Groundwater characteristics
Test pumping Well field analysis of a heterogeneous fractured rock aquifer.
A Case study done in the heterogeneous Tygerberg shales underlying the northern section of the Cape flats aquifer. A well field consisting of five boreholes within a 1.6 Ha area was test pumped to determine aquifer parameters and sustainable yields for the well field. The wellfield located in a highly heterogeneous geological setting, proved to be an interesting scenario for wellfield analysis and determination of sustainable borehole yields.
Optimizing borehole performance through dynamic flow and chemistry profiling
Stringent drinking water standards for constituents like chromium, arsenic, and nitrates, combined with continually higher demand for groundwater resources have led to the need for more efficient and accurate well characterization. Many boreholes are screened across multiple aquifers to maximize groundwater production, and since these aquifers can have different water qualities, the water produced at the wellhead is a blend of the various water qualities.
Aquifer structure and extent based on Airborne Geophysical investigation: A case study based in Saldanha Bay Local Municipality, West Coast.
Saldanha Bay Local Municipality appointed Skytem to conduct an airborne geophysical 3D aquifer mapping survey. As part of improving the sustainable management of the groundwater resources and exploring the options of Managed Aquifer Recharge, a better understanding of the aquifers is required. The Skytem technology unlocked a rich understanding of the subsurface geology and the groundwater contained in it.
Hydrocarbon groundwater analyses: a Karoo case study
The South African government is considering shale gas extraction in the Karoo basin, South Africa. To protect groundwater resources, there is an urgent need to do a groundwater baseline in possible gas extraction areas. Various groundwater samples have therefore been taken at a borehole and 2 soekor wells in the Northern Cape, from 2016 to 2021. The groundwater samples were analysed for dissolved gasses, specifically focussing on methane. As laboratories became more efficient ethane was also included in later analyses.
Intraplate tectonic setting of the southwestern Cape, South Africa: Analysis of the TrigNet geodetic record
In response to the serious 2015-2018 “Day Zero” drought, the City of Cape Town implemented large-scale augmentation of the Western Cape Water Supply System from deep groundwater resources within the Table Mountain Group (TMG) fractured aquifers. Several planned TMG wellfields target the Steenbras-Brandvlei Mega-fault Zone (SBMZ), the northern segment of which hosts the Brandvlei hot spring (BHS) – the hottest (~70°C) and strongest (~4 million m3/yr) in the Western Cape.
Measuring Hydraulic Conductivity Across Different Scales Using Varying Methods To Develop A Hydraulic Conductivity Model
This paper describes the calibration and testing processes of three methods of measuring hydraulic conductivity (slug test, mini disk infiltrometer and particle size distribution (sieves)) across varying scales (field and lab). The methods used in the field are the slug test and sieves which were used in four different wells of the Rietvlei wetland in Cape town and the mini disk infiltrometer was used in a grid developed in one of the Nelson Mandela University Reserve salt pans.
Test pumping derivative analysis to improve conceptual understanding in a complex aquifer: Steenbras Wellfield.
Test-pumping drawdown curves are not always sufficiently indicative of aquifer characteristics and geometry. In fact, drawdown curves should never be analysed and interpreted alone. The derivative analysis (Bourdet et al., 1983) and flow dimension theory (Barker, 1988) make it possible to infer the regional geometries and flow characteristics of fractured aquifers which are otherwise often unknown or inconclusive when interpreting point-source borehole logs.