Drilling project for deep environmental geoscientific investigation for each type of bedrock for HLW geological disposal in Korea

In order to provide basic data for selecting candidate sites for high-level radioactive waste geological disposal, the drilling project is being carried out to investigate the deep environment for each type of bedrock existing on the Korean Peninsula. Securing 10 boreholes with a depth of 750 m is the final goal of the drilling project, which is planned for 5 years from 2020 to 2024. Two boreholes are being secured for sedimentary, plutonic, volcanic, metamorphic rock, respectively, and two additional boreholes will be secured for the rock types that require further investigation. As of December 2022, three boreholes were secured for sedimentary rocks, two for plutonic rocks, and one for metamorphic rocks. The boreholes were targeted for shale, granite and gneiss, respectively. To provide precise and reliable basic data, multidisciplinary (geological, geophysical, geochemical, hydrogeological, rock mechanics, etc.) studies have been conducted using drilling holes and cores. These research results are expected to be used as important basic data for selecting candidate sites for high-level radioactive waste geological disposal in Korea.