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Ground Water Prospect in the Adjoining Areas of the Belt of Schuppen:

Kharsang Oilﬁeld Area of Arunachal Pradesh, North-East India
Article · February 2012
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATICS AND GEOSCIENCES
Volume 2, No 3, 2012
© Copyright 2010 All rights reserved Integrated Publishing services
Research article ISSN 0976 – 4380
Ground Water Prospect in the Adjoining Areas of the Belt of Schuppen:

Kharsang Oilfield Area of Arunachal Pradesh, North-East India
Goswami, U, Dutta, M.N
Department of Applied Geology, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh-786 004
Assam, India
ugoswamidu@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The Kharsang Oilfield, operated by GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited, is located at Kharsang and
Jairampur Circles of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh. Geologically the Kharsang oil
field is a roll over anticline associated with the Margherita Thrust System of the Belt of
Schuppen where the older Tertiary sediments in the Kharsang area are lying over the younger
Tertiaries owing to the effect of the Margherita thrust. Thus the Barails occur immediately below
the 10 to 50 m thick alluviums while the younger Namsangs occur in the deeper horizons below
the Margherita Thrust zone. At present, the total water requirement (about 100 klpd) of the
oilfield is entirely drawn from the Namphuk river flowing across the area. In order to create an
alternate source based on ground water, a hydrogeological study was carried out in an area of 32
km2 covering Kharsang Oilfield and its adjoining areas for finding out the feasibility of
construction of moderately deep tube wells with suitable discharge. For this purpose
hydrometeorology, soil characteristics, topographic relief & slope, thickness & extension of
subsurface aquifer zones and various hydrogeologic characteristics have been studied for the
assessment of ground water prospect of the area. Three potentially favourable zones have been
identified which have the potential for providing a sustained supply of water but only at a
relatively lower yield.
Keywords: Kharsang Oilfield, Margherita Thrust, water table, topographic slope, hydraulic
gradient.
1. Introduction
The Kharsang Oilfield is located at Kharsang and Jairampur Circles of Changlang district in
Arunachal Pradesh and bounded by North latitudes 27°23/00// & 27024/31.75// and East
longitudes 96001/10.75// & 96003/22.35//. The oilfield was discovered by Oil India Ltd. in 1976
and was being operated till June 1995. On 16th June 1995, the oil field was handed over to
GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited as the Operator on production sharing contract along with the
consortium of Oil India Ltd., Geopetrol International Inc. and Jubilant Enpro India Ltd. The
Kharsang Oilfield has a total leased area of 11 km2 and at present, the operation is restricted only
to 3.12 km2 area in the north-central portion of Kharsang circle. Presently the required amount of
water for oilfield operational work, housing and workers camp facilities is supplied by two 22
klph water pumps, catering the need for a total water requirement of nearly 100 klpd. The
GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited is now planning to drill a few deep tube wells within the Kharsang
Oilfield area as a second source of water which can supply water at 300 klph, required
specifically for fire fighting in the oilfield area. Hence Dibrugarh University was invited and
engaged to carry out a hydrogeological study for evaluation of ground water prospect in the
Kharsang Oilfield area.
Submitted on January 2012 published on February 2012 787

Ground Water Prospect in the Adjoining Areas of the Belt of Schuppen: Kharsang Oilfield Area of Arunachal
Pradesh, North-East India
1.1 Objective and Scope of the Study
Besides catering the need of water for domestic uses, oil companies require huge quantity of
water for carrying out petroleum exploration, development and exploitation activities. Therefore,
it is expected that the oilfield area must contain sufficient water sources to meet all these
requirements. The present study aims to identify the potential groundwater sources, assess the
groundwater prospect within the oilfield area as an alternative source of water and to make a
preliminary assessment of the sustainability of the aquifer zone within a 32 km2 area bounded by
north latitudes 27°23/10// & 27026/9.5// and east longitudes 96000/02.2// & 96003/27.8// covering
the actual oilfield and some adjoining areas (Figure 1). In order to achieve the above-mentioned
objective and scope, a hydrogeological fieldwork was carried out for a period of one week in the
month of June, 2007.
Figure 1: Map showing location of the Kharsang Oilfield area
2. Materials and Method
2.1 Source of Data and Methodology
General information, data relating to hydrometeorology, stratigraphy and geology about the
Kharsang Oilfield area have been collected from the GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited. Soil
samples have been collected from the study area and analysed in the laboratory following
standard procedures and methods (Folk, 1961; Carver, 1971; Fitzpatrick, 1971; Walton, 1970
and Karanth, 1987). Well inventory has been carried out for collection of various
hydrogeological data following accepted standard methods, prepared various types of maps
and analysed (Davis & Dewiest, 1966; Todd, 1980; U.S.D.I., 1981; Raghunath, 1982; Fetter,
1990; Moore, 2002; Singhal and Varma, 2003; Weight, 2004 and Hiscock, 2005).
2.2 Geology and Physiography
Kharsang Oilfield is located in the folded and thrust affected ‘Belt of Schuppen’ which is a
complex geological structure that consists of several thrusts riding over one another and forming
the south-eastern margin of the Upper Assam basin. The oilfield is a roll over anticline
associated with the Margherita Thrust System. Various surface and subsurface evidences
International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 788

