Distribution of Hydraulic Head in the Wabamun Hydrostratigraphic Unit

This map depicts the distribution of groundwater hydraulic head in the Wabamun hydrostratigraphic unit (HSU). The horizontal and vertical extent of the unit was adopted from version one of the 3D Provincial Geological Framework model of Alberta. The map is a result of an empirical Bayesian kriging technique using publicly available pressure data from oil and gas well drillstem tests.

The hydraulic head surface was mapped at a regional scale using many years of data, thus providing a good indication of hydraulic head within the unit rather than site-specific values. The final gridded map surface was clipped based on the spatial distribution of representative pressure data. Three formation-scale inset maps show the difference between the modelled distribution of hydraulic head and measured values, the location of data that have been influenced by production or injection, and the distribution of total dissolved solids concentration, respectively. The geometry and variable thickness of the Wabamun HSU are illustrated on schematic cross-sections.