Case Study: Australia Gas Field Company achieves beneficial aquifer recharge with SLB managed aquifer recharge expertise

Beneficial Use of Produced Water from Coal Seam Gas Development Using Managed Aquifer Recharge

Australia Gas Field Company faced the challenge of finding a beneficial use for large volumes of treated coal seam gas water while also addressing depletion in the Central Condamine Alluvium aquifer caused by decades of agricultural irrigation. SLB, then operating as Schlumberger Water Services, was engaged to assess the feasibility of managed aquifer recharge using injection bores and infiltration trenches, along with the potential hydraulic connection between the aquifer and nearby coal seams.

SLB applied technical expertise, numerical modelling, surface geophysics, drilling, pumping tests, injection tests, and water quality analyses to design a comprehensive field program for the recharge strategy. The model showed a beneficial aquifer response to recharge, indicating that treated CSG water could help replenish the depleted aquifer and support future agricultural water supplies, while also providing DNRM with a practical plan for pilot trials and associated regulatory, logistical, health, safety, and cost guidance.