Oaklands Coal Project Update March 2010 (as printed in the Urana Shire Council Monthly newsletter, I apoligise if Ive made any spelling mistakes while copying it.)
Coalworks is undertaking a regional water study of the area surrounding the Oaklands North Exploration Licence and the most recent work was undertaken as part of that program to follow on from the Airbourne Geomagnetic Survey and to increase Coalworks' knowledge of the hydrogeology at the site.
In addition Coalworks' continuing to regularly monitor and sample numerous water bores throughout the district, this latest work involved the construction of a bore where the polot hole was drilled to a depth of 154m.
All of that depth was sampled and geophysical logged and a "Straddle Packer" sampling device (a specialist operator) was imported from Western Australia.
Based on the logs, then representative horizons were chosen for packer tests, each of which isolated a 3m section of possible aquifers, which resulted in 5 horizons being selected for more detailed examination, where water quality samples were taken and mermeability tests were conducted. The permeability tests involved reinjecting relative small quantities water into the aquifer at varying pressures and from the flow rates and pressures, hydraulic conductives were derived.
These permeability tests help to confirm the testing data from other cores taken during the exploration program and have supported the initial finding of fairly low permeability, WHICH IS POSITIVE FOR THE PROJECT.
The water quality results indicate the groundwater is saline, with salinity increasing with depth, and further detailsed laboratory testing is presently underway to obtain a full water quality suite.
Based on these results, the Regional Water Model will be updating.
This latest bore will now be used for continuous monitoring as part of Coalworks' regional bore census to pick up water qualities across the district.
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