Interpretation of hydraulic tests conducted in the waste-handling shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6987020

Saulnier, Jr, G J; Avis, J D

A series of sub-horizontal boreholes from 8- to 41-feet deep were drilled from four depth levels in the waste-handling shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in southeastern New Mexico. The boreholes were drilled at the 782- and 805-foot depth levels in a mudstone and a claystone of the unnamed lower member of the upper Rustler Formation; at the 850-foot depth level in bedded halite in the upper Salado Formation; and at the 1350-foot depth level in halite, anhydrite, and polyhalite of the Salado Formation. Examination of the cores recovered from one borehole at each level indicated no direct evidence of construction-induced fracturing. Pulse-injection test were conducted in packer-isolated intervals in six of the boreholes to estimate the formations's hydraulic conductivity and apparent formation pressure, and to determine whether or not there was evidence of construction-enhanced permeability up to one shaft diameter from the shaft wall. 12 ref., 67 figs., 19 tabs.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Intera Technologies, Inc., Austin, TX (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6987020
• Report Number(s): SAND-88-7001; ON: DE88014193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOREHOLES
CAVITIES
COMPLIANCE
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SOURCES
EVALUATION
FEDERAL REGION VI
FUELS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROLOGY
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERMEABILITY
PILOT PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR MATERIALS
SALT DEPOSITS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SPENT FUELS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WIPP