Electrical Resistivity Survey to Investigate Causes of Borehole Failure in Ikwuano/Umuahia Area of Abia State of Nigeria
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International Journal of Innovative Scientific & Engineering Technologies Research 3(1):47-61, Jan-Mar 2015 © SEAHI PUBLICATIONS, 2015 www.seahipaj.org ISSN: 2360-896X ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY SURVEY TO INVESTIGATE CAUSES OF BOREHOLE FAILURE IN IKWUANO/UMUAHIA AREA OF ABIA STATE OF NIGERIA 1*CHUKWU, G.U., 2OKEREKE, C.S., 3OKWUEZE, E.E. & 4CHIBOKA, V.O. 1 Department of Physics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike -Umuahia, Nigeria 2Department of Geology, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria 3Department of Physics, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria 4 Dept. of Mathematics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike -Umuahia, Nigeria *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +2348025691478, +2347034394600 ABSTRACT The prevailing shortage of potable water supply in Ikwuano/Umuahia and the efforts made towards ameliorating the ugly situation through groundwater supply system are not meeting the desired results. There have been several cases of rampant borehole failure within the area. Some boreholes give out poor yield at certain periods of the year; many others go dry shortly after well completion while some do not show any indication of water presence after drilling several meters of depth in the subsurface. The wasted resources added more hardship to the prevailing water scarcity and thus make life very unbearable for the people. Vertical electrical sounding (VES) technique using Schlumberger configuration was employed to carry out electrical resistivity surveys to determine the causative geological/geophysical factors that give rise to the problem. Data sets of both productive and non-productive boreholes were acquired together with global positioning system (GPS) measurements to investigate the problem of borehole failure within the study area. The geology of every site location of the boreholes among several other considerations was taken into account during the study. Results from the study depict that the study area traverses three distinct geological formations of Benin, Bende-Ameki and Imo shale. There are many functional water boreholes in Benin Formation, very few in Bende-Ameki whereas there has never been any in the Imo shale Formation enclave. Drilling borehole for water in Imo shale is regarded as a waste of time, energy and resources if we go by mean total drill depth (TDD) of 120 meters. However, as an older formation (about 65 Ma, Paleocene) than the other two formations, it may be possible to accommodate fractured aquifer at much deeper depth. Keywords: electrical resistivity, borehole, aquiferous zone, Imo Shale Formation, Ikwuano/Umuahia, GPS INTRODUCTION Following many cases of borehole failure occasioned by wild-cat drilling and no pre-drilling investigation coupled with unsuccessful efforts to locate water-bearing aquifers in parts of Ikwuano/Umuahia, concerted and detailed geophysical study becomes very necessary. This is to make it possible to proffer solutions to the problem of rampant borehole failure and water scarcity. Water is essential for life. Out of the four basic needs of man to live, water is next to air. Water is the elixir of life, the climatic thermostat and the global heat exchanger (NRC, 2012). Goni (2006) maintained that fresh water is a finite and valuable resource essential to sustain life, development and environment. Access to safe and sufficient water and sanitation are standard necessities for good health and well-being. Whenever and wherever the availability of this resource is vague or doubtful, something is done quickly to redress the situation (UNESCO, 1992; UNFPA, 2003; WHO, 1987 and Black, 1998). 47 Chukwu et al…. Int. J. Inno. Scientific & Eng. Tech. Res. 3(1):47-61, 2015 Life and water are inseparable and interacting for both fauna and flora species. There are completely new possibilities for learning how water shapes the surface of the Earth (and the other planets) and creates vegetation patterns, how the hydrology of the land surface both dries and is driven by atmospheric processes, and how complex biogeochemical processes are intertwined with hydrological processes and how a host of the research questions posed can be attacked advantageously. In addition to establishing the conceptual, empirical and theoretical foundations of the science, refining and bolstering the fundamental base for hydrologic sciences is essential to support those who grapple with a multitude of water-related problems in a world that needs increasingly more energy, food, and water for humans while protecting ecosystem integrity, biodiversity, and irreplaceable landscapes, all in the face of a changing climate (NRC, 2012). Here lies the significance and relevance of the study. Demand for water compels the inhabitants to trek many kilometers in search of surface water (rivers, streams, ponds, etc) in