Underground Wells Research Articles

Assessment of Radioactivity in Groundwater and Silt from some Underground Wells in Southern Sinai, Egypt

Assessment of Radioactivity in Groundwater and Silt from some Underground Wells in Southern Sinai, Egypt

Sustainable Water Management and Indigenous Socio-Technical Heritage in Marrakech, Morocco

Sustainable Water Management and Indigenous Socio-Technical Heritage in Marrakech, Morocco

ADVANCED EXPERIENCE IN GAS SITUATION MANAGEMENT AT THE COAL MINES OF THE KARAGANDA BASIN

This article presents the main methods of implementing degassing control systems, which allow for a radical reduction in the likelihood of accidents and achieving the most effective production results. The article discusses measures to prevent explosive gas concentrations during degassing operations, proposes optimal diameters and distances between degassing wells. Additionally, parameters influencing the volume of pumped methane are identified. A technology for sealing underground wells to maintain methane gas concentration is proposed. A modern mobile degassing unit is presented for methane extraction followed by utilization for electricity generation.

A Feasibility Study on the Implementation of a Solar Powered Water Desalination Plant

Water desalination plants powered by solar energy represent a viable solution for addressing a part of the water needs in areas without a reliable water supply. In this case extending the electric grid and water delivery to remote communities remain challenging for some countries. Using Namibia as a case study, this work carried out a feasibility study on the extent of which, solar energy could be used to power the entire desalination process thereby aiding groundwater usable for human consumption. This process includes but not limited to desalination of underground wells and boreholes as solution to the water shortage problem in remote places. In this study, a solar-powered desalination technique that could enhance the process of clean water provision to villagers is proposed. It further compares and analyzed various desalination technologies to determine the best fit based on the dryness of areas. Ohawuwanga Village in Namibia was used for evaluation purpose with a sampling instrument-questionnaire which determine the village's daily water consumption and corresponding power required. Modelling, simulation and analysis of the system was carried out using MATLAB Simulink in terms of energy consumption. Other parameters considered in this research are cost, water recovery ratio, salt removal factor, durability and market analysis. The research revealed that electrodialysis is the best technology for desalination in terms of efficient power consumption amidst other factors compared.

Determination of Reservoir Oxidation Zone Formation in Uranium Wells Using Ensemble Machine Learning Methods

Approximately 50% of the world’s uranium is mined in a closed way using underground well leaching. In the process of uranium mining at formation-infiltration deposits, an important role is played by the correct identification of the formation of reservoir oxidation zones (ROZs), within which the uranium content is extremely low and which affect the determination of ore reserves and subsequent mining processes. The currently used methodology for identifying ROZs requires the use of highly skilled labor and resource-intensive studies using neutron fission logging; therefore, it is not always performed. At the same time, the available electrical logging measurements data collected in the process of geophysical well surveys and exploration well data can be effectively used to identify ROZs using machine learning models. This study presents a solution to the problem of detecting ROZs in uranium deposits using ensemble machine learning methods. This method provides an index of weighted harmonic measure (f1_weighted) in the range from 0.72 to 0.93 (XGB classifier), and sufficient stability at different ratios of objects in the input dataset. The obtained results demonstrate the potential for practical use of this method for detecting ROZs in formation-infiltration uranium deposits using ensemble machine learning.

ASSESSMENT IMPACT OF SOLID WASTEWATER ON GROUNDWATER SAMPLES IN GANFOUDA AREA LOCATED IN BENGHAZI CITY

Groundwater is an essential component for most people in the world. It meets the drinking water needs of more than fifty percent of the world’s population. Unfortunately, groundwater can become contaminated. This occurs in cases where some man-made solid waste or several heavy metals such as nitrate, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury come into contact with underground water. This paper aims to evaluate the quantity of groundwater contamination in the Ganfouda area, west of the city of Benghazi, where some samples of water were collected from eight from several underground wells in the Ganfouda area. The results of this work showed high concentrations of dissolved solids, Sodium ion, Cadmium, lead and Bacteria Leachate in all collected samples. Through the results of the study that indicated groundwater contamination in the selected areas, we urge local authorities to monitor the quality and content of groundwater in landfills in the Ganfouda area in particular and in cities with high population density in general and to monitor water quality periodically.

