• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2008

As conventional oil and gas reservoirs become depleted, interests for oil sands has rapidly increased in the last decade. Oil sands are mixture of bitumen, water, and host sediments of sand and clay. Most oil sand is unconsolidated sand that is held together by bitumen. Bitumen has hydrocarbon in situ viscosity of >10,000 centipoises (cP) at reservoir condition and has API gravity between $8-14^{\circ}$. The largest oil sand deposits are in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The reverves are approximated at 1.7 trillion barrels of initial oil-in-place and 173 billion barrels of remaining established reserves. Alberta has a number of oil sands deposits which are grouped into three oil sand development areas - the Athabasca, Cold Lake, and Peace River, with the largest current bitumen production from Athabasca. Principal oil sands deposits consist of the McMurray Fm and Wabiskaw Mbr in Athabasca area, the Gething and Bluesky formations in Peace River area, and relatively thin multi-reservoir deposits of McMurray, Clearwater, and Grand Rapid formations in Cold Lake area. The reservoir sediments were deposited in the foreland basin (Western Canada Sedimentary Basin) formed by collision between the Pacific and North America plates and the subsequent thrusting movements in the Mesozoic. The deposits are underlain by basement rocks of Paleozoic carbonates with highly variable topography. The oil sands deposits were formed during the Early Cretaceous transgression which occurred along the Cretaceous Interior Seaway in North America. The oil-sands-hosting McMurray and Wabiskaw deposits in the Athabasca area consist of the lower fluvial and the upper estuarine-offshore sediments, reflecting the broad and overall transgression. The deposits are characterized by facies heterogeneity of channelized reservoir sands and non-reservoir muds. Main reservoir bodies of the McMurray Formation are fluvial and estuarine channel-point bar complexes which are interbedded with fine-grained deposits formed in floodplain, tidal flat, and estuarine bay. The Wabiskaw deposits (basal member of the Clearwater Formation) commonly comprise sheet-shaped offshore muds and sands, but occasionally show deep-incision into the McMurray deposits, forming channelized reservoir sand bodies of oil sands. In Canada, bitumen of oil sands deposits is produced by surface mining or in-situ thermal recovery processes. Bitumen sands recovered by surface mining are changed into synthetic crude oil through extraction and upgrading processes. On the other hand, bitumen produced by in-situ thermal recovery is transported to refinery only through bitumen blending process. The in-situ thermal recovery technology is represented by Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage and Cyclic Steam Stimulation. These technologies are based on steam injection into bitumen sand reservoirs for increase in reservoir in-situ temperature and in bitumen mobility. In oil sands reservoirs, efficiency for steam propagation is controlled mainly by reservoir geology. Accordingly, understanding of geological factors and characteristics of oil sands reservoir deposits is prerequisite for well-designed development planning and effective bitumen production. As significant geological factors and characteristics in oil sands reservoir deposits, this study suggests (1) pay of bitumen sands and connectivity, (2) bitumen content and saturation, (3) geologic structure, (4) distribution of mud baffles and plugs, (5) thickness and lateral continuity of mud interbeds, (6) distribution of water-saturated sands, (7) distribution of gas-saturated sands, (8) direction of lateral accretion of point bar, (9) distribution of diagenetic layers and nodules, and (10) texture and fabric change within reservoir sand body.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2017

The applicability of refraction survey has been tested using a wave glider widely used in long-term ocean observations around the world. To record seismic refractions, a single channel streamer with metal weight and a seismic recording system were mounted on the wave glider. We used GPS precise time synchronization signal and radio frequency (RF) communication to synchronize shot and recorder triggers and to control acquired data quality in real time. When the wave glider is positioned close to the set point, a 2,000 J sparker is exploded along the designed track at 2 second intervals. Through the test survey, we were able to successfully acquire refractions from the subsurface.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.46-66
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• 2002

High-resolution multichannel seismic data were collected in the coastal area near the Gori nuclear power plant to investigate Quaternary fault pattern and timing. A 12 channel streamer, a sparker, and a portable recorder were used for data acquisition. Because the group interval of the streamer was 6.25 m and the sparker can generate acoustic waves with the frequency content of up to 500 Hz, the data show a significant improvement both in horizontal and vertical resolution. The area surveyed is covered with 30-40 m thick Holocene sediments that constitute the mud belt along the southeastern coast of Korea. The survey area is characterized by the well discriminated Pleistocene and Holocene boundary and shallow gas-charged zones. A number of Quaternary faults were found in the sediment column, that are nearly vertical and extend north-south. The Quaternary faults, arranged at a spacing of a few hundred meters, suggest that they were formed in response to compression, although some of them reveal extensional characteristics. Locally, faults disrupt Incised-channel fills that are interpreted to have formed in the early stage of transgression after the beginning of the Holocene. Seismic sections suggest that shallow gas in the mud belt sediments made its way upward through the fractured fault planes. The tectonism responsible for the opening of the East Sea has not persisted since the late Miocene, but vigorous Quaternary faulting activity in the vicinity of the southeastern Korean Peninsula indicates that tectonic stability has yet to be achieved in this region underlain by the hotter than normal mantle.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 2009

We examined the regional 1-D deep resistivity structure of the Korean Peninsula using MT data acquired at seven sites located in the Kyongsang Basin and Kyonggi Massif. At the sites located in the Kyongsang Basin, surrounding sea distorts observed MT response and hence this distortion, so called "sea effect", is corrected using an iterative tensor stripping method. The 1-D layered inversion results for the seven MT sites reveal 4 layered structure, which is composed of 1) near surface layer, 2) upper crust, 3) lower crust and upper mantle, and 4) asthenosphere from the surface downward. Conrad interface, which is a boundary between upper and lower crust, is distinctly identified beneath all the MT sites. Conrad interface depth is estimated to about be 17km in the Kyongsang Basin and about 12km in the Kyonggi Massif, while the upper crust of the Kyongsang Basin is about 5 times more resistive than that of the Kyonggi Massif. Finally, asthenosphere is inferred to exist below a depth of approximately 100km with a resistivity of 200-300 ohm-m.

