Correlation of vertical electrical sounding and electrical borehole log data for groundwater exploration

Abstract

A B S T R A C TWe have correlated the longitudinal unit conductance CL obtained from interpreted vertical electrical sounding data with the formation resistivity R t and the formation resistivity factor F, obtained by carrying out electrical borehole logging. Interpreted geophysical data of eleven soundings and two electrical borehole log records are used for the analysis. The geophysical data used were acquired in a sedimentary basin. The study area is called Lower Maner Basin located in the province of Andhra Pradesh, India. Vertical electrical soundings were carried out using a Schlumberger configuration with half current electrode separation varying from 600-1000 m. For logging the two boreholes, a Widco logger-model 3200 PLS was used. True formation resistivity R t was calculated from a resistivity log. Formation resistivity factor F was also calculated at various depths using R t values. An appreciable inverse relation exists between the correlated parameters. The borehole resistivity R t and the formation resistivity factor F decrease with the increase in the longitudinal unit conductance CL. We have shown the use of such a relation in computing borehole resistivity R t and formation resistivity factor F at sites that posses only vertical electrical sounding data, with a fair degree of accuracy. Validation of the correlation is satisfactory. Scope for updating the correlation is discussed. Significance and applications of the relation for exploration of groundwater, namely to update the vertical electrical sounding data interpretation by translating the vertical electrical sounding data into electrical borehole log parameters, to facilitate correlations studies and to estimate the porosity (φ), permeability (K) and water saturation S w of water bearing zones are discussed.

Resistivity imaging of Pleistocene alluvial aquifers in a contractional tectonic setting: A case history from the Po plain (Northern Italy)

“…In keeping with the approaches reported in the literature (de Lima and Niwas, 2000;Hodlur and Dhakate, 2010;Hubbard and Rubin, 2000;Huntley, 1986;Kelly and Frohlich, 1985;Kosinski and Kelly, 1981;Niwas and De Lima, 2003;Ponzini et al, 1984), the average hydraulic properties were estimated according to the classification proposed for freshwater saturated sediments in the area (Mele et al, 2012) by considering the dependence of electrical resistivity and hydraulic conductivity on the pore-space structure and the shale distribution (Keller and Frischknecht, 1966;Reynolds, 2011;Schön, 2004;Telford et al, 1990).…”

Management of Natural Resources in a Changing Environment

“…If a geological formation is more conductive, it has less resistivity which indicates good aquifer. Hodlur et al (2002Hodlur et al ( , 2003Hodlur et al ( , 2006 extensively worked on the Dar-Zarrouk parameters and used the parameters to develop a technique to improve and update the resolution of fresh and the saline water aquifers in coastal areas. They showed the existence of a relation between the Dar-Zarrouk parameters and the natural recharge.…”

Application of geoelectrical measurements for detecting the ground-water seepage in clay quarry at Helwan, southeastern Cairo, Egypt

“…The aim of this study is to determine the shallow subsurface geologic interfaces to delineate the extension of the groundwater accumulations in clay quarry at the southeastern part of Helwan area and know the causative sources for these accumulations by using vertical electrical sounding technique which is extensively used in hydrogeology to define horizontal zones of porous strata and to delineate different subsurface geoelectrical layers, subsurface structure and its influence on the general hydrogeological conditions (Lashkaripour et al, 2005;Oseji et al, 2006;Khalil, 2010). In addition to, VES technique is widely attempted for the exploration of groundwater resources (Kumar et al, 2007;Soupios et al, 2007;Hodlur and Dhakate, 2009;Balaji et al, 2010;Khalil, 2010). lower marine sequence of Early Pliocene age and an upper fluviatile sequence of Late Pliocene age (Conoco, 1987, Hermina & Lindenberg, 1989, Said, 1990Swedan, 1991).…”