A Review of the Broome Sandstone Aquifer in the La Grange Area
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Research Library Resource management technical reports Natural resources research 3-2013 A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area Robert J. Paul Richard J. George Dr Peter Gardiner Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/rmtr Part of the Agriculture Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, Hydrology Commons, Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons, Soil Science Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons Recommended Citation Paul, R J, George, R J, and Gardiner, P. (2013), A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia, Perth. Report 387. This report is brought to you for free and open access by the Natural resources research at Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Resource management technical reports by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area Resource management technical report 387 Supporting your success A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area Resource management technical report 387 Robert Paul, Richard George and Peter Gardiner Copyright © Western Australian Agriculture Authority, 2013 March 2013 The Department of Agriculture and Food is the lead agency and is working with the Department of Regional Development and Lands to deliver this Royalties for Regions funded project. For more information refer to agric.wa.gov.au. ISSN 1039–7205 Cover: Windmill at Mandora station (Photo: R Paul) Recommended reference Paul RJ, George RJ & Gardiner PS 2013, A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area, Resource management technical report 387, Department of Agriculture and Food, Perth. Disclaimer The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. Copies of this document are available in alternative formats upon request. 3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth WA 6151 Tel: (08) 9368 3333 Email: [email protected] agric.wa.gov.au A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area Contents Figures............................................................................................................................. iv Tables ............................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................... vi List of symbols and shortened phrases ....................................................................... vii Summary ......................................................................................................................... ix 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 2. The La Grange area ................................................................................................ 2 2.1 Physiography .............................................................................................. 4 2.2 Environmental and cultural sites ................................................................ 19 2.3 Mining and oil exploration.......................................................................... 22 2.4 Political and cultural issues ....................................................................... 26 2.5 Groundwater management ........................................................................ 28 3. The Broome Sandstone ........................................................................................ 30 3.1 Structure ................................................................................................... 30 3.2 Geometry .................................................................................................. 30 3.3 Historic investigations ............................................................................... 30 3.4 Palaeovalleys ............................................................................................ 39 4. The Broome Sandstone aquifer ........................................................................... 41 4.1 Groundwater ............................................................................................. 41 4.2 Aquifer properties ...................................................................................... 49 4.3 Wallal Sandstone aquifer .......................................................................... 51 5. Discussion ............................................................................................................ 53 5.1 Information gaps and proposed investigations .......................................... 53 5.2 Recommendations .................................................................................... 56 6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 57 7. References ............................................................................................................ 58 Appendixes .................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix A Oil well bores ....................................................................................... 62 Appendix B Department of Water’s WIN database data .......................................... 66 Appendix C Main Roads Western Australia’s bores ................................................ 80 Appendix D Bidgyadanga bores .............................................................................. 82 iii A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area Figures Figure 1 Location of the La Grange area ................................................................................ 3 Figure 2 Geomorphology of the La Grange area .................................................................... 4 Figure 3 Summary of Ordovician–Cretaceous stratigraphy, Canning Basin ........................... 6 Figure 4 Surface geology and cross section locations of the La Grange area ........................ 7 Figure 5 Major tectonic subdivisions, Canning Basin. ............................................................ 8 Figure 6 Geological cross-sections of the La Grange area ..................................................... 9 Figure 7 Soil-landscape zones of the La Grange area ......................................................... 11 Figure 8 Catchment and ephemeral drainage systems in the La Grange area ..................... 14 Figure 9 Climate stations and rainfall districts in the La Grange area ................................... 15 Figure 10 Monthly average rainfall for Broome, Bidyadanga, Anna Plains and Mandora, and monthly average temperature for Bidyadanga and Mandora ......................... 17 Figure 11 Bidyadanga rainfall, 10-year moving average, and AARR for 1900–2010 ............ 18 Figure 12 Broome tidal prediction for September–October 2011 .......................................... 18 Figure 13 Wetland areas and management zones in the La Grange area ............................ 20 Figure 14 Mining tenements and mine locations in the La Grange area ............................... 23 Figure 15 Petroleum tenements in the La Grange area ........................................................ 24 Figure 16 Geothermal tenements in the La Grange area ..................................................... 25 Figure 17 Native title determinations in the La Grange area ................................................. 27 Figure 18 Previous groundwater investigations in and around the La Grange area .............. 31 Figure 19 Oil wells drilled in and around the La Grange area ............................................... 32 Figure 20 Regional watertable elevations and flow lines ...................................................... 35 Figure 21 Inferred palaeovalleys in the La Grange area ....................................................... 40 Figure 22 Groundwater depth and contours (m BGL) ........................................................... 42 Figure 23 Groundwater levels in 1999 .................................................................................. 43 Figure 24 Groundwater levels in MRD Bore and Nita Downs bores with logger data, 2011–12 ............................................................................................................... 44 Figure 25 Salinity as total dissolved salts (mg/L) contours for the La Grange area............... 45 Figure 26 Groundwater salinity trends for production bores at Bidyadanga, 1987–98 .......... 46 Figure 27 Durov diagram for groundwater with TDS less than 500 mg/L .............................. 48 Figure 28 SAR diagram for groundwater with TDS less than 500 mg/L ................................ 50 Figure 29 Artesian bores in the Wallal Sandstone in or near the La Grange area ................ 52 iv A review of the Broome Sandstone aquifer in the La Grange area Tables Table 1 Description of soil-landscape zones in the La Grange area ..................................... 10 Table 2 Bureau of Meteorology rainfall stations in the La Grange area ................................ 16