Measurement of isotopic separation of argon with the prototype of the cryogenic distillation plant Aria for dark matter searches

The Aria cryogenic distillation plant, located in Sardinia, Italy, is a key component of the DarkSide-20k experimental program for WIMP dark matter searches at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. Aria is designed to purify the argon, extracted from underground wells in Colorado, USA, and used as the DarkSide-20k target material, to detector-grade quality. In this paper, we report the first measurement of argon isotopic separation by distillation with the 26 m tall Aria prototype. We discuss the measurement of the operating parameters of the column and the observation of the simultaneous separation of the three stable argon isotopes: {}^{36}hbox {Ar}, {}^{38}textrm{Ar}, and {}^{40}textrm{Ar}. We also provide a detailed comparison of the experimental results with commercial process simulation software. This measurement of isotopic separation of argon is a significant achievement for the project, building on the success of the initial demonstration of isotopic separation of nitrogen using the same equipment in 2019.

Risk Evaluation of Chemical Clogging of Irrigation Emitters via Geostatistics and Multivariate Analysis in the Northern Region of Minas Gerais, Brazil

In this study, we analyzed the hydrogeochemistry of 350 underground wells in the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, for water-chemical parameters that may contribute to the chemical clogging of emitters in drip irrigation systems. Risk class maps were generated for each parameter, and the area was classified based on the water characteristics, considering the degree of water-use restriction in micro-irrigation (i.e., no, moderate, and severe restriction). Inverse distance-weighted, random forest, and ordinary kriging methods were used as interpolation methods. Moreover, a multivariate analysis was conducted to analyze the results. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a strong and significant correlation between pH and carbonates, hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) and between TDS and EC. Principal component analysis revealed that most of the variations in the water quality of the wells could be explained by water–rock interactions with the consequent dissolution of minerals. The principal components were natural sources of ionic salt groups, dissolution of minerals rich in alkaline cations, chemical weathering of iron–magnesium minerals, and increased pH with the conversion of bicarbonates into carbonates. In the parameter cluster analysis, three possible mechanisms that contribute to emitter clogging in the study area were identified: precipitation of calcium and magnesium salts; oxidation of iron and manganese ions forming oxides and insoluble hydroxides; an increase in pH, which converts bicarbonates into carbonates. Clustering analysis revealed the wells that are susceptible to clogging with the exact cause.

ЕКОЛОГІЧНІ АСПЕКТИ ДОБУВАННЯ УРАНУ СПОСОБОМПІДЗЕМНОГОСВЕРДЛОВИННОГОВИЛУГОВУВАННЯ(НАПРИКЛАДІМИХАЙЛІВСЬКОГОПОЛІГЕННОГОРОДОВИЩА)

Nuclear energy is an important component of Ukraine's national security. Providing this industry with its own raw materials is one of the priority, long-term tasks of the state. One of the ways to successfully solve this task is to create a favorable investment climate for the involvement of private business entities in the development of the domestic mining industry. In Ukraine, numerous uranium deposits have been explored, which are characterized by relatively small reserves, which is why until recently they were not considered promising for development by the state mining company Eastern Mining and Processing Plant (Zhovti Vody). These deposits are not profitable for development by traditional methods – mining or quarrying, but they can be worked out by the method of underground well leaching. In addition to lower capital costs, this method is also characterized by the fact that it is accompanied by a lower environmental load. The article highlights some aspects of the generalized results of the impact on the environment of the new activity analysis, which involves the creation of a private enterprise for research and industrial development and subsequent extraction of uranium at the Mykhailivka deposit in the Kazankivskyi district of the Mykolaiv region, which relate to the choice of technology evaluation for the extraction of minerals by the method of underground well leaching. The projected enterprise will consist of several temporary mining sites and a stationary industrial site of the processing complex, as well as engineering and transport infrastructure facilities. After working out the deposit, land reclamation and their return to land users and subsoil rehabilitation will be carried out, which will ensure their restoration to the pre-project state. On the territory that may be affected by the construction and operation of the planned enterprise, full-scale field and laboratory geo-ecological investigations were conducted and their results were described.

A Systematic Approach for Exploring Underground Environment Using LiDAR-Based System

Agricultural projects in different parts of the world depend on underground water wells. Recently, there have been many unfortunate incidents in which children have died in abandoned underground wells. Providing topographical information for these wells is a prerequisite to protecting people from the dangers of falling into them, especially since most of these wells become buried over time. Many solutions have been developed recently, most with the aim of exploring these well areas. However, these systems suffer from several limitations, including high complexity, large size, or inefficiency. This paper focuses on the development of a smart exploration unit that is able to investigate underground well areas, build a 3D map, search for persons and animals, and determine the levels of oxygen and other gases. The exploration unit has been implemented and validated through several experiments using various experiment testbeds. The results proved the efficiency of the developed exploration unit, in terms of 3D modeling, searching, communication, and measuring the level of oxygen. The average accuracy of the 3D modeling function is approximately 95.5%. A benchmark has been presented for comparing our results with related works, and the comparison has proven the contributions and novelty of the proposed system’s results.

