EUB/AGS Earth Sciences Report 2003-04 Chemical and Physical Hydrogeology of Coal, Mixed Coal-Sandstone and Sandstone Aquifers from Coal-Bearing Formations in the Alberta Plains Region, Alberta Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Alberta Geological Survey EUB/AGS Earth Sciences Report 2003-04 Chemical and Physical Hydrogeology of Coal, Mixed Coal-Sandstone and Sandstone Aquifers from Coal-Bearing Formations in the Alberta Plains Region, Alberta T.G. Lemay Alberta Geological Survey September 2003 ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, 2003 ISBN 0-7785-1517-6 The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board/Alberta Geological Survey (EUB/AGS) and its employees and contractors make no warranty, guarantee or representation, express or implied, or assume any legal liability regarding the correctness, accuracy, completeness, or reliability of this publication. Any digital data and software supplied with this publication are subject to the licence conditions . The data are supplied on the understanding that they are for the sole use of the licensee, and will not be redistributed in any form, in whole or in part, to third parties. Any references to proprietary software in the documentation and/or any use of proprietary data formats in this release does not constitute endorsement by the EUB/ AGS of any manufacturer’s product. When using information from this publication in other publications or presentations, due acknowledgment should be given to the EUB/AGS. The following reference format is recommended: Lemay, T.G. (2003): Chemical and physical hydrogeology of coal, mixed coal-sandstone and sandstone aquifers from coal-bearing formations in the Alberta Plains region, Alberta; Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, EUB/AGS Earth Sciences Report 2003-04. Published September 2003 by: Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Alberta Geological Survey 4th Floor, Twin Atria Building 4999 – 98th Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2X3 Tel: (780) 422-3767 (Information Sales) Fax: (780) 422-1918 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ags.gov.ab.ca EUB/AGS Earth Sciences Report 2003-04 (September 2003) • ii Contents Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................... xvi Executive Summary................................................................................................................................ xvii 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Study Area........................................................................................................................................ 8 2 Geological Setting .................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Geology of the Coal-Bearing Formations...................................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Southeastern Alberta............................................................................................................10 2.1.1.1 Pakowki Formation ................................................................................................ 10 2.1.1.2 Belly River Group .................................................................................................. 10 2.1.1.3 Bearpaw Formation................................................................................................ 13 2.1.2 South-Central Alberta.......................................................................................................... 13 2.1.2.1 Bearpaw Formation................................................................................................ 13 2.1.2.2 Edmonton Group.................................................................................................... 13 2.1.2.3 Paskapoo Formation............................................................................................... 14 2.1.3 North-Central Alberta.......................................................................................................... 14 2.1.3.1 Lea Park, Wapiti and Battle Formations ................................................................ 15 2.1.3.2 Battle, Scollard and Paskapoo Formations............................................................. 15 3 Chemical Hydrogeology ...................................................................................................................... 16 3.1 Previous Work................................................................................................................................ 16 3.2 Methodology.................................................................................................................................. 17 3.3 Groundwater Geochemical Processes of Coal Aquifer Water ....................................................... 18 3.3.1 Major-Ion Evolution Sequence ........................................................................................... 18 3.3.2 Electrochemical Evolution Sequence.................................................................................. 18 3.3.3 Hydrochemical Facies ......................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Major-, Minor- and Trace-Element Chemistry .............................................................................. 19 3.4.1 Observations - Paskapoo-Scollard Formation..................................................................... 20 3.4.2 Observations - Horseshoe Canyon Formation..................................................................... 20 3.4.3 Observations - Belly River Group....................................................................................... 27 3.4.4 Preliminary Interpretations - Paskapoo-Scollard Formation............................................... 31 3.4.5 Preliminary Interpretations - Horseshoe Canyon Formation .............................................. 31 3.4.6 Preliminary Interpretations - Belly River Group................................................................. 32 3.5 Chloride/Bromide Ratios ............................................................................................................... 32 3.5.1 Observations - Paskapoo-Scollard Formation..................................................................... 33 3.5.2 Observations - Horseshoe Canyon Formation..................................................................... 35 3.5.3 Observations - Belly River Group....................................................................................... 36 3.5.4 Preliminary Interpretations - Paskapoo-Scollard Formation............................................... 37 3.5.5 Preliminary Interpretations - Horseshoe Canyon Formation .............................................. 38 3.5.6 Preliminary Interpretations - Belly River Group................................................................. 40 3.6 Parameter-Specifi c Observations................................................................................................... 41 3.6.1 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation: Calcium.............................................................................. 41 3.6.2 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Magnesium ...................................................................... 42 3.6.3 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Sodium............................................................................. 44 EUB/AGS Earth Sciences Report 2003-04 (September 2003) • iii 3.6.4 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Potassium..................................................................... 45 3.6.5 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Iron............................................................................... 46 3.6.6 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Manganese................................................................... 47 3.6.7 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Chloride ....................................................................... 48 3.6.8 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Sulphate ....................................................................... 49 3.6.9 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Bicarbonate.................................................................. 50 3.6.10 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)...................................... 51 3.6.11 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Turbidity ...................................................................... 52 3.6.12 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)................................. 53 3.6.13 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Silicon.......................................................................... 54 3.6.14 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Mercury ....................................................................... 55 3.6.15 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Aluminum .................................................................... 56 3.6.16 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Antimony ..................................................................... 57 3.6.17 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Arsenic......................................................................... 58 3.6.18 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Barium ......................................................................... 59 3.6.19 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Beryllium..................................................................... 60 3.6.20 Paskapoo-Scollard Formation – Bismuth.......................................................................