Volume 2 Issue 3, 2012
available with the Oil India Ltd. & GeoEnpro confirm that the older sediments of Tertiary in the
Kharsang area are lying over the younger Tertiaries owing to the effect of the Margherita Thrust.
Thus, the Barails occur immediately below the 10-50 m thick Alluvium, while the younger
Namsangs occur in the deeper horizons below the Margherita Thrust zone. The generalized
lithostratigraphic succession of the Kharsang oilfield area is shown in Figure 2.
More than 50 percent of southern part of Kharsang Oilfield area is covered by dense mixed forest.
Namphuk river flows from east to west direction along the northern boundary of the oilfield area.
Haithong, Longkhung and Tingtai are the important nullahs flowing from south to north
direction. The general topographic slope of the Kharsang oilfield area is from south to north for
which the drainage direction of the area is generally from south to north discharging finally into
the Namphuk river. The topographic slope of the area varies from 1:4 to 1:5.
2.3 Hydrometeorology
August is the hottest month with mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures of 31.40C
and 24.60C respectively, while the coldest month is normally the January with the mean daily
maximum and minimum temperatures recorded as 22.80C and 8.80C respectively. The highest
and lowest Relative Humidity are recorded during July (88% at 8:30 hour & 79% at 17:30 hour)
and March (71% at 8:30 hour & 64% at 17:30 hour) respectively. For the period 2001-2006, the
average annual rainfall in the area is 2189.0 mm (source: GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd). South-west
monsoon plays its active role during the months of June to September accounting for more than
60% of the rainfall received by the area. Monthly rainfall gradually increases from April
onwards gaining its momentum appreciably during June to August and thereafter decreases
gradually to become scanty during December-January. July is the period of maximum amount of
rainfall received by the area.

Figure 2: Generalized lithostratigraphic succession of the Kharsang Oilfield area

(Source: GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited)
3. Results and Discussion
3.1 Soil Characteristics
Soil is invariably present as a surface blanket in an area that receives the rainwater and allows a
part of it to infiltrate down through the intergranular pores. Infiltration of rainwater being
generally the most significant among the various modes of recharge to the ground water storage,
underlines the importance of the textural characteristics of soil in hydrogeological investigations
(Goswami et al., 1999).
Keeping this aspect in mind, altogether 33 soil samples have been collected from different
localities of the area and certain important soil characteristics such as soil types, texture and
infiltration capabilities have been determined by analyzing these in the laboratory. Wentworth
Grade Scale (Folk, 1961) is adopted in the present study for describing the particle size of soils.
Based on the mechanical analysis of the soil samples (Carver, 1971), the textural class of soils of
the area is determined by plotting the percentage points of sand, silt and clay fractions in the
triangular diagram devised by the United States Department of Agriculture (after Fitzpatrick,

1971). Particle size distribution of soils is studied by drawing cumulative curves on semi-log
graph papers using mechanical analysis data. Various textural parameters like Effective Size
(d10),) Uniformity Coefficient (Cu) and Sorting Coefficient (Sc) are read or calculated from
certain critical points (d10, d25, d60 and d75) on the cumulative curves using standard formulae
(Hazen, 1893; Walton, 1970, Karanth, 1987).
Based on the mechanical analysis data, the textural class of the soils of the area is determined by
plotting the percentage points of sand, silt and clay fractions in each sample (Table 1) on the
triangular diagram (Figure 3) devised by the USDA. Soils of the area mostly belong to ‘Sand’
type. Porosity and permeability are also governed by the size distribution of the constituent
particles, usually defined by the degree of sorting and uniformity of the grain size.
Sorting determines the extent up to which smaller grains can occupy space within larger pores.
Other parameters remaining equal, poorly sorted sediments will have lower values of porosity
and permeability (Davies and DeWiest, 1966; Todd, 1980). From the grain size analysis curves
Effective Size (d10), Uniformity Coefficient (d60/d10) and Sorting Coefficient [√ (d75/d25)] of all
the soil samples have been determined (Table 2). Lower values (Cu < 2) of Uniformity
Coefficient (Hazen, 1893) normally indicate more uniform material while higher values indicate
non-uniform grading (Raghunath, 1982). It has been found that out of the 33 soil samples, only
one sample is ‘uniform’ while most of the samples are moderately well sorted to poorly sorted.
Table 1: Textural class of soils of the Kharsang area

