1.  What is a GravityFracture?

A fracture created in a wellbore that grows deeper into the earth as waste is injected. A fracture is initiated in a deep crystalline rock formation (for example, >10,000') by injecting a fluid that is denser than the surrounding rock. This heavy fluid can be a slurry that enters the gravity fracture and the fracture propagates deeper and transports the waste material deeper into the earth, further from the biosphere and the potential for human interaction. When the injection stops, the Gravity Fracture closes around the waste, immobilizing the injected volume in the rock (e.g., in granite) permanently.

 

2.  Can you use the GravityFracture more than once?

Yes. Additional waste can be placed into the Gravity Fracture by injecting the new portion of fluid and, if needed, refracturing. The heavy slurry is pumped from the surface and the previously immobilized waste will be forced deeper as the GravityFracture descends into the earth. When pumping stops, the GravityFracture closes around both waste volumes injected immobilizing both intervals of injected waste in the granite. Additional waste disposal events can continue as previously described and the GravityFracture will continue to descend deeper into the earth.

 

3.  Why inject the waste into the granite as opposed to other formations?

Granite is a crystalline basement rock formation that, at proposed disposal sites, exists deep in the earth. Granite has very low permeability (ability for fluid to flow through the rock) and will have no direct connection pathways to the surface. Due to the depth of the granite there is no groundwater present to contaminate or the circulation time exceeds tens of thousand of years, so that the radioactive decay takes place prior to the water reaching the surface. GrandAbyss is following the lead of the United States scientific community, the granite rock formation has been chosen as the leading candidate for Deep Borehole Disposal. Government agencies and scientists have concluded that the granite is a formation with the stability and physical characteristics to accept nuclear waste, maintain the necessary stability for the next 1,000 years and minimize any adverse effects to the biosphere.

 

4.  What is the difference between GravityFracture disposal and Deep Borehole Disposal?

Disposal of nuclear waste into a GravityFracture provides the ongoing opportunity to dispose of significant volumes of waste into the wellbore. When disposing of waste into a GravityFracture, the waste exits the wellbore and is injected directly into the GravityFracture created in the granite rock between 10,000' - 15,000' deep. As waste is disposed, the waste and the GravityFracture continues to descend deeper into the earth. Deep Borehole Disposal proposes to place nuclear waste into cylinders and lower the containers into the wellbore at 10,000' 15,000'. Deep Borehole disposal can also be considered a deep storage option within a wellbore located in the granite formation. Once the wellbore volume is filled up with waste canisters cement will be placed above the waste containers and the well will be monitored but no longer useful for waste storage.