Sustainability of brackish groundwater utilization from the Eocene Aquifer for oil exploration operations in central Kuwait

Abstract

The Kuwait Oil Company currently pumps about 10 Mm3/yr from one of its well fields in central Kuwait (Eocene Aquifer) and plans to increase this rate to 30 Mm3/yr to meet its water demand. The objective of this study is to investigate the sustainability of brackish groundwater resources for oil operations in the mentioned well field in a way to identify the consequences of increasing the pumping rates on groundwater levels and groundwater salinity. A suitable methodology to assess the sustainability of brackish groundwater utilization has been developed based on pumping tests in addition to flow and salinity numerical modeling. Extensive hydrogeological and salinity field investigations were also conducted. The results show that pumping rate should not be increased above 20 Mm3/yr in the aquifer of the study, otherwise a sharp decline in groundwater levels and a significant increase in groundwater salinity will occur. The results of the pumping tests show that the hydraulic properties of the Eocene Aquifer can support regional utilization of the aquifer, but any additional pumping wells should be located within a wider area than the current well field. The salinity variation analysis shows that a mixing process between brackish and saline water is taking place.