• Journal of the Korean Geophysical Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 1998

Schlumberger soundings, dipole-dipole survey and electrical conductivity mappings were carried out inside and in front of the entrance of the Okmyung waste landfill in August, 1997 and January, 1998. Inside and in front of the landfill, 11 and 4 electrical soundings and 1 dipole-dipole survey were carried out, respectively. Electrical conductivities were measured at 164 points along the 4 lines in front of the entrance of the landfill. Interpretations of survey data show that low resistivity zones of 0.3∼3 Ωm extend down to 65 m depth from the surface in the 6th landfill, which indicates subsurface contamination by leachate and leachate level at 3∼6 m depth from the surface. In the 9th landfill, low resistivity zones below 2 Ωm appear at 11∼15 m depth from the surface, which indicates a very slim chance of subsurface contamination. On the other hand, electrical surveys and electrical conductivity mappings reveal low resistivities at shallow depths in front of the entrance of the landfill, indicating a high possibility of contamination of weathered zone in this area. It appears that southern part of this area close to the 6th landfill is more contaminated by leachate.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.242-248
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• 2001

A high resolution Chirp seismic profile and a multichannel seismic reflection profile were analysed to study the possibility of gas hydrate presence in the southwestern upper slope of the Ulleung Basin. The Chirp profile shows acoustic turbidity, acoustic void, and pockmarks, suggesting the presence of shallow gas in the sediments .Slope failures appear to have occurred in association with decomposition of gas hydrated sediments. A bottom-simulating reflector (BSR) is seen in subbottom depths of 60 to 110 m below the seafloor at water depths of 750 to 1130 m. The sediments above BSR are characterized by acoustic blanking probably due to amplitude reduction caused by a mixture of gas hydrate with sediments. The interval velocity above the BSR is 1,650 m/sec and it drops abruptly to 1,080 m/sec below the BSR. The sediment column between seafloor and the BSR thins with increasing water depth, which is very closely related to increasing geothermal gradient with increasing water depth in the Ulleung Basin.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.223-229
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• 2020

Small-loop EM techniques have been used in many geophysical investigations, including shallow engineering and environmental surveys. Even though geometric and frequency soundings have been widely used, there is a debate regarding the effectiveness of frequency sounding, especially when the coil spacing is small. In this study, we analyzed the effectiveness of geometric as well as frequency soundings via the one-dimensional modeling of small-loop EM surveys. The numerical results reveal that geometric sounding can effectively provide underground information. Conversely, the frequency soundings are only effective when the loop spacing is relatively large, that is, when the induction number is large. On the contrary, the frequency soundings fail to provide any information concerning the subsurface layers if the loop spacing is not large.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 1996

Schlumberger electrical soundings and Coincident loop time-domain electromagnetic soundings were made on the Nanji-do landfill to investigate the nature of fills and the subsurface structure. The measured data were transformed into apparent resistivity values and then inverted in terms of 1-D resistivity models. At 6 points, both measurements were carried out to check the validity of the interpreted subsurface electrical structures. Interpreted layered models from each method show a good agreement. Obtained models show that a conductive zone exist below the shallow resistive zone. Conductive zone, which is considered to be influenced by decomposition of organic waste materials and infiltration of precipitation, is terminated by resistive zone which is considered as basement. Considering the fact that conductive zone extends to the basement and there exist no barrier layers such as clay layers, contaminant plumes are likely to flow into the groundwater directly.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.461-471
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• 2016

Numerical modules based on a conventional thermo-hydrological numerical model, TOUGH2, are developed to provide a numerical modeling technique for a standing column well (SCW). Cooling and heating operations for two different types of SCW are then simulated using these modules. Modeling showed these operations to be significantly influenced by heat exchange and fluid mixing between the SCW and the adjacent geologic formation and groundwater. The results also reveal that heat exchange between the oppositely flowing outflow and inflow in the PVC or PE pipe and the SCW borehole is an important factor. Overall, the numerical modeling technique developed here can reasonably simulate fluid flow and heat transport phenomena in the complex internal structures of a SCW. The proposed technique can be used practically for the quantitative analysis of heat exchange in a SCW at the design, construction, and operation stages.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 2011

The small-loop electromagnetic (EM) method is one of the rapid and non-destructive geophysical methods and has been used widely for many geophysical investigations, particularly for shallow engineering and environmental surveys. Especially in the shallow marine environment, the small-loop EM technique is very effective because of rapid and convenient data acquisition, large signal and low noise level. However, the method has been rarely applied in the very conductive marine environment since it's penetration or investigation depth might be considered too low. In this study, we demonstrated that the small-loop EM method can be effectively applied in the extremely conductive marine environment through the analysis of 1D small-loop EM data. Furthermore, we confirmed that the resistivity distribution under the sea bottom can be quantitatively predicted from the 1D inversion results of synthetic and field data.