Water and mining: The need for good geological

information

Dr Kevin Ruming GSNSW

Talk Outline

Legislation

Why we need good data

Data and Modelling

Aquifer Interference Policy (Water Trigger - Federal)

Protecting and managing the impacts of Aquifer Interference activities on NSW's water resources. Groundwater Monitoring and Modelling plans

Aquifer Interference Policy

NSW AQUIFER INTERENCE POLICY – FACT SHEET 4: ASSESSING THE IMPACTS

Aquifer Interference Policy

Consideration of AIP during exploration

Community & Other Water Users

Community & Other Water Users

Community & Other Water Users

Case Study - Watermark

Case Study - Watermark

• NSW Government approved the project • The University of NSW reviewed the Groundwater Modelling

Report – Insufficient information exhibited – Overly simplified field data – Did not demonstrate that all plausible alternative interpretations

were captured

Current Water Bore Database • Water bores > 111,000 • Groundwater Monitoring Bore Project

Baseline Data Departmental Drilling

Well Name Depth (m) Drillers Logs Top_Stratigraphic Unit Base_Stratigraphic Unit S.W.L (m) W.B.Z (md) Type Yield ((L/s) Lithology Year drilled GW060850 69 yes Narrabeen Group Illawarra Coal Measures 21 30.0-32.0/64.3 - 64.6 Consolidated 0.06/0.55 SS ROCK 1985 GW802328 56 yes Narrabeen Group Illawarra Coal Measures 36 50.-50.5 Unknown 0.3 SS/silts/clays ROCK 2004 GW802734 48 yes Narrabeen Group Illawarra Coal Measures 48 42. - 48. Unknown 1.26 Clay/Gravel Alluvium 2003 GW802864 80 yes Narrabeen Group Illawarra Coal Measures 80 47-48 Unknown 0.06 SS ROCK 2004 GW803707 76.2 no Narrabeen Group Illawarra Coal Measures Unknown 12.6 ROCK 2000 GW805120 60 yes Narrabeen Group Illawarra Coal Measures 20 27-41 Unknown 0.22 SS/MUDSTONE ROCK 2013 GW062357 0 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures Unknown Alluvium GW078251 1 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures Unknown Alluvium 2001 GW078315 0 no Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures Unknown SAND Alluvium 2003 GW080414 8 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 2.41 4.50-5.80 Unknown clay/gravel/silts Alluvium 2003 GW080415 8.5 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 2.16 4.-5. Unknown SS/silts/ Alluvium 2003 GW047611 9 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 6 6 to 7 Unconsolidated 22.73 sands/gravel/loam Alluvium 1979 GW080416 11.5 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 2.33 9.-11. Unknown SS/silts/clays Alluvium 2003 GW018929 18.3 no Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures Unknown Alluvium 1930 GW011493 19.5 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 6.7 19.5 Unknown 2.1 SS/sand WeatheredRock 1948 GW805155 22 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 2.2 3.-4 Unknown 0.5 Gravel/Shale WeatheredRock 2012 GW056911 34.4 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 15.8/25.3 Consolidated 0.30/0.64 SS/sand Rock 1982 GW057059 31.1 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 9.1 19.8 to 20.4 Consolidated 1.14 SS/Shale Rock 1983 GW031691 38.1 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 8.5 22.9 Fractured 0.53 sand/coal/shale Rock 1969 GW065121 78 no Illawarra Coal Measures Shoalhaven Group 5 58.-60 Fractured 3 Rock 1983 GW061475 15.2 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 6.7 13.7 -14.3 Fractured 0.1 Sand/Granite Rock 1986 GW058417 30.5 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 3.9 6.10-6.4/24.4 - 30.5 Fractured/Consolidated 0.31 SS/Shale Rock 1983 GW801723 40 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 22 36. - 38. Unknown 0.32 SS Rock 2003 GW064010 47.2 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 2.4 19.8- 31.30/ 45.7 - 47.2 Fractured 0.1/1.77 shale Rock 1987 GW078540 67.38 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Illawarra Coal Measures 20.12 42 - 59 Unknown 1.13 shale/SS/quartz Rock 1997 GW804953 198 yes Illawarra Coal Measures Rylstone Volcanics 186-192 Unknown 0.1 SS/COAL/BREECIA Rock 2012 GW073023 61 yes Shoalhaven Group Shoalhaven Group 16 34.-36 Fractured 1.25 SAND/SHALE ROCK 1994 GW801306 30.4 yes Shoalhaven Group Shoalhaven Group Unknown SS/Shale ROCK 1996 GW801432 8 yes Shoalhaven Group Shoalhaven Group 3 Unknown 1 ROCK 1980 GW801739 72 yes Shoalhaven Group Shoalhaven Group 72 43.-49/60-61 Unknown 0.13/0.32 LIMESTONE ROCK 2002 GW801745 80 yes Shoalhaven Group Shoalhaven Group 20 56.-56.5 Unknown 0.23 Clay ROCK 2002 GW801884 48 yes Shoalhaven Group Shoalhaven Group 6 35.-39 Unknown 2.53 Clay/limestone ROCK 2002 GW804952 145 yes Shoalhaven Group Rylstone Volcanics 31.5 137-139 Unknown 0.3 SS/BREECIA ROCK 2012 GW804955 120 yes Shoalhaven Group Rylstone Volcanics 19.1 92-98 Unknown 0.2 SS/BREECIA/Tuff ROCK 2012 GW804956 85 yes Shoalhaven Group Rylstone Volcanics 4.89 76-78 Unknown 2 SS/Breccia ROCK 2012 GW804963 78 yes Shoalhaven Group Rylstone Volcanics 43 66-72 Unknown 0.1 SS/Breccia ROCK 2012 GW801618 119 yes Rylstone Volcanics Rylstone Volcanics 59 64.-65. Unknown 0.13 SS Rock 2002 GW802777 213 yes Rylstone Volcanics Rylstone Volcanics 18 24. - 213. Unknown 6.4 Volcanics Rock 2003 GW802888 54 yes Rylstone Volcanics Rylstone Volcanics 54 13.-13/37-38/48-49. Unknown 0.25/0.13/5.88 Basalt/shale Rock 2004 GW804966 8 yes Rylstone Volcanics Rylstone Volcanics Unknown Rock S.W.L = Standing water level, W.B.Z.= Water Bearing Zone(s)

Well Name Depth

(m) Drillers

Logs

Top Stratigraphic

Unit

Base Stratigraphic

Unit S.W.L

(m) W.B.Z (md) Type Yield ((L/s) Lithology

Year drilled

GW060850 69 yes Narrabeen

Group Illawarra Coal

Measures 21 30.0 - 32.0 64.3 - 64.6 Consolidated 0.06/0.55 SS ROCK 1985

Baseline Data Water Flow Testing

Baseline Data Vibrating Wire Peizometers

A Drill Stem Test (DST) is a procedure for isolating and testing the pressure, permeability and productive capacity of a geological formation.

Base Line Data- Drill Stem Testing

Integrate porosity, permeability

Sequence Stratigraphy

Faults/Fractures

Geological Modelling

Geological Modelling

Scale

Geological Modelling

Porosity

Permeability

Structure

Summary

• Water - Significant Issue in Mining

• Comprehensive Date Needed

• Transparency in Modelling

• Tools ?? – Slim Hole DST

THANK YOU