Changes of deformational and reservoir properties of arenaceous-argillaceous rocks due to operation of underground gas storage facilities

This paper discusses issues of the decline of the reservoir properties of arenaceous-argillaceous rocks as a result of declining porosity due to long-term operation of underground gas storage facilities. An analysis of the many-year operation of storage facilities, as well as calculation, has revealed that the active capacity of a storage reservoir gradually decreases under certain conditions of underground storage operations. We performed a series of experiments with model specimens in order to support the hypothesis of decreasing reservoir (capacity-filtration) properties because of changes in the value and structure of the pore space. These experiments showed that the cyclic loading and unloading of arenaceous-silty rocks during long-term operation of underground gas storage facilities can significantly decrease the reservoir parameters of reservoirs created within worked out gas-and-gas condensate fields. Laboratory studies of model specimens corresponding to feldspar sandstone in their composition, porosity, and strength proved that porosity considerably decreases in such reservoirs at actually existing values of formation pressure. Tests of sand performed under conditions close to those existing during the development of hydrocarbon fields also showed that their permeability gradually decreases in the process of cyclic changes of effective pressure.     

Silica phase transformations in the petroliferous sequences

The joint evolution of organic matter and silica in petroliferous sequences is considered in the terms of the laws of transformation of dispersion systems. The dispersion systems are transformed under conditions of low-temperature solid-phase processes accompanied by the silica phase transition and dehydration that favors the evolution of organic matter.     

Migration of the Ganga river and its implication on hydro-geological potential of Varanasi area, U.P., India

Borehole data reveals that during Late Quaternary, the Ganga river was non-existent in its present location near Varanasi. Instead, it was flowing further south towards peripheral craton. Himalayan derived grey micaceous sands were being carried by southward flowing rivers beyond the present day water divide of Ganga and mixed with pink arkosic sand brought by northward flowing peninsular rivers. Subsequently, the Ganga shifted to its present position and got incised. Near Varanasi, the Ganga river is flowing along a NW-SE tectonic lineament. The migration of Ganga river is believed to have been in response to basin expansion caused due to Himalayan tectonics during Middle Pleistocene times. Multi-storied sand bodies generated as a result of channel migration provide excellent aquifers confined by a thick zone of muddy sediments near the surface. Good quality potable water is available at various levels below about 70 m depth in sandy aquifers. Craton derived gravelly coarse-to-medium grained sand forms the main aquifer zones of tens of meter thickness with enormous yield. In contrast, the shallow aquifers made up of recycled interfluve silt and sandy silt occur under unconfined conditions and show water-level fluctuation of a few meters during pre-and post-monsoon periods.     

Characteristics of spectral aerosol optical depths over India during ICARB

Spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements, carried out regularly from a network of observatories spread over the Indian mainland and adjoining islands in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, are used to examine the spatio-temporal and spectral variations during the period of ICARB (March to May 2006). The AODs and the derived Ångström parameters showed considerable variations across India during the above period. While at the southern peninsular stations the AODs decreased towards May after a peak in April, in the north Indian regions they increased continuously from March to May. The Ångström coefficients suggested enhanced coarse mode loading in the north Indian regions, compared to southern India. Nevertheless, as months progressed from March to May, the dominance of coarse mode aerosols increased in the columnar aerosol size spectrum over the entire Indian mainland, maintaining the regional distinctiveness. Compared to the above, the island stations showed considerably low AODs, so too the northeastern station Dibrugarh, indicating the prevalence of cleaner environment. Long-range transport of aerosols from tshe adjoining regions leads to remarkable changes in the magnitude of the AODs and their wavelength dependencies during March to May. HYSPLIT back-trajectory analysis shows that enhanced long-range transport of aerosols, particularly from the west Asia and northwest coastal India, contributed significantly to the enhancement of AOD and in the flattening of the spectra over entire regions; if it is the peninsular regions and the island Minicoy are more impacted in April, the north Indian regions including the Indo Gangetic Plain get affected the most during May, with the AODs soaring as high as 1.0 at 500 nm. Over the islands, the Ångström exponent (α) remained significantly lower (～1) over the Arabian Sea compared to Bay of Bengal (BoB) (～1.4) as revealed by the data respectively from Minicoy and Port Blair. Occurrences of higher values of α, showing dominance of accumulation mode aerosols, over BoB are associated well with the advection, above the boundary layer, of fine particles from the east Asian region during March and April. The change in the airmass to marine in May results in a rapid decrease in α over the BoB.     

Aerosol mass loading over the marine environment of Arabian Sea during ICARB: Sea-salt and non-sea-salt components

Mass loading and chemical composition of atmospheric aerosols over the Arabian Sea during the pre-monsoon months of April and May have been studied as a part of the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB). These investigations show large spatial variabilities in total aerosol mass loading as well as that of individual chemical species. The mass loading is found to vary between 3.5 and 69.2 μg m^?3, with higher loadings near the eastern and northern parts of Arabian Sea, which decreases steadily to reach its minimum value in the mid Arabian Sea. The decrease in mass loading from the coast of India towards west is estimated to have a linear gradient of 1.53 μg m^?3/° longitude and an e^?1 scale distance of ～2300 km. SO ₄ ^2? , Cl^? and Na⁺ are found to be the major ionic species present. Apart from these, other dominating watersoluble components of aerosols are NO ₃ ^? (17%) and Ca²⁺ (6%). Over the marine environment of Arabian Sea, the non-sea-salt component dominates accounting to ～76% of the total aerosol mass. The spatial variations of the various ions are examined in the light of prevailing meteorological conditions and airmass back trajectories.     

Integrated approach for identification of potential groundwater zones in Seethanagaram Mandal of Vizianagaram District,Andhra Pradesh,India

Identifying a good site for groundwater exploration in hard rock terrain is a challenging task. In hard rocks, groundwater occurs in secondary porosity developed due to weathering, fracturing, faulting, etc., which is highly variable within short distance and contributing to near-surface inhomogeneity. In such situations topographic, hydrogeological and geomorphological features provide useful clues for the selection of suitable sites. Initially, based on satellite imagery, topographical, geomorphological and hydrogeological features, an area of about 149 km² was demarcated as a promising zone for groundwater exploration in the hard rock tract of Seethanagaram Mandal, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh, India. A total of 50 Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) were carried out using Wenner electrode configuration. An interactive interpretation of the VES data sharpened the information inferred from geomorphological and hydrogeological reconnaissance. Ten sites were recommended for drilling. Drilling with Down-The-Hole Hammer (DTH) was carried out at the recommended sites down to 50 to 70 m depths. The interpreted VES results matched well with the drilled bore well lithologs. The yields of bore wells vary from 900 to 9000 liters per hour (lph).     

Urban effects of Chennai on sea breeze induced convection and precipitation

Doppler radar derived wind speed and direction profiles showed a well developed sea breeze circulation over the Chennai, India region on 28 June, 2003. Rainfall totals in excess of 100 mm resulted from convection along the sea breeze front. Inland propagation of the sea breeze front was observed in radar reflectivity imagery. High-resolution MM5 simulations were used to investigate the influence of Chennai urban land use on sea breeze initiated convection and precipitation. A comparison of observed and simulated 10m wind speed and direction over Chennai showed that the model was able to simulate the timing and strength of the sea breeze. Urban effects are shown to increase the near surface air temperature over Chennai by 3.0K during the early morning hours. The larger surface temperature gradient along the coast due to urban effects increased onshore flow by 4.0m s⁻¹. Model sensitivity study revealed that precipitation totals were enhanced by 25mm over a large region 150 km west of Chennai due to urban effects. Deficiency in model physics related to night-time forecasts are addressed.     

Seismic hazard assessment of Chennai city considering local site effects

Chennai city suffered moderate tremors during the 2001 Bhuj and Pondicherry earthquakes and the 2004 Sumatra earthquake. After the Bhuj earthquake, Indian Standard IS: 1893 was revised and Chennai city was upgraded from zone II to zone III which leads to a substantial increase of the design ground motion parameters. Therefore, a comprehensive study is carried out to assess the seismic hazard of Chennai city based on a deterministic approach. The seismicity and seismotectonic details within a 100 km radius of the study area have been considered. The one-dimensional ground response analysis was carried out for 38 representative sites by the equivalent linear method using the SHAKE91 program to estimate the ground motion parameters considering the local site effects. The shear wave velocity profile was inferred from the corrected blow counts and it was verified with the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) test performed for a representative site. The seismic hazard is represented in terms of characteristic site period and Spectral Acceleration Ratio (SAR) contours for the entire city. It is found that structures with low natural period undergo significant amplification mostly in the central and southern parts of Chennai city due to the presence of deep soil sites with clayey or sandy deposits and the remaining parts undergo marginal amplification.     

Observations of unusual whistlers during daytime at Jammu

In this paper, we report observations of unusual whistlers recorded at Jammu (geomag. lat. = 22°26′N; L = 1.17), India on March 8, 1999 during the daytime. They are interpreted as one-hop ducted whistlers having propagated along higher L-values in closely spaced narrow ducts from the opposite hemispheres. After leakage from the duct, the waves might have propagated in the earth-ionosphere waveguide towards the equator in surface mode. Tentative explanation of the dynamic spectra of these events is briefly presented.