Hypogenic karst beneath the Athabasca Oil Sands: Implications for oil sands mining operations

Abstract

Research Article| March 01, 2017 Hypogenic karst beneath the Athabasca Oil Sands: Implications for oil sands mining operations James Walker; James Walker Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar István Almási; István Almási Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Frank Stoakes; Frank Stoakes Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Ken Potma; Ken Potma Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jennifer O'Keefe (nee Cranshaw) Jennifer O'Keefe (nee Cranshaw) Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information James Walker István Almási Frank Stoakes Ken Potma Jennifer O'Keefe (nee Cranshaw) Publisher: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Received: 22 Jul 2015 Accepted: 07 Sep 2016 First Online: 17 Nov 2017 Online Issn: 2368-0261 Print Issn: 0007-4802 © the Society of Canadian Petroleum Geologists Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology (2017) 65 (1): 115–146. https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.65.1.115 Article history Received: 22 Jul 2015 Accepted: 07 Sep 2016 First Online: 17 Nov 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation James Walker, István Almási, Frank Stoakes, Ken Potma, Jennifer O'Keefe (nee Cranshaw); Hypogenic karst beneath the Athabasca Oil Sands: Implications for oil sands mining operations. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology 2017;; 65 (1): 115–146. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gscpgbull.65.1.115 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology Search Advanced Search The Athabasca Oil Sands, located in northeast Alberta, largely comprise a stacked succession of Early Cretaceous fluvial and marine sediments that were deposited directly above Middle and Late Devonian limestones, dolostones, calcareous shales and evaporites. Dissolution of halite and anhydrite from the Prairie Evaporite Formation by hypogenic karstification has resulted in the diachronous subsidence of overlying stratigraphic units and severe brecciation of important aquitards. These aquitards are required to protect oil sands mining operations from in-pit influxes of saline water sourced from Devonian aquifers. Sequence stratigraphic, palynologic and groundwater isotopic evidence suggests that karstification began prior to the Early Cretaceous, was active during deposition of the McMurray Formation and is still ongoing today in the Athabasca Oil Sands mining area.Groundwater flow associated with hypogenic karstification has important implications for the development of the Athabasca Oil Sands. For in-situ projects, Devonian aquifers are considered both as a resource for the moderately saline water required for steam generation and as a disposal zone for waste water. In open-pit oil sands mines, some of the most effective aquitards are removed by mining operations, thereby increasing the possibility that saline water from the Devonian aquifers could enter the mine pits. This poses safety, environmental and economic risks to mining operations that require a thorough understanding of the geologic, hydraulic and geomechanical controls related to hypogenic karstification. This paper, presents our current understanding of the hypogenic karst system in the vicinity of the Kearl mine. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.