The Effect of Mineral Ions Present in Tap Water on Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants: Future Perspectives

Photodegradation is the chemical conversion of large, toxic, and complex molecules into non-toxic, simpler, and lower molecular weight species due to light exposure. Heterogeneous photocatalysis has sufficient potential to degrade toxic organic pollutants present in wastewater. As industries discharge their effluents containing organic pollutants into natural water bodies, which penetrate into the subsurface through connected pores it is necessary to study this process in natural or tap water. Tap water (TW) is mainly obtained from underground wells having inorganic salts in a minute quantity with a conductivity of 500 μS/cm. TW contains inorganic anions, which affect the photocatalytic activity and photocatalysis process. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effect of TW on the photo-degradation of organic pollutants such as dyes, pharmaceutical products, pesticides, etc., with the support of the literature. The TW had a diverse effect on the photodegradation of organic pollutants; either it may enhance or decrease the rate of pollutants’ photodegradation.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF HEAT EXCHANGE PROCESSES IN HEAT EXCHANGERS OF A NEW DESIGN FOR COOLING SUPPLY AIR IN POULTRY HOUSES WITH WATER FROM UNDERGROUND WELLS

In this work, an experimental installation for cooling air in a poultry house was developed and manufactured using a new design of a heat exchanger-recuperator, in which water from underground wells is used as a cooling medium. The schematic diagram of the heat exchanger installation and device is described, and the characteristics of the measuring instruments are given. Experimental studies of heat exchange processes in the heat exchanger were carried out and the temperature distributions in the cold and hot coolants were determined, the Nusselt number and the heat transfer coefficient on the surface of the tube bundle were found. It is shown that the use of a new design of compact tube bundles makes it possible to increase the heat transfer coefficient by 33 %. Based on the statistical analysis, the results of numerical model calculations are compared with experimental data on the heat transfer of pipe bundles. The error obtained in the results of numerical modeling is slightly more than 5 %.

Scientific contagion heuristic: Judgments about the acceptability of water for religious use after potential scientific treatment

AbstractWe propose the concept of ‘scientific contagion’ — a mental heuristic through which any form of scientific treatment transfers some essence of ‘science’ to the processed substance, thereby affecting its nature and social acceptability. This was tested regarding the potential treatment of water from natural sources before it is used for religious purposes, as many such sources have dangerous pollutants. For an ancient natural well having a religious narrative, most participants judged that the acceptability of water would be reduced for religious purposes but not for drinking if local officials scientifically treat the water. That is not the case if religious rituals are conducted on the water instead (Study 1). If water from a “holy river” is processed scientifically, most participants predicted that it would reduce acceptability for religious use while increasing acceptability for drinking (Study 2). Potential scientific treatment without altering the composition of water from a natural spring also decreased acceptability for religious use but there was no effect on acceptability for drinking or on willingness to pay money for the water (Study 3). A follow-up study comparing acceptability for different kinds of water sources — from a holy well, natural spring, and household tap water sourced from either underground wells or rivers found lower acceptability for religious usage compared to drinking after potential scientific treatment for all these waters, but more so for holy and natural waters (Study 4). These studies establish the phenomena of scientific contagion that could have significant social implications and open future directions.

Improving mining development modelling based on the thermal methods

Introduction. The problem of oil recovery growth and oil reserves management improvement in active oil fields is growing annually. It is possible to increase oil recovery and improve oil reserves management by introducing the thermal methods of oil production. This method was applied at the Yarega oil field. The thermal mining development technology is currently being implemented at the Yarega territory on an industrial scale. Lyael territory is developed by SAGD technology. Heat capacity and thermal conductivity are crucial characteristics of rocks. Reference books and databases lack reliable data on sedimentary rocks thermal properties. The traditional experimental base of thermal petrophysics cannot provide representative information on the thermal properties of rocks, considering rock heterogeneity and anisotropy, various fluid saturation, and pressure and temperature fluctuations. Results. According to special petrophysical studies of the Yarega highly viscous oil field core, ambiguity has been revealed in the thermal properties of rocks, including anisotropy, heat capacity and thermal conductivity. When applying laboratory results in modeling, divergence in oil production and cumulative steam oil ratio can reach 60%. Main ambiguity arising in the course of thermal mine development modeling has been identified. The ambiguity is associated with the account of production for a well, a large number of underground wells, and low reservoir pressure (lower than atmospheric pressure). These problems are successfully solved by specialists of the Yarega field, who maintain highly viscous oil development. At low reservoir pressures, the simulator encounters errors on low pressure values during well operation. Conclusions. At the Yarega field, permanent geological and technological model is currently actively being implemented. It is aimed at solving technological problems of ambiguity in the development of highly viscous oil by thermal methods using advanced software.