Smp. Location Sand % Silt % Clay% Textural
No. Class
1 Namphuk Nala Basti 98.17 1.33 0.50 Sand
2 Kharsang Tinali 82.99 15.01 2.00 Loamy sand
3 Ongman Basti – A 93.59 4.91 1.50 Sand
4 Ongman Basti – B 93.97 5.53 0.50 Sand
5 Kharsang Electricity Colony 97.4 2.10 0.50 Sand
6 Longtom Basti -II 98.73 1.27 0.00 Sand
7 Kharsang Bazar 98.76 0.74 0.50 Sand
8 Upper Injan Basti 93.81 5.69 0.50 Sand
9 Lonke Basti 96.33 3.17 0.50 Sand
10 Jubli Basti 95.43 4.07 0.50 Sand
11 Labour line 92.98 6.52 0.50 Sand
12 Kharsang 86.65 12.85 0.50 Loamy sand
13 Injan Basti (Lower) 90.02 9.48 0.50 Sand
14 New Lisan 88.13 11.37 0.50 Sand
15 Tinali Basti 92.38 6.62 1.00 Sand
16 Longsum Basti 96.10 3.40 0.50 Sand
17 Kharsang Housing Colony 97.25 2.25 0.50 Sand
18 Singmao 94.39 4.61 1.00 Sand
19 Longtom – I 93.77 5.73 0.50 Sand
20 Injam (20 No.) 92.06 7.44 0.50 Sand
21 KSG- 1 94.83 4.17 1.00 Sand
22 L, Tangha T.E. 97.26 2.24 0.50 Sand
23 KSG – 15 94.09 5.41 0.50 Sand

24 KSG – 7 89.24 10.26 0.50 Sand

25 KSG – 13 94.38 5.12 0.50 Sand
26 KSG – 21 86.75 12.75 0.50 Loamy sand
27 KSG – 5 93.79 5.71 0.50 Sand
28 KSG – 11 96.09 3.41 0.50 Sand
29 KSG – 12 90.29 8.71 1.00 Sand
30 KSG – 23 76.31 22.19 1.50 Loamy sand
31 KSG – 29 92.69 5.31 2.00 Sand
32 KSG – 32 89.71 9.71 0.50 Sand
33 KSG - 8 90.84 8.66 0.50 Sand
Table 2: Textural characteristics of soils of the Kharsang area

Smp. Effective Uniformity Sorting
No. Location Size, (d10) Coeff. Coeff.
1 Namphuk Nala Basti 0.073 3.72 2.28
2 Kharsang Tinali 0.055 2.27 1.93
3 Ongman Basti – A 0.065 2.43 1.79
4 Ongman Basti – B 0.068 2.41 1.88
5 Kharsang Electricity Colony 0.075 1.93 1.82
6 Longtom Basti -II 0.085 4.02 2.18
7 Kharsang Bazar 0.095 3.16 2.24
8 Upper Injan Basti 0.083 3.36 2.24
9 Lonke Basti 0.075 3.96 2.26
10 Jubli Basti 0.080 4.00 1.98
11 Labour line 0.068 5.04 2.19
12 Kharsang 0.055 5.00 2.27
13 Injan Basti (Lower) 0.060 2.66 1.90
14 New Lisan 0.058 3.45 2.06
15 Tinali Basti 0.063 2.25 1.70
16 Longsum Basti 0.075 2.96 2.03
17 Kharsang Housing Colony 0.095 3.33 1.46
18 Singmao 0.075 2.67 1.98
19 Longtom – I 0.068 3.85 2.15
20 Injam (20 No.) 0.065 4.00 2.40
21 KSG- 1 0.058 2.79 1.81
22 L, Tangha T.E. 0.075 2.73 1.89
23 KSG – 15 0.075 3.87 1.86
24 KSG – 7 0.080 4.13 1.85
25 KSG – 13 0.075 4.53 2.24
26 KSG – 21 0.055 6.18 2.35
27 KSG – 5 0.075 4.53 2.08
28 KSG – 11 0.078 3.61 2.28
29 KSG – 12 0.063 4.16 1.75
30 KSG – 23 0.050 4.44 2.37
31 KSG – 29 0.068 4.74 2.20

32 KSG – 32 0.060 5.00 2.18

33 KSG - 8 0.060 4.67 2.12
Figure 3 : Textural Classification of Soils (after USDA)
Based on this study it can qualitatively be stated that due to an overall higher percentage of sand,
the soils of the area should possess good infiltration characteristics. But infiltration
characteristics are also controlled not only by other textural characteristics like Effective size,
Uniformity Coefficient and Sorting Coefficient, but also by the topographic relief / slope of the
area. The sorting and uniformity coefficient values of the soils point towards their less
encouraging infiltration capability. The steep topographic slope in the Kharsang Oilfield area
induces more surface runoff, thereby adversely affecting the recharge from rainwater.
3.2 Hydrogeological Characteristics
Altogether 19 dug wells were established in the area for measurement/collection of different
hydrogeologic parameters, which are presented in Table 3 and Table 4. The location and
elevation of the inventoried dug wells were measured with the help of a Garmin Handheld GPS.
3.2.1 Subsurface Aquifer Zones
Existing well data as well as literature on the geology of the area reveal that the shallowest
subsurface water bearing formation (aquifer zone) in the Kharsang Oilfield area is comprised of
10 to 50 m thick Alluvium. The Barail group of rocks, occurring immediately below the
alluvium, serves as the lower confining layer. Utilizing the thickness data of the Alluvium as
encountered at 40 odd oil wells so far constructed at the Kharsang Oilfield area (Data source :

