Schlumberger Water Services has assisted mining clients with the identification and development of suitable water supplies for major mining projects. Some of the largest wellfields in the world have been developed for mines in northern Chile, where precipitation is negligible and the water supply demands for mining are very high. Schlumberger Water Services has been operating in Chile since 1990 and has been instrumental in developing many of these large wellfields. Schlumberger Water Services has also worked in other arid desert locations where recharge is limited and in areas where geological conditions result in very poor aquifers. Services that are provided in water supply projects include:
- Air photo and satellite imagery interpretation
- Geophysical surveys
- Drilling and well testing
- Evaluation of resource and long-term yields
- Wellfield design and implementation
- Water supply optimization
Project Examples:
| Title: |
Monturaqui wellfield
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| Location: |
Chile
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| Client: |
Minera Escondida (BHP/Rio Tinto)
Inter-American Development Bank |
| Description: |
Schlumberger Water Services managed and implemented a large investigation and wellfield design program. The program included geophysical surveys, geological and structural interpretation of satellite image data, and drilling and testing work. A groundwater flow model was developed based on integrated interpretation of all new and existing data. The model was used to quantify resources and optimize the location of the production wellfield based on minimizing impacts, maximizing resource usage, and minimizing operation cost. The model was used to predict the effects of abstraction for up to 50 years for a variety of pumping regimes. Sensitivity analyses were also carried out to examine worst-case scenarios. The model results, aquifer parameters, geological and water chemistry data were combined to produce the optimum final wellfield design.
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| Title: |
Midas water supply
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| Location: |
Nevada, USA
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| Client: |
USDA/Newmont
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| Description: |
Schlumberger Water Services conducted a water supply investigation, on behalf of Newmont, to help identify replacement water supply wells for meeting the long-term potable and agricultural water demand for the town of Midas. The replacement wells were successfully developed and as a result the town was able to avoid high pumping costs associated with potential water transmission from alternative sources. |
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| Title: |
Yanacocha mine water supply
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| Location: |
Peru
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| Client: |
Minera Yanacocha (Newmont) |
| Description: |
Schlumberger Water Services was appointed to carry out this groundwater exploration project with the subsequent installation and evaluation of production water wells. Permeable fractures in siliceous rocks were targeted in locating well sites using a combination of lithological and structural information. Sites were then drilled and tested for their suitability as production wells. The work was completed in two phases. Phase 1 involved the collation and interpretation of available geological data, and Phase 2 was the construction of a wellfield in the Yanacocha Norte area. Schlumberger Water Services provided project and technical management including drilling supervision services. Drilling and testing were carried out using mine drilling equipment and personnel, resulting in a reliable water source for the life of the project. |
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