Bore and well induced inter‐aquifer connectivity: a review of literature on failure mechanisms and conceptualisation of hydrocarbon reservoir‐aquifer failure pathways

2018
Wu B, Doble R, Turnadge C, Mallants D

This report was commissioned by the Department of the Environment and Energy and was prepared by CSIRO.

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About this document

This report is a literature review that provides the framework to guide local-scale simulations to establish the following:

  1. the potential for local-scale impacts of well or bore failures
  2. the level of discharge or cross-formational leakage that would be required to produce measurable changes in groundwater chemistry (major ions, stable isotopes or tracers)
  3. experimental designs that could be applied to measure local impacts of wells or bores that may have failed.

This review addresses some aspects of well failure, such as failure mechanisms, failure rates and knowledge gaps in the context of understanding the potential impacts of well failure on aquifer connectivity in CSG (coal seam gas) producing environments. Onshore oil and gas wells, water bores as well as coal seam gas wells are included in this review.

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