Water Resources Management In Al-Duqm Area: Ensuring Water Supply Reliability and Sustainability

This project aims to investigate the feasibility (and the know-how) of the implementation of ASR system in the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) in Duqm, Oman to satisfy the freshwater demand during emergency situations for a specific period of time and to support water supply during high peak demand periods. To that end, it is proposed to conduct both laboratory (sand tank) experiments and field experiments, analytical and numerical investigations of water motion in the subsurface. This will allow a better understanding of groundwater dynamics and solute transport processes in the vadose zone and aquifer under the conditions of ASR. The study aims to identify the optimum operation parameters, including, among others, delimitation of the protected wells fields ahead of the urban sprawling, locations of injection and recovery wells, number of wells, types of well screens, packers and gravel packs, injection and recovery rates and durations, and storage period. In addition to available field data, the results of the field work and analytical models will be used to calibrate and validate the results of the numerical model. The numerical model will then be used to identify the operating parameters that would ensure high efficiency of the ASR system based on the prevailing hydrological conditions, geological and hydrogeological parameters of the selected aquifer. Ensuring water availability and continuous water supply for a highly important Duqm economic zone is of paramount importance by all means as the zone hosts multi-billion business projects.

This project aims to investigate the feasibility (and the know-how) of the implementation of ASR system in the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) in Duqm, Oman to satisfy the freshwater demand during emergency situations for a specific period of time and to support water supply during high peak demand periods. To that end, it is proposed to conduct both laboratory (sand tank) experiments and field experiments, analytical and numerical investigations of water motion in the subsurface. This will allow a better understanding of groundwater dynamics and solute transport processes in the vadose zone and aquifer under the conditions of ASR. The study aims to identify the optimum operation parameters, including, among others, delimitation of the protected wells fields ahead of the urban sprawling, locations of injection and recovery wells, number of wells, types of well screens, packers and gravel packs, injection and recovery rates and durations, and storage period. In addition to available field data, the results of the field work and analytical models will be used to calibrate and validate the results of the numerical model. The numerical model will then be used to identify the operating parameters that would ensure high efficiency of the ASR system based on the prevailing hydrological conditions, geological and hydrogeological parameters of the selected aquifer. Ensuring water availability and continuous water supply for a highly important Duqm economic zone is of paramount importance by all means as the zone hosts multi-billion business projects.