In situ measurements of rock salt permeability changes due to nearby excavation
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- RE/SPEC, Inc., Carlsbad, NM (United States)
- Nevada Univ., Reno, NV (United States). Mackay School of Mines
The Small-Scale Mine-By was an in situ experiment to measure changes in brine and gas permeability of rock salt as a result of nearby excavation. A series of small-volume pressurized brine- and gas-filled test intervals were established 8 m beneath the floor of Room L1 in the WIPP underground. The test intervals were isolated in the bottom of the 4.8-cm diameter monitoring boreholes with inflatable rubber packers, and are initially pressurized to about 2 MPa. Both brine- and gas-filled test intervals were located 1.25, 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 r from the center of a planned large-diameter hole, where r is the radius of the large-diameter hole. Prior to the drilling of the large-diameter borehole, the responses of both the brine- and gas-filled test intervals were consistent with the formation modeled as a very low permeability, low porosity porous medium with a significant pore (brine) pressure and no measurable gas permeability. The drilling of the mine-by borehole created a zone of dilated, partially saturated rock out to about 1.5 r. The formation pressure increases from near zero at 1.5 r to the pre-excavation value at 4 r. Injection tests reveal a gradient of brine permeabilities from 5 {times} 10{sup {minus}18} m{sup 2} at 1.25 r to about the pre-excavation value (10{sup {minus}21} m{sup 2}) by 3 r. Gas-injection tests reveal measurable gas permeability is limited to within 1.5 r. 17 refs., 24 figs., 6 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6244387
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-90-3134; ON: DE92002215
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Changes in rock salt permeability due to nearby excavation
Interpretation of brine-permeability tests of the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site: First interim report
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALPHA-BEARING WASTES
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
EXCAVATION
FLUID FLOW
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GAS FLOW
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROLOGY
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PERMEABILITY
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SALT DEPOSITS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
WIPP