Newcastle University

Borehole Design, Construction and Operation

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Correct design and long term maintenance of boreholes is critical to ensuring sustainable water supplies from groundwater. This course provides a detailed understanding of the principles and practice of borehole design and maintenance, including site selection, design, drilling, geophysical investigation, test pumping, and long-term maintenance. The focus is on water supply boreholes, although many of the techniques apply equally to other types of boreholes used for investigation, monitoring or water quality sampling. The course is taught by experienced academics and practitioners from leading drilling and geophysical logging companies and includes a combination of classroom work, computer practicals, and a field visit to the University's own borehole experimental facilities at Cockle Park in Northumberland.

The course is suitable for people from any environmental or engineering background who wish to understand how to manage boreholes for accessing groundwater systems.

Upon completion of the course, delegates will have developed:

• an understanding of types and uses of boreholes and wells
• an understanding of drilling and borehole investigation techniques
• an understanding of the principles of optimal borehole design
• an awareness of the need for, and methods used in, long-term borehole maintenance

The course provides delegates with the ability to apply appropriate methods to borehole design, construction and operation, as well as the ability to:

• re-interpret geological information including surface geophysics, and interpret hydrogeological maps
• use different methods to estimate groundwater recharge
• interpret data on groundwater chemistry in the context of resource evaluation
• combine these skills for groundwater resource assessment

The course will further develop the delegate's ability to analyse data from a range of sources and interpret it systematically, and use scientific principles in the development of engineering and environmental solutions to practical problems in the water environment and water infrastructure operation.

The course includes a field trip on one afternoon (suitable clothes required).

Course Outline

• Background to groundwater investigation and development, sustainable yield
• Types of boreholes and their uses, appropriate technology water supply wells, boreholes for sampling and monitoring
• Borehole site location selection
• Drilling methods
• Borehole investigations, wireline geophysics, lithological analysis and sampling of cuttings
• Well design principles and practice, open holes, casing, screens, gravel packs
• Drilling processes, cementing, centralisers, verticality of wells
• Optimal design
• Aquifer and well development
• Pump selection for different purposes
• Test pumping for sustainable yield / deployable output, aquifer properties (step and constant rate tests)
• Well maintenance and rehabilitation
• Well design and operation for monitoring and water quality sampling

Presenters

School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

• Dr Geoff Parkin (Course Leader)

Industry Professionals

• To be confirmed

[ Book online ]

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