GeoEmpro Petroleum Limited), a contour map (similar to an isopach map) showing the variation
in the thickness of the Alluvium within the oilfield area has been prepared (Figure 4). This map
shows that the thickness of Alluvium is least (10 m) towards the south-eastern part while it is
maximum > 50 m) towards the eastern part of the oilfield area. Thickness of alluvium is
relatively greater (up to 45 m) towards the north-western part while the central part is
characterized by the presence of 30 m to 35 m thick alluvium from where thickness again
decreases further north (20 m) towards the southern bank of the Namphuk river.
Table 3: Hydrogeological data of dug wells in the Kharsang Oilfield area

Well No Location Type of Geol. Depth of DTW (m
well Horizon Well bgl)
(m bmp)
1 Namphuk Nala Basti D/W Alluvium 10.50 3.64
2 Longtom-I D/W Alluvium 6.36 2.89
3 Longtom- II D/W Alluvium 6.10 4.15
4 Near KSG # 28 D/W Alluvium 8.30 1.03
5 Injan D/W Alluvium 7.60 6.25
6 Labour Line D/W Alluvium 2.50 0.36
7 L. Tangha T.E. D/W Alluvium 3.85 2.92
8 12 No. Poksha TE D/W Alluvium 2.59 0.66
9 Kharsang D/W Alluvium 5.70 3.38
Electricity Colony
10 Kharsang Tinali D/W Alluvium - 3.50
11 Kharsang Colony D/W Alluvium 4.80 2.65
12 Singmao D/W Alluvium 5.65 3.58
13 Kharsang Bazar D/W Alluvium 5.16 3.68
14 Kharsang D/W Alluvium 4.86 2.73
15 Lwr. Injan D/W Alluvium 5.15 2.98
16 New Lisan D/W Alluvium 6.70 5.30
17 Upp. Injan D/W Alluvium 6.16 4.23
18 Tinali Basti D/W Alluvium 5.54 4.01
19 Longsum D/W Alluvium 5.40 3.22
Table 4: Hydrogeological data of dug wells in the Kharsang Oilfield area (contd.)
Well No Location M.P. m Well dia Altitude of Altitude of
agl (m) land W. L. (m
surface above msl)
(m)
1 Namphuk Nala Basti 0.84 0.89 151.80 148.16
2 Longtom-I 1.41 3.00 158.60 192.75
3 Longtom- II 1.20 1.20 181.70 177.55
4 Near KSG # 28 0.00 0.85 174.00 172.97
5 Injan 0.58 0.91 199.0 192.75
6 Labour Line 1.28 0.75 189.80 189.44
7 L. Tangha T.E. 0.00 1.10 N.A. N.A.

8 12 No. Poksha TE 0.50 1.21 191.40 190.74

9 Kharsang 1.10 1.20 159.9 156.52
Electricity Colony
10 Kharsang Tinali 0.00 3.00 1598.9 155.40
11 Kharsang Colony 1.09 0.88 156.50 153.85
12 Singmao 1.16 1.23 158.90 155.32
13 Kharsang Bazar 0.82 1.24 153.80 150.12
14 Kharsang 0.65 1.21 157.40 154.67
15 Lwr. Injan 0.90 1.20 165.50 162.52
16 New Lisan 0.97 1.24 169.3 164.27
17 Upp. Injan 0.91 1.22 168.40 164.17
18 Tinali Basti 0.65 1.22 157.50 153.49
19 Longsum 0.89 1.23 164.00 160.78
Water retaining/holding and transmitting capacity of this alluvium is controlled by porosity and
permeability, grain size distribution, uniformity coefficient, sorting coefficient, packing and
arrangement of the grains constituting the aquifer zone. Due to lack of such data (as samples of
the Alluvium are not available with GeoEnpro), the hydrogeological potential of the Alluvium
could not be determined specifically in the present case. However, field checking reveals that
this alluvium, towards the middle and lower levels, also contains a zone comprising mixture of
coarse sand, gravel and boulders which serves as a good aquifer zone catering the needs of the
local people at a few localities. But, whether this zone has the potential of supplying ground
water at higher sustained rate or not is questionable. On the other hand, data collected from PHE
Department, Kharsang reveal the presence of good aquifer zones in the area north of the
Namphuk river where these aquifer zones have been tapped for ground water supply by installing
large diameter dug wells as well as moderately deep tube wells constructed by drilling.
Figure 4: Map showing thickness of Alluvium in the Kharsang Oilfield area

