Porosity Development in the karstic Silurian Lockport Group and Salina A Unit in southwestern Ontario and the application of core CT scanning technique

Lockport Group is a carbonate rocks succession that subcrops in southwestern Ontario; a potable water source, oil/natural gas producer and storage, and a hydrochemical indicator interval for potential nuclear waste disposal. Using core logging and lithofacies analysis to establish a sequence stratigraphic model, it is possible to document and interpret the regional geographic and stratigraphic variations in sedimentary and diagenetic facies. This will accurately map continuity/discontinuity of the Lockport aquifer layers, distribution of hydrocarbon traps, groundwater flow patterns, and potential nuclear waste disposal sites. Results will provide stratigraphic modelling for use by oil/gas explorationists, sedimentologists, hydrogeologists and government policy makers. As a continuous study on porosity systems of the Lockport Group, evaluation from CT-scanning methodology (continuous sampling) will be compared with conventional gas porosity on core plugs (discrete sampling). This non-destructive technique can quantify internal structures to gain quantitative information on bulk density, porosity, and fluid saturations cores more efficiently.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jisuo JIn

Student:

Shuo Sun

Partner:

OGSR Library

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

University:

Western University

Program: