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Q&A Session with Operations Manager and Geophysical Logging Engineer David Hingley

Borehole Users Conference

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On the 3rd November 2022, David Hingley delivered a talk at the Borehole Users Conference to a full crowd at Aspects, the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The talk gave an overview of what borehole geophysics is, the reasons to use borehole geophysics, the various logs available and the role of geophysical techniques for aiding the construction of new boreholes, along with how below ground geophysics can be used to investigate what is going on inside existing boreholes. We caught up with David to bring you a follow up Q and A and his key take aways from the talk:

Just to recap from your talk, could you explain what is borehole geophysics?

“It’s a way of taking in-situ measurements of borehole parameters from the surface”

How long do boreholes last?

“How long is a piece of string! However, with the proper care, attention and maintenance program we’ve logged boreholes over 100 years old!”

When would you advise to conduct borehole condition surveys?

“I’d say ‘when you get the opportunity’- Proactive maintenance schedule of 3–5-year intervals to conduct ongoing condition surveys are carried out by the major water companies, but at times where access to the borehole is available; say during pump breakdown for example, are perfect times to conduct some borehole geophysical logging.”

Why is water borehole maintenance important and when should you investigate?

“It’s important to preserve the integrity of the borehole and make sure it is and continues to be as productive as it was intended to be. Can be important to investigate any changes, a drop in production or yield, for example, might be to do with changes in the borehole- failed lining? Changes in water chemistry? Increases in in turbidity? The cause of these issues can be identified through geophysical logging.”

What are common borehole issues?

“Failed lining, drops in production, blocked pumps, borehole collapse, changes in water chemistry are good examples.”

Which technique is a good starting point for borehole inspections and why?

“CCTV surveys- they give a good general overview of the entire borehole and help identify intervals where further study can be useful.”

How can borehole geophysics be applied to ground-water investigations?

“In many ways- we can monitor water levels, ground water movement, ground water chemistry and the interaction of the groundwater with the aquifers.”

What key pieces of advice would you like the water community to take away from your talk?

“That there are plenty of ways to investigate and care for your boreholes!”

What is biggest mistake the water industry should avoid making?

“Not doing enough routine maintenance on borehole assets, and not resort to reactive measure when problems arise.”

What trends are you seeing in the water industry and what is your take on the future development of the water industry?

“It’s good to see more people getting an understanding of the uses of borehole geophysics and the benefits it can give to projects.”

Whether you are about to embark on a drilling programme, have a newly drilled borehole, require bench marking for future readings, have variations in water quality or are looking to develop a maintenance programme for an existing borehole, you can contact our experienced team for easy-to-understand advice.

Typically probes deployed by European Geophysical services are operated from a single vehicle set up and have winch capabilities of up to 2000m. For difficult to access locations, the equipment may be mounted to a shipping container, a 4×4 offroad unit or even hand portable units. EGS provide calibrated data sets, which can be usefully compared over time. A recent development we are also currently working on is an online portal which allows clients remote access to our extensive borehole survey archive, allowing direct comparison of recent and past surveys of a particular borehole.

To find out more about all the techniques and surveys available for the water industry, see the link below:

Services

As a specialist slimline wireline logging business, European Geophysical Services provides a range of tools and probes, highly trained engineers to carry out surveys and the data processing capability to provide actionable results. With extensive experience within the water, geotechnical, environmental, geothermal, mineral evaluation and exploration industries, EGS has the expertise and experience to provide a tailor-made service to clients.

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