Measurement of the hydraulic properties of low-permeability rock / by Kentner S. Novakowski and Gregory S. Bickerton. : En13-5/96-87E-PDF

"Selection of possible sites for the location of nuclear waste repositories strongly depends on the reliability of the estimates of the permeability of the host rock. In the case of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program, a specific target for permeability has been set, above which the site is not acceptable as a repository location. The target permeability is, of course, very small so that the migration of radio nuclides to local structural features such as faults will be limited. Unfortunately, measuring the permeability of low-permeability rock is very difficult, both experimentally and by way of interpretation. In this paper, a semi-analytical model is presented which accounts for many of the processes which might influence a hydraulic test conducted in low-permeability rock. Problems related to the non-uniqueness of the test results are investigated. It is concluded that although it may be possible to accurately measure permeability by properly accounting for the appropriate test processes, it is more likely that errors in permeability on the order of one magnitude or greater are more common. Differences in average permeability of one order of magnitude might mean the difference between the acceptance or rejection of a possible repository location"--Management perspective.

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