3.2.2 Depth to Water Level
Utilizing the same set of water level data (Table 3), a depth to water level map (Figure 5) for the
Kharsang Oilfield area has been prepared for the month of June, 2007 which shows that water
table in the area of study rests within 7 m from ground surface. Depth to water is maximum
towards the southeastern part and the maximum depth to water of 6.25 m below ground level
was recorded in a well (Well No. 5) located within this part of the area. In general, depth to water
gradually decreases from southeast and northeast towards the central part of the area where
within an elongated narrow strip ground water occurs within 1.0 m from ground surface. Depth
to water again gradually increases towards northwest and rests within 3 to 4 m from ground
surface. Variation of water table depth with respect to land surface, especially in the southern
part of the Namphuk river and within the Kharsang Oilfield area, seems to be controlled by the
variations in topographic slope. Due to a distinct break in slope in the central part of the area, the
northerly moving ground water comes closer to the ground surface and rests within 1 m from
land surface.
Area-wise distribution of depth to water zones of the Kharsang Oilfield area is shown in Table 5.
It is seen that the 3 - 4 m depth to water zone occupies the major part (42.88%) of the area. In
Fact, water table in as much as 62% of the total area lies within 4 m of ground surface. With the
increase in topographic heights, depth to water also increases gradually as is seen towards
southeastern part of the area where water table rests below 6 m from land surface. This deepest
depth to water zone covers 18.68% of the total area of study.
Figure 5: Depth to water level map of the Kharsang Oilfield area

Table 5: Area-wise distribution of depth to water zones

Depth to water zone (m) Area (km2) Per cent of total area
< 1.0 0.38 1.18
1.0 – 2.0 0.84 2.61
2.0 -3.0 4.87 15.10
3.0 – 4.0 13.82 42.88
4.0 – 5.0 4.99 15.47
5.0 – 6.0 1.32 4.08
> 6.0 6.02 18.68
Total Area = 32.24 km2
3.2.3 Water Table Contour Map
The direction and movement of ground water in the shallow aquifer zone, slope of water table,
recharge & discharge areas have been studied from the water table contour map prepared for the
area (Figure 6). The area of study is divided into two roughly equal parts by the Namphuk river
flowing centrally from east to west across the area. The southern part, where the Kharsang
Oilfield is situated, is the tectonically disturbed area, and is different from the northern part in
terms of topography & relief, structure & tectonics, subsurface lithology and aquifer system.
This difference between these two parts is reflected in the shape, configuration and spacing of
water table contours as well. The direction and movement of ground water in the area north of
the Namphuk river is variable. Here ground water movement varies between S-N, NE to SW, E-
W and NE to SW directions. The general direction of movement of ground water in the area
south of the Namphuk river (i.e. in and around Kharsang Oilfield area) is broadly from south to
north. However, in the central part of the area ground water movement is from SE to NW.
3.2.4 Slope of Water Table
Hydraulic gradient or slope of water table studied on the basis of spacing of water table contours
reveals that water table contours in the area north of the Namphuk river are relatively widely
spaced and hence the hydraulic gradient is relatively gentle and varies between 1:111 to1:233
(Figure 6). The general slope direction of water table in this part of the area is variable between
south to north, east to west and from northeast to southwest. The general trend of water table
contours in the area south of the Namphuk river broadly being south to north, the hydraulic
gradient is towards north. Water table contours are closely spaced resulting in steep hydraulic
gradient that varies from 1:26 to 1:58. The slope of water table is in conformity with the
topographic slope of the area, which varies between 1:4 and 1:5. The slope direction in both the
cases is towards north.
The disposition of water table contours in either parts of the study area indicates that ground
water table closely conforms to that of the general topography of the area. The steeper hydraulic
gradient observed to be present in the southern part, besides indicating a cascading effect,
indicates the possible control of the characteristically distinguished geomorphic setting (i.e.
topography, relief and lithology) prevalent in the area. The steep hydraulic gradient in the
southern part of the area induces faster outflow of ground water from the area of interest towards
the discharge areas. However, sufficient amount of rainfall received at the catchment areas
leading to enough natural recharge should maintain a continuous source of ground water at
suitable locations.

3.2.5 Recharge and discharge areas
In the southern part of the Namphuk river the recharge areas are towards south and south-west.
Ground water is discharged into the Namphuk river channel section extending between western
and central parst of the area. Water table contour map of the northern part shows that compared
to a number of recharge areas, one single discharge area bounded by 150 m water table contour
is located in the northwestern part.
Figure 6: Water table contour map of the Kharsang Oilfield area
3.3 Ground water prospect
Ground water prospect of an area primarily depends on a number of factors, the more significant
ones being –
1. Presence of good aquifer zones of suitable thickness

