; seismology; seismicity;
seismic risk; earthquake risk; water utilization; water wells; gas wells; oil wells; observation wells; pressure; water levels; models; chemical analyses; isotopic studies; isotopes; fluid migration; hydrocarbon migration; watersheds; field work;
core samples; hydraulic analyses; hydraulic conductivity; porosity; permeability; geophysical logging; Environmental Geoscience Program (EGP); Paskapoo Formation; Resource development; Water supply; monitoring; Water management; cumulative
effects |
| Illustrations | tables; photographs; location maps |
| Program | Environmental
Geoscience Program Management |
| Released | 2019 10 10 |
| Abstract | Environmental concerns related to unconventional resource development have arisen in the last decade. These concerns are notably related to water contamination and depletion, and induced seismicity, and
they were largely related to hydraulic fracturing (HF). The Fox Creek area, in Alberta, was selected for this study because it is one of the most active regions for unconventional resource production in Canada, with growing demands for water
supply.
The objective of this project is to study potential impacts of hydrocarbon development in a very active production area. The project will include non-saline aquifer characterization, drilling of several monitoring wells, a study of the
mechanisms that could affect pressures in shallow aquifers during HF and re-injection, an analysis of the influence of induced seismic events on shallow aquifers through co-monitoring of seismicity, water levels and physico-chemical parameters,
coupled surface water / groundwater water numerical models, a geomechanicalmodel, as well as detailed groundwater geochemical analyses that will include multiple isotopes. The acquired knowledge will allow for an evaluation of current water
management practices and policies regarding unconventional resource development, especially HF and deep wastewater injection. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
This presentation was an introduction about the research that will be undertaken over the next 5 years under the Environmental Geoscience Program. The
goal is to distinguish the environmental effects of natural resources development of those from natural processes. This new phase of research will be looking at marine spills, Canada's largest watershed, permafrost geochemistry, volcanic mercury
contribution, mining impacted watersheds, assessments of aquifers, diluted bitumen and permafrost degradation. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 314913 |
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