Exposure to Sri Lanka's local groundwater in a CKDu prevalent area causes kidney damage in zebrafish

How local groundwater induces chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka is still elusive. This study aims to elucidate the impacts of Sri Lanka's local groundwater in a CKDu prevalent area and reveal the possible pathogenic mechanism of CKDu using zebrafish models. The drinking water from the local underground well in Vavuniya was sampled and the water quality parameters including Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, and F− were analyzed. Then, local groundwater exposure to zebrafish larvae and 293T cells was performed, and water with high hardness and fluoride was prepared as parallel groups. Our result showed that exposure to Sri Lanka's local groundwater caused developmental toxicity, kidney damage, and pronephric duct obstruction as well as abnormal behavior in zebrafish. Similar results were also found after exposure to water with high hardness and fluoride in zebrafish. Further, the expression levels of marker genes related to renal development and functions (foxj1a, dync2h1, pkd2, gata3, and slc20a1) were significantly altered, which is also confirmed in the 293T cells. Taken together, those results indicated that Sri Lanka's local groundwater in a CKDu prevalent area could cause kidney damage, implying that high water hardness and fluorine might be the inducible environmental factors for the etiological cause of CKDu.

Design of a Vacuum Degassing Apparatus to Reduce Nitrogen Supersaturation and Maintain Hypoxia in Well Water

AbstractWater derived from an underground well or spring is commonly supersaturated with nitrogen and low in dissolved oxygen. These conditions are generally harmful to fishes, and water must be treated to reduce total dissolved gases and adjust dissolved oxygen concentrations to desired levels. Typically, corrective methods remove nitrogen while increasing the oxygen concentration, but this is not desirable for situations where hypoxic conditions are needed for experimental purposes. In this project, a vacuum degasser was designed to remove excess nitrogen from well water while keeping dissolved oxygen concentration low (i.e., ≤2.0 mg/L). Additionally, in a parallel system, a normoxic water treatment system was designed to remove excess nitrogen while simultaneously increasing the oxygen concentration to create normoxic conditions. These systems provide solutions to overcoming gas supersaturation in well water and produce the desired dissolved oxygen concentration, without requiring the use of consumable gas cylinders.

Diagnostic markers of early metabolic disorders in workers of an oil-producing enterprise

The oil industry is a significant component of the industry of Bashkortostan. The complex of harmful factors for oil production workers includes industrial noise, vibration, exposure to harmful substances, the severity and intensity of work, unfavorable microclimate conditions. The researchers conditionally divide production factors of chemical nature into natural chemicals that are part of oil and associated gases (hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, mercaptans), and substances used to enhance oil recovery, preparation, transportation of oil and gas (reagents, acids, surfactants, methanol, welding aerosols). There is a role of changes in metabolic processes at the level of cells and subcellular structures in the development of pathological processes under the influence of harmful production factors in a number of studies. The study aims to substantiate the markers of early metabolic disorders in employees of an oil-producing enterprise. We conducted a study of metabolic processes in 340 oil production workers. The researchers represented the professional production groups by drillers (35.3%), operators of underground well repair (64.7%). The authors carried out characteristics of the factors of the working environment and the labor process of oil-producing industries in accordance with R 2.2.2006-05. The researchers also performed biochemical studies of the parameters of the lipid spectrum of blood serum, free radical processes and endogenous intoxication. The level of exposure to the average concentrations of the chemical factor at the workplaces of drillers and operators of underground well repair corresponds to classes 2-3.1. The influence of harmful production factors causes metabolic disorders in the body of oil production workers in the form of a violation of the lipid spectrum (an increase in total cholesterol, triglycerides), changes in the activity of cytolytic enzymes (GGT, AST, ALT), activation of lipid peroxidation processes, a decrease in catalase activity, an increase in the level of medium-molecular peptides in blood serum, which confirms the presence of endogenous intoxication syndrome in the examined workers. The impact of harmful production factors on the body of oil production workers causes metabolic disorders in the body and dictates the need for a complex of biochemical studies for the early diagnosis of prenosological processes and timely preventive measures.