2. Favourable water retaining and yielding capacity of the water bearing zones
3. Favourable hydraulic gradient
4. Favourable conditions of recharge
5. Favourable topographic slope of the area
Although the Kharsang Oilfield area fulfills the first requirement to a greater or lesser extent,
steeper topographic slope (1:4 to 1:5) within the upper reaches of the leased oil field area induces
greater amount of surface run off. Whatever amount of rainwater infiltrates into the ground, the
relatively steep hydraulic gradient (1:26 to 1:58) is responsible for quick and easy transfer of that
water towards the discharge area near to the Namphuk river section. Due to this reason, the
number of successful dug wells present in the area south of the Namphuk river is relatively less
(only 8 dug wells have been identified) compared to the great number of dug wells in the area

north of the Namphuk river. However, a few localities within the area closer to the Kharsang
Oilfield have been identified where dug wells are reported to cater the needs of the local people
without much drawdown. Although some of these locations are outside the leased area of
Kharsang Oilfield, installation of shallow dug cum bored as well as drilled wells of suitable
diameter with relatively low capacity may partly fulfill the need of the GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd.
These potentially favourable areas are shown as Zones ‘A’ ‘B’ and ‘C’ in a map of the Kharsang
Oilfield area (Figure 7). It may be mentioned that in one of the potentially favourable zones
identified around Longtom–I (zone ‘B’), PHED has already constructed a large diameter (3 m)
dug well up to a depth of about 6.5 m for the purpose of domestic water supply. However, the
selection of site for installation of the said dug well seems to be questionable as the well is
located at a higher topographic level, and due to the already discussed reason of prevailing steep
hydraulic gradient, ground water continually moves towards north i.e. in the direction of the
Namphuk river section. As reported by the Head of Village at Longtom-I, this PHED dug well is
not capable of catering even half the need of the local village people forcing them to use the
highly mineralized stream water coming out of the nearby coal mine area at higher topographic
level.
3.4 Potential site for artificial recharge
One of the previously mentioned areas has been identified as the potential site for artificial
recharge suitable for utilizing the rain and stream water taking best advantage of the existing
natural topographic conditions. The low-lying valley-like area with an approximate width of
about 50 m (Location: N 27024/ 26.4// & E 96000/46.6//; Elevation: 121.80 m above mean sea
level) near to the Longtom L. P. School (village Longtom- I, Zone ‘B’ in Figure 7) is the
junction point of three small streams emerging from the surrounding higher topographic levels.
As such, the area contains ground water very near to the ground level (within 1 m) besides
allowing sufficient amount of surface runoff that drains the excess water away from the area. The
discharge of the streamlets drastically increases as a result of rainfall received at the catchment
area.
The difference of height between this low-lying area and the level of the plinth of Longtom L. P.
School on one side and Longtom-I village on the other is about 10 m. Taking best advantage of
the favourable natural topographic conditions prevailing in the area, if the excess surface runoff
could be retained in that place by constructing bunds or embankments with sluice gates, then the
impounded water, besides serving as a source of surface water, may be used for artificial
recharge of the ground water storage. If ground water is withdrawn by constructing large
diameter dug wells or moderately deep tube wells in the nearby area, an induced artificial
recharge should take place which will very quickly recoup the ground water storage present in
the shallow aquifer zone composed of alluvium.

Figure 7: Map showing ground water prospect in the Kharsang Oilfield area
3.5 Feasibility of construction of water wells
In spite of the presence of good promising aquifer zones of moderate thickness at the shallowest
level, Kharsang Oilfield area is not bestowed with the presence of reasonably good water-bearing
zones for large scale utilization of ground water at the drill sites.
On the northern part of the Namphuk river, where the area is relatively free from tectonic
disturbances and the subsurface lithology maintains a normal sequence, the thickness of the
alluvium and hence the thickness of aquifer zone is much greater than that in the oil field area of
the south. In the northern part, the PHED of Arunachal Pradesh has constructed a few deep tube
wells and a good number of large diameter dug wells for domestic water supply with reasonably
good success rate. The technical specifications of one deep tube well and one large diameter dug
well constructed by the PHED of Arunachal Pradesh are presented in Table 6 which may be
considered as representative of the respective categories of water wells (Data source: PHED,
Kharsang).

Table 6: Technical specification of a deep tube well at Kharsang (PHED, Kharsang)

