Numerical Simulation of Down-Hole Hydraulic Testing Methods n Multiple Fractured-Rock Settings

Down-hole hydraulic testing is a common step in investigations of groundwater contamination in fractured-rock aquifers.  Multiple techniques (Straddle Packers, Flow Metering, and other hydro-physical methods) are available to identify the location of permeable fractures and estimate their hydraulic properties in open boreholes completed in fractured rock.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these methods, including the resolution that each method offers in estimating hydraulic properties as a function of depth in the borehole. In this study, numerical models are used to simulate various methods of hydraulic testing under different hydrogeologic settings in fractured-rock.  Hydrogeologic characteristics as determined from field settings of different fractured rock environments are used to generate fracture characteristics in a borehole.  Simulations of each hydraulic testing method are then applied to each synthetic realization.   The results of this study provide investigators with greater insight when considering which method of hydraulic testing is most appropriate for groundwater investigations in a given hydrogeologic setting.