order to stay alive. The investigated area is within latitudes 4.8o-6.1oN and longitudes 7.2o-8.1oE located at the northern part of the Niger delta region around the eastern flank of the Niger River. Figure 1: Location map of Abia state showing the study area. It covers a landmass of about 1,257 square kilometers in area. Rivers Imo and Kwa Iboe and their various tributaries constitute good dentritic drainage network system in the area with six to seven months (April - October) of rainfall per annum. Annual rainfall is between 2000 mm and 2250 mm. There are many perennial and ephemeral streams which recharge the borehole aquifers where they exist. The number of sunshine hours here is about 3600 hours per year. The maximum daily mean temperature is 29oC (i.e. between 28o and 30oC) during the month of March and minimum daily mean temperature is 23.5oC (i.e. between 23o and 24oC) during the month of July. Topographically, the crustal mass distribution for Ikwuano/Umuahia is not even; thus, the lowest and highest elevations recorded in the study are 29 m and 176 m above mean sea level respectively. The main objective of this study is to investigate the cause/causes of rampant borehole failure that is experienced in parts of the study area. 48 Chukwu et al…. Int. J. Inno. Scientific & Eng. Tech. Res. 3(1):47-61, 2015 Geology: The study area, in terms of geology, falls within three out of eleven geological units in Abia State of Nigeria. These are Imo Shale Formation in the extreme north, Bende-Ameki Formation in the central portion and the Benin Formation in the lower south of the research location. ABIA STATE NIGERIA Cross River State Ofeme 39 38 Akpahia Umulenso 17 77 Umu - Agu Afugiri Ohafia 19 To Uzuakoli Ubani 75 Ama - ogugu Umukabia Uzuakoli Aro Umuahia Nkwoegwu 65 Imo State 300 Umuawa Umuire 35 26 Ekeoba Okahiauga 31 76 Akwa Ibom Ameke State 23 Ekenobizi 400 Odide Umujieze Isiadu 59 45 Mbom Aba STUDY Isingwu AREA Rivers State 43 Isieke Amafor 66 To Bende 60 Cocoa Research 49 40 15 Ogbodi Amachara Eziama Ossa 46 Nkata Ajala Okwuru 72 Ugba 42 Umuoriehi Umuahia Ohiya 71 33 Umuohu Umuobia Umuarako 30 73 Bende L.G.A Afara 63 Umuezela 69 21 Umu - Isi Court GCU Nwanwa 500 ABSU Ama - Igbo Ahia Ukwu 11 500 44 FGGC 09 Nkalu Nta UBAKALA 18 Avodim 34 Umuariaga Itaja 46 MOUAU 68 Itu Amakama Umudike Aro - Okporoenyi 74 10 Nsirimo Apumiri 67 32 Ihim Okwu 100 Mbara - Akuma Amuro 500 11 12 Amaoba 500 Ahi River Ime 500 06 Itu Nta Amawom 13 Iberenta 400 400 Umusoro Ndoro 08 Elemaga TO ABA Umuhu FROM ABA Isiala Ngwa L.G.A Iyila 07 20 Nnono Mbinyang Anya River Oronta Okwe Legend Oleri Obuohia Isiala 05 State Boundary State Headquarters Ntalakwu Ogbuebule Local Government Area Headquarters 79 Akwa Ibom State 02 04 Ekebedi Ekpiri Local Government Area Boundary Alala Oloko Azunchai Local Government Headquarters 51 Awom ukwu 78 54 Obugwu Main Road Usaka Umu ogo Amizi Ukwu Secondary Road Alala 52 Ariam Ndi Okoro 02 VES Point Obeoma 53 Ndi Eke Ariam Bore hole location Ohuhu 57 Ekpiri Settlement 400 Oboni 400 01 300 55 Railway Ndiorie Otoro Nchara 500 Eluelu 56 Obohia Ariam Contour Ariam River Akam Asano FigureFig 2: 1.3 Topo/Geological Topo/Geological Mapmap of ofthe studyStudy Area area showing showing VES/Borehole borehole/VES Locations sites. The Imo Shale consists of thick clayey shale, fine-textured dark gray to bluish-gray with occasional admixture of clay ironstone bands with a thickness of about 500 m (Wilson, 1925; Simpson, 1955; Kogbe, 1976). This formation rests conformably on the Nsukka Formation. The Bende-Ameki Formation constitutes the main bulk of Eocene strata overlying the Imo Shale. It is made up of a series of highly fossiliferous grayish-green sandy-clay with calcareous concretions and white clay sandstones. There are two lithological groups recognized in parts – the lower with fine-to-coarse sandstones and intercalations of calcareous shale and thin shally limestone and upper with coarse, cross-bedded sandstones, bands of fine, gray-green sandstone and sandy clay. Bende-Ameki strata consist of rapidly alternating shale, sandy shale, mudstone, clayey sandstone and fine-grained argillaceous sandstone with limestone bands. In some places the thickness is about 33 m and it is richly fossiliferous all through. The beds dip gently between 5o and 7oS; the strata show steeper dips than the underlying Imo Shale Formation which indicates unconformable relationship. The Bende-Ameki Formation is of Lutetian to Lower Bartonian age and it is richly fossiliferous with mollusks, foraminifera and corals predominating (Kogbe, 1976). The Benin Formation is more than ninety per cent sandstone with shale intercalations. It is coarse- grained, poorly sorted and sub-angular to well-rounded and bears lignite streaks and wood fragments. The formation is a continental deposit of probable upper deltaic depositional environment. In the sub-surface it is of Oligocene age becoming progressively younger southwards. It ranges from Miocene to Recent. The study area is a part of the Tertiary Niger Delta of Nigeria (Table 1).