Type of well : Deep tube well
Well location : Balinong
Total depth : 150 ft. (45.70 m)
Diameter of well : 150 mm
Length of Screen : Placed between 60 ft to 120 ft with alternating placement of
screens and blank pipes of 10 ft length each.
Discharge/Yield : 20 lit/sec (approx) = 72 klph
Drawdown : 9 ft (2.75 m) after 10 hrs of pumping
Pump used : 10 HP diesel pump
The above data indicates that the construction and design of the said well at Balinong is quite
satisfactory and the yield of the well is reasonably good.
PHED of Kharsang, Arunachal Pradesh has also constructed a good number of large diameter
dug wells in the area with moderately good success in achieving the desired yield. Over and
above the large number of dug well of conventional size constructed by the PHED and also
privately by the local people, five large diameter dug wells (10 ft internal diameter) constructed
by the PHED have also been visited during the field work. The technical specifications of one of
these large diameter dug wells located at the PHED office premises at Kharsang are cited in
Table 7.
Taking into consideration the similarity in the lithologic character of the alluvium occurring in
both northern and southern parts of the Namphuk river, some recommendations regarding
selection of sites for well location, construction and design of deep wells and/or large-diameter
dug wells could be suggested which are presented in the subsequent paragraphs.
Table 7: Technical specification of a large diameter dug well at Kharsang (PHED, Kharsang)
Type of well : Large diameter dug well
Location : PHED office premises, Kharsang
Total depth : 26 ft (7.90 m)
Diameter : 10 ft (3 m)
Yield : Not capable of yielding the desired amount of water in the winter months
(December to March) during which pumping could be continued only for 1
to 11/2 hours with 1/2 hour waiting period in between. The situation improves
during summer months considerably with the yield rising to about 21 to 22
klph.
Operating : During summer time, the pump is run for 2 to 21/2 hours to fill up the 43,000
Schedule lit capacity overhead tank.
Pump used : 10 HP diesel pump.
4. Conclusions
Geologically the Kharsang Oilfield is a roll over anticline associated with the Margherita Thrust
System where the older sediments of Tertiary in the Kharsang area are lying over the younger
Tertiaries owing to the effect of the Margherita thrust. Thus the Barails occur immediately below

the 10-50 m thick alluvium, serving as the lower confining layer, while the younger Namsangs
occur in the deeper horizons below the Margherita Thrust zone.
The present hydrogeological study, carried out in a 32 sq. km area bounded by 27°23’10” &
27026’9.5” N Latitude and 96000’02.2” E & 96003’27.8” E Longitude covering the actual
oilfield and the surrounding area, reveals that the area receives an average annual rainfall of 2189
mm. Soils of the area mostly belong to ‘Sand’ type as per the classification of U.S.D.A.
Although the percentage of sand in the soils is more and the overall grain size (indicated by the
‘Effective size’) is towards the higher side, the uniformity and sorting of the grains are moderate
to poor.
The steep topographic slope (1:4 to 1:5) in the Kharsang Oilfield area induces greater run off
towards north. Ground water in the area occurs between less than 1 m to more than 6 m from
ground surface. Water table in as much as 62% of the total area lies within 4 m of ground surface
whereas in 43% of the area water table rests within 3 to 4 m from ground surface. Relatively
steep water table slope (1:26 to 1:58) is responsible for generating quick subsurface outflow
towards north. Thus the discharge areas for both the surface as well as ground water are towards
north of the oilfield area i.e. towards the southern bank of the Namphuk river.
The Alluvium, which occurs as the topmost formation with thickness varying from 10 m to >50
m, is the prospective aquifer zone in the area. Thickness of this alluvium within the oilfield area
increases from south to north-east and north-west. The southern part of the oilfield area has least
prospect as far as construction of water wells for large scale utilization of ground water is
concerned. The prospect becomes relatively more favourable further north towards the Namphuk
river where the discharge areas for both surface and ground water are located.
Three areas have been identified to possess better ground water prospect. Water wells (both
moderately deep tube wells and large diameter dug wells), if installed in these areas with due
consideration to the proper design criteria, should give moderate yield catering part of the
requirement of the GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd. In one of these prospective zones (zone ‘B’ near
Longtom I), the favourable topographic, hydrologic and hydrogeologic conditions may be
gainfully utilized for a relatively small-scale artificial recharge scheme.
It should be mentioned that specific recommendations regarding the design criteria of the wells
to be constructed within the prospective zones B and C could only be made when adequate
subsurface lithologic data/information is available. Based on the existing available information it
is recommended that the well depths be restricted to 20 m to 35 m depending on the available
thickness of alluvium at the site of well construction. Depending on the grain size of the
formation material, these wells could be naturally developed or an artificial gravel packing may
be done by following proper methods. The diameter of well screen in such moderately deep tube
wells may be kept at15 cm to 20 cm that have an average yield of 30 klph. As shown by
Raghunath (1982), for a Radius of Influence, R= 300 m, a 60 cm well will yield only 25% more
than a 15 cm well and only 12% more than a 30 cm well. This shows that drilling a large
diameter well will not necessarily mean proportionately large yield.
Based on the present study it is recommended that construction of water wells may be confined
to the three prospective zones (A, B and C) as shown in the Figure 7. Thickness of alluvium in
and around zones B and C vary from 40-45 m to 25-30 m respectively. As such, water wells with
depths ranging from 20 m to 35 m (65 ft to 115 ft) may be constructed in these areas by drilling.
On the other hand, as the thickness of alluvium is less than 20 m in zone A, large-diameter dug

wells with depths ranging from 12 m to15 m (40 ft to 50 ft) may be constructed. Using a 10 HP
diesel pump with judicious operating schedule, these dug wells may be successfully utilized with
a yield of at least 25 klph. If supported by well-planned surface storage system of adequate
capacity, these large-diameter dug wells may be effectively utilized to cater the usual need for
water at the drill sites.
Acknowledgement
The authors are thankful to GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd., Kharsang, Arunachal Pradesh for giving
an opportunity to carry out a hydrogeological investigation in the Kharsang Oilfield area and for
providing the relevant data & information for use in the said study.
5. References
1. Carver, R.E., (1971),“Procedures in Sedimentary Petrology”. Wliey-Intersci., New York,

