Introduction of advanced water management technologies in the Orenburg mining region

Abstract

The Orenburg Region is rich in various minerals. Dozens of oil and gas fields are being developed on its platform sediment part, while the mountain-folded areas hold deposits of non-ferrous, ferrous and precious metals, rare and radioactive elements, bituminous coal and lignite, and non-metallic minerals. Huge land areas are disturbed by mining, occupied by stock piles of waste rocks and lowgrade ore, and are polluted with spills of oil and deep brines. The economic development of the region is accompanied with an increase in pollution and depletion of water resources. Wide distribution of alkaline land, saline-alkali soils and granitoids containing radon and toxic products of its decay aggravates the impact on the regional hydrosphere. In this regard, it is necessary to study the complex hydrogeology in the region and to evaluate the water quality. The important problems to be solved include: development of the reservoir appraisal methodology; chemical and bacteriological analysis of water and its sensitivity to secondary salinization processes and relics of the marine salt complex; substantiation of water spreading and contamination prevention technologies. The developed recommendations are meant to reach the objective of introduction of modern water management technologies into production as per the resolution of the Russian Government. The article discusses feasibility of water management technologies as a case-study of the Svetly district of the Eastern Orenburg region and the Orenburg urban agglomeration, and necessitates recommendations for their implementation under diverse conditions within the Orenburg Region. As a result of the methodological approach, calculations and modeling of the situation in the mining areas of the Orenburg Region, the effectiveness of the technology of water spreading by means of accumulation of flood water in the local river is proved. The water spreading approach using the active water intakes and conservation reservoirs can increase the productivity of operating wells by 1.5–2 times, enable avoiding depletion of the aquifer and allow meeting the needs of the Orenburg Region’s population in drinking water.