A simplified down-hole method for monitoring an engineered hydraulic barrier using electrical resistivity tomography

dc.contributor.advisorPidlisecky, Adam
dc.contributor.advisorKarchewski, Brandon
dc.contributor.authorPerrin, Robert
dc.contributor.committeememberLamoureux, Michael Phillip
dc.contributor.committeememberLauer, Rachel M.
dc.date2018-06
dc.date.accessioned2018-03-21T14:21:33Z
dc.date.available2018-03-21T14:21:33Z
dc.date.issued2018-03-15
dc.description.abstractIn the Athabasca Oil sands in Northern Alberta one of the major risks to mining operations is water infiltration from a saline aquifer at the base of the oil sands. One method of preventing infiltration is by the use of a freeze wall surrounding the mine pit. Monitoring a freeze wall of this scale can be difficult because of the scale of oil sands mining pits. This thesis explores the use of single-borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a method of monitoring the entire freeze wall for leaks, which takes advantage of the freeze wall infrastructure to minimize monitoring costs. The study was conducted by modelling a freeze wall breach, and then simulating an ERT data series from electrode arrays attached to the outside of the freeze pipes that were used to create the freeze wall. By using the freeze pipes for monitoring, the entire wall can be monitored while eliminating the need to drill additional wells for monitoring. The resulting simulated data were inverted using a simplified parameterized inversion scheme and were analyzed for their potential to show a leak in the freeze wall. The results of the study indicated that the use of single-borehole ERT can be used to monitor for leaks along the entire freeze wall, and the inverted models can be used to automate a corrective action to fix the freeze wall at a leak location. The results also indicated that determining the volume of saline water that has leaked is not possible using this simplified inversion scheme.en_US
dc.identifier.citationPerrin, R. (2018). A simplified down-hole method for monitoring an engineered hydraulic barrier using electrical resistivity tomography (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31739en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/31739
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/106446
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.facultyScience
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject.classificationGeophysicsen_US
dc.titleA simplified down-hole method for monitoring an engineered hydraulic barrier using electrical resistivity tomography
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineGeoscience
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
ucalgary.thesis.checklistI confirm that I have submitted all of the required forms to Faculty of Graduate Studies.en_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
ucalgary_2018_perrin_robert.pdf
Size:
6.46 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.74 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: