Underground Test Facility Research Articles

AOSTRA's underground test facility (UTF): mine-assisted recovery under difficult conditions : O'Rourke, J C; Haston, J A CIM BulletinV82, N921, Jan 1989, P56–65

AOSTRA's underground test facility (UTF): mine-assisted recovery under difficult conditions : O'Rourke, J C; Haston, J A CIM BulletinV82, N921, Jan 1989, P56–65

Sedimentology of McMurray Formation at HASDrive Site of AOSTRA Underground Test Facility, Northeastern Alberta, Canada: ABSTRACT

Sedimentology of McMurray Formation at HASDrive Site of AOSTRA Underground Test Facility, Northeastern Alberta, Canada: ABSTRACT

AOSTRA Underground Test Facility--Concept and Geological Setting: ABSTRACT

AOSTRA Underground Test Facility--Concept and Geological Setting: ABSTRACT

Underground Test Facility: Shaft and Tunnel Laboratory for Horizontal Well Technology (includes associated papers 17469 and 17654 )

SPE Members Abstract The Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority has initiated an extensive, long term program to evaluate horizontal wellrecovery processes in a shaft and tunnel complexin the Athabasca tar sands, 35 miles NW of FortMcMurray, Alberta. The 213 m twin shafts, the initial pitbottom, tunnel development and the surface minesupport equipment have been contracted. Shaftsinking started February 1985. Shaft No. 1 took55 days to drill; No. 2 took 46 days. Theaccess facilities are scheduled to beoperational March 1986. Mine extension andpilot startup will be completed by mid ‘87, pilot startup will be completed by mid ‘87, after which horizontal well drilling/completiontechnology and a variety of recovery strategieswill be evaluated. The commercial economics of the shaft andtunnel concept for bitumen recovery from theAthabasca tar sands will also be firmed upduring this period. Initial feasibility studieswere positive for this reservoir with 15 km oftunnel and 356 horizontal wells over theproject life. Preliminary designs for well project life. Preliminary designs for well completion and process service facilities havebeen based on a steam recovery process. Ultimate production capacity is intended to be1,600 m3/day or 10,000 BPD. HORIZONTAL RECOVERY PROCESSES Theory and experience teaches that mobilityratios dominate volumetric sweep efficiency of areservoir. The bitumens in the Alberta tarsands are so viscous that, if this experienceholds for these reservoirs, heating to severalhundred degrees would produce little improvementin overall volumetric recovery efficiency. Yettwo of the current in situ tarsands projectsthat are expanding to commercial levelsShell's Peace River project and Esso's ColdLake project - are reporting recoveries inexcess of 20%, and in the case of the ShellProject, estimates of volumetric sweep Project, estimates of volumetric sweep efficiency indicate +50% possible. Clearly theinconsistency between theory and practice liesnot with the reported performance of the fieldprojects but with the theory. Gravity drainage projects but with the theory. Gravity drainage is one factor that plays a considerable role. At Shell's Peace River pilot a pressurecycling strategy is used. Steam is injectedinto a thin transition zone at the base of thereservoir. The steam rises and heats thebitumen which drains downward toward this higherpermeability, water saturated zone. The hot oil permeability, water saturated zone. The hot oil is produced during the drawdown cycle. Theexcellent areal conformance of the steam throughthis bottom water zone combined with theimproved vertical conformance caused by thedownward movement of the mobilized bitumenappears to be the rational for the excellentrecoveries already obtained after only severalcycles of pilot operation. With Esso's Cold Lake pilot, verticalfractures are created to achieve the requisiteinjectivity of steam for their steam stimulationoperations. The lack of native injectivityconfines the steam to the near-fracture region. Efficient flowback of the confined steam appearsto be a dominant driving force for producing theheated bitumen. Gravity also plays a part. Theheated bitumen can drain downward in the regionof the fracture, allowing for further extensionof the steam heated zone away from the fractureplane. plane.

