Regional Variation and Geologic Controls on the Porosity and Permeability of the Silurian Lockport Group, southwestern Ontario

The Lockport Group is a succession of carbonate rocks that subcrops in southwestern Ontario. It is of great interest as a source of potable water at shallow depths in Wiarton-Guelph-Hamilton area, of production of oil/natural gas and storage of natural gas and as a hydrochemical indicator interval for potential disposal of nuclear wastes in the deep subsurface. Recently, the Oil, Gas and Salt Resouces (OGSR) Library has published a database of over 28,000 analyses of porosity and vertical and horizontal permeability from 491 wells. Based on this and in combination with core logging, lithofacies and groundwater chemistry analysis, it is possible to document and interpret the regional geographic and stratigraphic variations in sedimentary and diagenetic facies of the Lockport Group to accurately map the continuity/discontinuity of the Lockport aquifer layers, distribution of hydrocarbon traps, groundwater flow patterns, and potential locations for nuclear waste disposal sites. The study results will contribute to establishing a 3D hydrostratigraphic model that can be used by oil/gas explorationists, sedimentologists, hydrogeologists and government policy makers.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jisuo JIn

Student:

Shuo Sun

Partner:

OGSR Library

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

Natural resources

University:

Program: