CFD-Based Model for Estimating the River Bed Morphological Characteristics near Cylindrical Bridge Piers Due to Debris Accumulation

Water Resources - The scour and flow field patterns with accumulation of debris around bridge piers are completely different due to the reduction of flow area and the increase in depth average...     

Extent and nature of hydrocarbon occurrence in the groundwater of Kuwait

A study, aimed at characterizing the nature of anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbon contamination in the groundwater of Kuwait, was carried out using fluorescence spectroscopy and other analytical techniques. The results of these analyses have demonstrated that the groundwater in certain areas of northern Kuwait has been significantly impacted by contamination originating from the oil-contaminated surface soils. The study revealed that a water-soluble fraction (WSF) of the crude oil surface contamination appeared to be slowly leaching into the freshwater lenses located in the area. The study also showed that hydrocarbon pollutants were practically absent in the brackish water areas of central and southern Kuwait, except for a few isolated sites. However, nonpetroleum hydrocarbons, with ultraviolet-visible absorption characteristics and fluorescence characteristics typically associated with humic substances, were observed at a few sites in the brackish water fields.     

An overview of the Tertiary geology and hydrogeology of the northern part of the Arabian Gulf region with special reference to Kuwait

Tertiary sediments constitute the main source of usable groundwater in Kuwait. Tectonics, depositional environment, lithology and the hydrogeology of these sediments have been reviewed on a regional scale, with special reference to Kuwait. The review showed that Kuwait was situated at the boundary of the stable shelf towards southwest and the unstable shelf towards northeast throughout the Tertiary period. The Tertiary sedimentation started in this area with a marine transgression in the Palaeocene. Shallow marine to sabkha conditions prevailed in the area until the end of the Eocene; a carbonate-evaporite sequence (Umm Er-Radhuma, Rus and Dammam Formation) was deposited during this period. The sea regressed at the end of Eocene, and a widespread unconformity, causing the absence of Oligocene deposits over most of the area, marked the event. The karstification of the Dammam Limestone Formation, that provides localized easier pathways for ground water, took place during this period. The deposition of the clastic sediments of the Kuwait Group and its equivalents on the stable shelf, under mostly continental conditions, started in the early Miocene. The Tertiary aquifers of the area are recharged by occasional rainstorms in the outcrops of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The water flows towards the north and east in the direction of the regional dip and discharges along the present-day coast of the Gulf. The water quality deteriorates in the same direction, being more mineralized as it flows through the aquifers. The aquifers are presently being exploited at a comparatively high rate. Since the aquifers extend beyond the political boundaries, cooperation among the countries of the region is recommended to ensure the optimum utilization of the scarce water resources of this desert environment.     

Geology and hydrogeology of the Dammam Formation in Kuwait

 The Dammam Formation of Middle Eocene age is one of the major aquifers containing useable brackish water in Kuwait. Apart from the paleokarst zone at the top, the Dammam Formation in Kuwait consists of 150–200 m of dolomitized limestone that is subdivided into three members, on the basis of lithology and biofacies. The upper member consists of friable chalky dolomicrite and dolomite. The middle member is mainly laminated biomicrite and biodolomicrite. The lower member is nummulitic limestone with interlayered shale toward the base. Geophysical markers conform to these subdivisions. Core analyses indicate that the upper member is the most porous and permeable of the three units, as confirmed by the distribution of lost-circulation zones. The quality of water in the aquifer deteriorates toward the north and east. A potentiometric-head difference exists between the Dammam Formation and the unconformably overlying Kuwait Group; this difference is maintained by the presence of an intervening aquitard. Received, February 1997 Revised, June 1997, September 1997 Accepted, January 1998     

Compatibility Of Desalinated Water With The Dammam Formation At The Northwest Shigaya Water-Well Field,Kuwait – A Preliminary Study

Porosity and hydraulic-conductivity measurements were carried out on conventional core samples from Eocene Dammam Formation, penetrated by a well in the northwest Shigaya water-well field of Kuwait. The main objective was to identify any potential adverse effects (mainly reduction of porosity and permeability) that the injection of desalinated water in the formation material would have before attempting any artificial recharge project. Analysis of test results indicates that porosity and hydraulic conductivity values are controlled principally by lithology. Very little difference was observed between hydraulic conductivity values measured with fresh and brackish water. Reduction in hydraulic conductivity was observed only in a few cases, when the water flowing through core samples was loaded with different concentrations of bentonite clay. The dissolution of anhydrite in fresh water suggested that, at high anhydrite content, porosity and permeability may increase when the aquifer is in contact with fresh water over an extended period of time, and the quality of the injected water may be adversely affected. RÉSUMÉ: Des mesures de porosité et de perméabilité ont été réalisées sur des échantillons de carottes classiques provenant de la formation éocène de Dammam, forée dans le champ captant du nord-ouest de Shigaya au Koweit. Le but principal était d'identifier, avant de réaliser un projet de recharge artificielle, les effets potentiels néfastes (surtout une diminution de la porosité et de la perméabilité) que l'injection d'eau dessalée dans la formation pourrait provoquer. L'analyse des résultats des essais indique que les valeurs de porosité et de perméabilité sont contrôlées par la lithologie. Une très faible différence est observée entre les valeurs de perméabilité mesurées pour l'eau douce et pour l'eau saumâtre. Une diminution de la perméabilité a été observée dans quelques cas seulement, lorsque l'eau circulant dans les carottes était chargée de bentonite en concentrations variables. La dissolution de l'anhydrite par l'eau douce laisse envisager qu'à forte teneur en anhydrite dans la roche, la porosité et la perméabilité peuvent augmenter, lorsque l'aquifère est au contact avec l'eau douce pendant une durée longue, ce qui peut affecter défavorablement la qualité de l'eau injectée. RESUMEN: Se llevaron a cabo medidas de porosidad y permeabilidad en muestras procedentes de la Formación Eocénica Dammam, atravesada por un pozo en el campo de suministro noroccidental de Shigaya, en Kuwait. El objetivo principal era identificar los posibles efectos perjudiciales (fundamentalmente la reducción en porosidad y permeabilidad) que pudiera tener la inyección de agua desalinizada en la formación, antes de poner en marcha cualquier proyecto de recarga artificial. Los resultados de los análisis indican que los valores de porosidad y permeabilidad están controlados por la litología. Las diferencias observadas entre permeabilidades medidas con agua dulce o salobre fueron muy pequeñas. La reducción en la permeabilidad se observó sólo en unos pocos casos, cuando al agua a través de las muestras se le añadía diferentes concentraciones de bentonita. La disolución de anhidrita en agua dulce sugirió que, para concentraciones de anhidrita altas, tanto porosidad como permeabilidad pueden aumentar cuando el acuífero se pone en contacto con agua dulce durante en espacio prolongado de tiempo, y que la calidad del agua de inyección puede verse afectada de modo adverso.