Improvement of Intensive In-Seam Gas Drainage Technology at Kirova Mine in Kuznetsk Coal Basin

One of the ways to resolve the “green energy-economic development” dilemma, in which the coal industry is situated, is by the improvement of technologies and the integrated use of extracted resources, including methane gas as a clean energy source. Using the example of the Kirova mine, located in Kuznetsk coal basin—one of the ecologically unfavorable coal mining regions of Russia—this article discusses an integrated technology for the extraction of coalbed methane (ECBM), which makes it possible to reduce greenhouse gas (methane) emissions and improve the safety and intensity of coal mining. The Kirova mine, with its 3 Mt production in 2019, is one of the coal mining leaders in Russia. The available mining equipment has the potential to significantly increase the output; however, gas is a limiting factor to this. The customary approaches to coal seam degassing have already been petered out. The miners and mine science are facing a challenge to validate and test an alternative technology to ensure effective in-seam gas drainage prior to vigorous mining. This article gives an account of the improvement track record of the in-seam gas drainage technology used to pre-treat coal seams for intensive and safe extraction. This technology suggests, at the first stage, hydraulic loosening of the target coal seam through wells drilled from the surface (SSHL), then hydraulic fracturing (HF) of the coal seam through the boreholes drilled from underground development headings, followed by methane extraction from the high-permeability coal-gas reservoir created through standard in-seam gas drainage underground wells. Results are presented in this paper of field testing of the improved SSHL technique. Findings are presented on the effective parameters of the HF technology. Methodological recommendations are offered for selecting viable in-seam gas drainage technology.

Tap water quality analysis in Ulaanbaatar City

There have been several issues concerning the water quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in the past few years. In 2019, some apartment residents filed complaints regarding tap water quality, and others suffered from health issues. In this study, we collected 28 samples from 6 districts of Ulaanbaatar to check if the water supply quality met the standards of the World Health Organization, the Environmental Protection Agency, and a Mongolian National Standard, MNS 0900:2018. We hypothesized that the water in Zaisan, an area where the underground well is used as a water resource rather than the central water system, will have poorer quality, show higher hardness levels, and lower pH and total alkalinity than the other regions in Ulaanbaatar. We carried out a comprehensive analysis of metal concentrations (lead, iron, copper, mercury, aluminum, manganese, and zinc), mineral concentrations (nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, free chlorine, and total chlorine), pH, alkalinity, and hardness using a water test kit and pH meter. Only three of the samples fully met all the requirements of the global standards. However, 21 samples had a lower pH level than the recommended range of 6.5–8.5. Supporting our hypothesis, the samples in Zaisan showed higher hardness (>120 ppm) and alkalinity levels (20–200 ppm) over the other districts in the city. Overall, the results show that it is important to ensure a safe and accessible water supply in Ulaanbaatar to prevent future water quality issues.

Полупромышленные испытания применения окислителей при скважинном выщелачивании гидрогенных руд месторождений Хиагдинского рудного поля

When extracting natural uranium from hydrogenic deposits, one of the problems of development efficiency is the low rate of conversion of a useful component into a productive solution during underground well leaching, which significantly lengthens the life of the field and increases the total cost of obtaining finished products [1; 2]. The object of the research is technological installations for in-situ borehole leaching of hydrogenous ores. The purpose of the research is to consolidate the knowledge obtained in laboratory studies under industrial operating conditions and to develop modes of application of this technology in the development of reserves of hydrogenous ores of Khiagda type. Research objective is to establish the most effective modes of hydrogen peroxide application as an oxidizer. Research methodology is presented by the collection of accumulated information, its mathematical and statistical processing, and development of regulations of the leaching process with hydrogen peroxide; conducting research work and establishing the relationship between the mining, geological, hydrogeological and technological Research methods: mathematical and statistical analysis, semi-industrial tests. The reasons for the low intensity of leaching are both complex mining, geological and hydrogeological conditions for the localization of hydrogenic ores and low groundwater temperature. One of the effective technological techniques for increasing leaching efficiency is the use of chemical activators of the uranium extraction process from ore minerals [10‒14]. Laboratory studies [7] of the use of chemical oxidizers in the ores of the Khiagdinsky ore field deposits have shown that hydrogen peroxide is the most effective activator of leaching. To verify the results of laboratory tests in situ at one of the ore deposits of the Khiagdinskoye deposit, pilot tests of the results of these studies were carried out. As a result of the work performed, it has become possible to establish the optimal modes of sulfuric acid leaching of chiagdin ores using hydrogen peroxide as an activator.