The drilling team from Vatnsborun ehf. is now completing the final research well in the current program at Hafnarsandur. The well has been designated VA-09, and according to the drilling supervisor, a considerable amount of water has been encountered.
“The well has reached a depth of 70 meters, and the water surface is measured at 58.5 meters,” says Hannes Örn Ólafsson of Vatnsborun ehf.
The research drilling at Hafnarsandur aims to gather precise geological data and establish conditions for monitoring groundwater, including groundwater levels and other physical and chemical characteristics of the water.
Sverrir Óskar Elefsen and Elísabet Ásta Eyþórsdóttir, the geologist on this drilling project, have overseen the execution on behalf of COWI, and they say that the project’s objectives are clear
“We want to ensure the sustainable use of the water resource at Hafnarsandur. To do that, we need to drill monitoring wells that provide information on the total depth of the water-bearing geological layers. The base of the system is believed to be a sediment layer at about 130 meters depth, near Suðurstrandarvegur. It has, however, been variably difficult to reach this sediment layer, and drilling is considered complete once hard rock is encountered beneath the sediments, as it has very low permeability.”
During the drilling, numerous scoria layers containing a significant amount of glass fragments have also been discovered, providing additional insight into the structure of the upper geological layers of the area.
“With detailed documentation of the geology and the physical and chemical properties of the groundwater—its quantity and flow—we establish a solid foundation for the responsible utilization of this important resource,” Sverrir and Elísabet adds.