653 p.
2. Davis, S.N. and DeWiest, R. J.M. (1966),“Hydrogeology”. John Wiley & Sons, New
York, pp 260-269.
3. Fetter, C.W., (1990),“Applied Hydrogeology”. Second Edn. CBS Publishers &

Distributors, Delhi, India, pp 63-114.
4. Fitzpatric, E. A. (1971), “Pedology – A Scientific Approach to Soil Science”. Oliver &

Boyd, Edinburg, 306 p.
5. Folk, R. L., (1961). “Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks”. Hemphill, Austin, Texas, 182 p.
6. Goswami, U., Patgiri, A.D. and Sarma, J.N., (1999), Hydrological properties of soils
from textural analysis: a case study of Lower Subansiri Basin, Assam. Jour. Indian Asso.
Sed., 18(2), pp 261-269.
7. Hazen, A., (1893), Some Physical Properties of Sands and Gravels. Mass. State Board
Health, 24th Annual Report.
8. Hiscock, K. M., (2005), “Hydrogeology - Principles and Practice”. Blackwell Sci. Ltd,
405 p.
9. Karanth, K. R., (1987), “Ground Water Assessment Development and Management”.

Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 720 p.
10. Moore, J.E., (2002), “Field Hydrogeology: a guide for site investigations and report
preparation”. Lewis Publishers, USA, 210 p.
11. Raghunath, H. M., (1982), “Ground Water”. Wiley Eastern Ltd., New Delhi, pp 290-337.
12. Singhal B.B.S. and Varma O.P. (Ed), (2003), S & T Inputs for Water Resource
Management. Indian Geol. Cong. Roorkee, 232 p.
13. Todd, D.K., (1980), “Ground Water Hydrology”. 2nd Ed., John Wiley and Sons Inc. New
York, 535 p.

14. U.S.D.I., (1981), “Ground Water Manual”. Water Resources Tech. Publ., U.S. Dept.
Interior.
15. Walton, W. C., (1970), “Ground Water Resource Evaluation”. McGraw Hill, New York,
pp 29-41.
16. Weight, W., (2004), “Manual of Applied Field Hydrogeology”. McGraw-Hill, 553 p.

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Ground Water Prospect in the Adjoining Areas of the Belt of Schuppen:

Article · February 2012

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Ground Water Prospect in the Adjoining Areas of the Belt of Schuppen:

Submitted on January 2012 published on February 2012 787

1.1 Objective and Scope of the Study

Figure 1: Map showing location of the Kharsang Oilfield area

2. Materials and Method

2.1 Source of Data and Methodology

2.2 Geology and Physiography

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 788

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 789

Figure 2: Generalized lithostratigraphic succession of the Kharsang Oilfield area

3.1 Soil Characteristics

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 790

Table 1: Textural class of soils of the Kharsang area

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 791

24 KSG – 7 89.24 10.26 0.50 Sand

Table 2: Textural characteristics of soils of the Kharsang area

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 792

32 KSG – 32 0.060 5.00 2.18

Figure 3 : Textural Classification of Soils (after USDA)

3.2 Hydrogeological Characteristics

3.2.1 Subsurface Aquifer Zones

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 793

Table 3: Hydrogeological data of dug wells in the Kharsang Oilfield area

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 794

8 12 No. Poksha TE 0.50 1.21 191.40 190.74

Figure 4: Map showing thickness of Alluvium in the Kharsang Oilfield area

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 795

3.2.2 Depth to Water Level

Figure 5: Depth to water level map of the Kharsang Oilfield area

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 796

Table 5: Area-wise distribution of depth to water zones

3.2.3 Water Table Contour Map

3.2.4 Slope of Water Table

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 797

3.2.5 Recharge and discharge areas

Figure 6: Water table contour map of the Kharsang Oilfield area

3.3 Ground water prospect

1. Presence of good aquifer zones of suitable thickness

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 798

3.4 Potential site for artificial recharge

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 799

3.5 Feasibility of construction of water wells

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 800

Table 6: Technical specification of a deep tube well at Kharsang (PHED, Kharsang)

Location : PHED office premises, Kharsang

Total depth : 26 ft (7.90 m)

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 801

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 802

1. Carver, R.E., (1971),“Procedures in Sedimentary Petrology”. Wliey-Intersci., New York,

3. Fetter, C.W., (1990),“Applied Hydrogeology”. Second Edn. CBS Publishers &

4. Fitzpatric, E. A. (1971), “Pedology – A Scientific Approach to Soil Science”. Oliver &

9. Karanth, K. R., (1987), “Ground Water Assessment Development and Management”.

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 803

International Journal of Geomatics and Geosciences 804

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