Schacht Asse II - Water Inflow

Water Inflow

Water will always flow into a salt mine where the salt barrier in the surrounding structure is breached. This happens when the salt barrier is damaged in the drilling operation or by plasticity deformation of the salt resulting in cracks. Asse II is particularly threatened by water because the salt barrier is in some places only a few meters thick.

For the period 1906 to 1988 there were 29 documented water breaches. They were sometimes successfully sealed off, partly dry, sometimes negligible (less than 0.5 m³ per day). For the current operational security, they are meaningless.

Between 1988 and 2008 32 new entry points were recorded. Part of the solution is explained as coming from the diapir in the south area. The solution is collected at 658, 725, 750 m and since 2005 at 950 m, the inflow is currently (2008) 11.8 m³/Day. The liquid is tested for radioactivity and if levels are passed pumped into a tank truck and transported to the abandoned K+S AG mines (Bad Salzdetfurth, Adolfsglück and Mariaglück) The brine in Mariaglück was tested again at the end of 2008 with results for caesium-137 and tritium.

The German mineral- and table water decree (Mineral- und Tafelwasserverordnung, 24.5.2004) is set at 120 milli-Bq/l U-233 or U-235 for drinking water.