GRG) December 2017
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Geoscientific Review Group Report 2017 2017 Report of the NWMO Adaptive Phased Management Geoscientific Review Group (GRG) December 2017 Table of contents Executive summary ................................................................................................................................. 3 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 5 2 Objectives of NWMO’s geoscientific preliminary assessments ...................................................... 5 3 GRG review activities in 2017 ......................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Meetings between GRG and NWMO ...................................................................................... 6 3.2 Specific studies reviewed by the GRG ..................................................................................... 7 4 Overall assessment of progress during 2017 .................................................................................. 8 5 GRG review comments ................................................................................................................... 8 5.1 Airborne Geophysical Surveys in Elliot Lake and Blind River Area ......................................... 8 5.1.1 Airborne survey plan (2017) ........................................................................................... 9 5.1.2 Interpretation of airborne surveys (2017) ...................................................................... 9 5.2 Lineament Interpretation in Elliot Lake and Blind River Area ................................................ 9 5.3 Geological mapping in Ignace, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, White River, Elliot Lake and Blind River Areas ............................................................................................................................... 10 5.3.1 Key findings from geological mapping (2014-2017) ..................................................... 10 5.4 Identification of Potential Repository Areas in Ignace, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, White River, Elliot Lake and Blind River Areas (2016-2017) ........................................................................ 11 5.5 Review of geoscience relative suitability assessment for the communities Hornepayne, Manitouwadge and White River ....................................................................................................... 11 5.6 Test Plans for initial borehole drilling in Ignace area ............................................................ 11 5.7 Location, objectives and approach for drilling Ignace initial three boreholes ..................... 13 6 Concluding remarks ...................................................................................................................... 13 7 Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................................ 13 8 References .................................................................................................................................... 13 9 Attachment - Brief biographies of the APM-GRG members ........................................................ 15 2 Geoscientific Review Group Report 2017 Executive summary This report provides a summary of the work completed in 2017 by the Adaptive Phased Management Geoscientific Review Group (APM-GRG; abbreviated to GRG). This year the GRG met twice by teleconference call and once during a field visit to the Ignace area. In addition, due to other commitments of the Chair, Dr. M. Stephens summarized the GRG’s activities and findings to the NWMO’s Advisory Council and Board of Directors. The GRG reviewed approaches, methods, criteria and findings related to broad geoscientific issues addressed by the NWMO in candidate areas underlain by crystalline rock. This included a review of findings regarding the location and geoscientific relative suitability of the identified potential repository areas, test plans for the first borehole in the Ignace area, and the plans and approaches for the next two boreholes at this site. Specific activities included reviews of: • Phase 2 high-resolution airborne geophysical survey interpretation report for Elliot Lake and Blind River. • Phase 2 lineament interpretation report for Elliot Lake and Blind River. • Phase 2 geological mapping reports for Ignace, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, White River, Elliot Lake and Blind River. • Approach and rationale for identification of potential repository areas and evaluation of uncertainties for Ignace, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, White River, Elliot Lake and Blind River. • Geoscience relative suitability assessment for Hornepayne, Manitouwadge and White River. • Test Plans for Ignace Borehole 1: . WP 2 – Borehole Drilling and Coring . WP 3 – Geological and Geotechnical Core Logging, Photography and Sampling . WP4a – Petrophysical Testing of Core . WP4b – Geomechanical Testing of Core . WP4c – Porewater Extraction and Analysis and Petrographic Analysis . WP5 – Geophysical Logging and Interpretation . WP6 – Hydraulic Testing . WP7 – Opportunistic Groundwater Sampling . WP8 – Temporary Well Sealing • Location, objectives and approach for Ignace Boreholes 2 and 3. As in previous years, the GRG made various contributions to many geoscientific aspects and these are briefly described in this report. NWMO documented all suggestions, questions, comments in disposition tables and subsequently addressed them. The NWMO provided high quality responses to all issues in a timely, transparent and professional manner. In the GRG members’ opinion, the adopted approach follows or exceeds international practices in this phase of assessment. The GRG’s overall judgement of the progress during 2017 is again very positive. A systematic approach was adopted and executed by the NWMO, and the GRG feels that good progress was made in geoscientific site assessments. The NWMO team and its consultants have undertaken an extraordinary amount of field work this year and this work was completed on time and documented in high quality 3 Geoscientific Review Group Report 2017 reports. This allowed the GRG to fulfil its mandate and carefully assess approaches, interpretations and conclusions. Technical and scientific aspects are described in the main body of this report. A few high-level aspects are highlighted here: • The GRG agrees that the interpretation of the airborne geophysical surveys for the Elliot Lake and Blind River area provided a sound basis for lineament interpretations and field geological mapping. • The GRG is pleased to see that comments made on previous communities to improve the interpretation of lineaments, and on planning and collecting field geological mapping data were applied to the Elliot Lake and Blind River area. • The GRG welcomes how the geological mapping work in the communities sited on crystalline rock has improved the understanding of the geological significance of lineaments, both dykes and brittle structures, and the fracture characteristics inside and adjacent to dykes. • With respect to the rationale for identification of potential repository areas and associated uncertainties in the Ignace, White River, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, Elliot Lake and Blind River areas, the GRG is satisfied with the adopted approach and with the consistent and sound use of geoscientific data collected to date. • The GRG provided comment and advice on specific Test Plans for initial borehole drilling in the Ignace area, resulting in the sharpening of nomenclature and processes for the consistent interpretation of the compositional, structural, petrophysical, geomechanical and hydrogeological attributes of rock masses encountered during drilling activities. As a consequence, the initial borehole program was well planned to produce quality and useful data. • The GRC visited the area of the first Ignace Borehole and was able to explore how the site characterization efforts documented in the various reports related to the in situ conditions. It was evident to the GRG that NMWO’s team executed an extensive and very detailed field mapping effort. The GRG is looking forward to the findings from the first underground exploration as a first subsurface element in developing an integrated 3D geoscience model for this potential site. 4 Geoscientific Review Group Report 2017 1 Introduction The Adaptive Phased Management Geoscientific Review Group (APM-GRG; abbreviated to GRG) was established by NWMO in 2012. It aims to provide independent review comments and advice on the preliminary geoscientific assessments being conducted as part of NWMO’s evaluations to identify a suitable deep geological repository site in an informed and willing host community for Canada’s used nuclear fuel. More specifically, the GRG provides comments on the approach, methods and criteria used, the data interpretation, and the adequacy of proposed preliminary field investigation and drilling programs to advance the understanding of the geology and increase confidence in the potential suitability of the various siting areas being considered by NWMO. This report covers GRG activities during 2017. Previous GRG reports were issued in December 2013, 2014 and 2016, and are publically available on NWMO’s website (APM-GRG 2013, 2014, 2016 www.nwmo.ca). Brief biographies of the GRG members for the 2017 term are attached to this report. 2 Objectives of NWMO’s geoscientific preliminary assessments The suitability