A high‐precision gravity survey in the Delaware Basin of southeastern New Mexico

Since 1974, the Department of Energy has been studying bedded salt deposits in southeastern New Mexico as a possible location for disposing of defense‐generated transuranic and low‐level radioactive wastes. The program, known as the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, includes intensive geologic characterization of about [Formula: see text] and construction of an underground test facility. The gravity survey reported here is part of the geologic site characterization. The gravity survey was conducted to delineate structural features near and at the proposed site. However, during the survey the gravity field was found to be dominated by effects of lateral density variations within relatively flat‐lying strata. Particularly distinctive is a pattern of elongate negative anomalies about one‐half mGal in amplitude. Boreholes in the anomalies encountered normal stratigraphy and no unusual geologic structures. However, borehole densilogs showed lower densities and uphole velocity surveys showed lower acoustic velocities than are measured outside of the anomalies. The low densities adequately account for the observed gravity anomalies. The regional stratigraphy contains water‐soluble minerals (halite, polyhalite, anhydrite‐gypsum, carbonates). Much of this material has dissolved and the region has been identified as a karstland. At the site, dissolution is slowly affecting the Rustler formation overlying the main salt‐bearing units. The low rock densities, associated with the negative gravity anomalies, are interpreted as due to alteration in the vicinity of solution conduits within the Rustler formation. This interpretation is supported by (1) partial coincidence between the negative gravity anomalies and closed topographic depressions (alluvial dolines); (2) greater anhydrite‐to‐gypsum conversion detected in boreholes within the anomalies; and (3) solution conduits encountered in one of the boreholes.

Exploration shafts and underground test facility for the Waste isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) : Frobenius, P; Chytrowski, B; Roberts, D; Wu, C L Proc 6th Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference, Chicago, 12–16 June 1983V1, P365–386. Publ New York: AIME, 1983

Exploration shafts and underground test facility for the Waste isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) : Frobenius, P; Chytrowski, B; Roberts, D; Wu, C L Proc 6th Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference, Chicago, 12–16 June 1983V1, P365–386. Publ New York: AIME, 1983

Intermediate size pressure vessel programme (ZB 1)

One of the focal points in the discussion about the safety of nuclear power plants is the integrity of the reactor pressure vessel. In order to prove its integrity tests are in progress in an underground test facility of the main power station in Mannheim with an intermediate size vessel from the research programme “Integrity of Components”. Patches of A 533 B and modified A 508 B material were welded into the vessel ZB 1, the test temperatures are approximately 70 and 290°C. The main goal of the tests is to measure the behaviour of artificial and natural flaws during static hydrotests and simulated operational (cyclic) conditions. In the first half of the research programme the objective is to produce a crack growth of some centimetres by cyclic loading between a variable minimum pressure and a maximum pressure of about 24 MPa. The total number of load cycles will be approximately 30 000. In the second half of the tests the vessel will be loaded by a number of pressure cycles which correspond to the loading a reactor pressure vessel experiences during 40 years of operation. During the static and cyclic loading acoustic emission monitoring is being made by German and American laboratories. This paper presents details of the vessel, the test loop, results of the nondestructive examinations conducted to quantify the crack depths and results of the acoustic emission monitoring.

Underground large scale test facility for rocks : Geophys Res Lett, V8, N7, July 1981, P709–710

Underground large scale test facility for rocks : Geophys Res Lett, V8, N7, July 1981, P709–710

Underground large scale test facility for rocks

This brief note discusses two advantages of locating the facility for testing rock specimens of large dimensions in an underground space. Such an environment can be made to contribute part of the enormous axial load and stiffness requirements needed to get complete stress‐strain behavior. The high pressure vessel may also be located below the floor level since the lateral confinement afforded by the rock mass may help to reduce the thickness of the vessel.

ERC-Manufacturers 500/550-KV Cable Research Project, Preliminary Test Results from Waltz Mill

This paper is designed to accomplish two basic objectives. First, the basic data collected to date during the testing of 550-kV pipe-type cable samples at the Waltz Mill Underground Transmission Test Facility is presented in its completeness. Second, sufficient discussion is included concerning the testing procedures, measuring techniques, and problems encountered during testing to permit the reader to fully understand and grasp and significance of the data presented. A lengthy and detailed analysis of the data is not included. Comments of the participating manufacturers will put sample performance into perspective.

Computer controls and Measurements: Waltz Mill 1000 KV Underground Transmission Test Facility

The Waltz Mill Project, part of the Electric Research Council's program, is a research center devoted to performing accelerated life testing of underground transmission systems. At this station prototype samples can be tested at voltages ranging from 115 to 1000 kV. This paper describes the control systems, instrumentation circuits, and computer programs presently available at Waltz Mill for cable testing.