Uranium transport around the reactor zone at Okelobondo (Oklo). Data evaluation with M3 and HYTEC

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) is conducting and participating in Natural Analogue activities as part of various studies regarding the final disposal of high level nuclear waste (HLW). The aim of this study is to use the hydrogeological and hydrochemical data from Okelobondo (Oklo Natural Analogue) to compare the outcome of two independent modelling approaches (HYTEC and M3). The modelling helps to evaluate the processes associated with nuclear natural reactors such as redox, adsorption/desorption and dissolution/precipitation of the uranium and to develop more realistic codes which can be used for site investigations and data evaluation. HYTEC (1D and 2D) represents a deterministic, transport and multi-solutes reactive coupled code developed at Ecole des Mines de Paris. M3 (Multivariate Mixing and Mass balance calculations) is a mathematical-statistical concept code developed for SKB. M3 can relatively easily be used to calculate mixing portions and to identify sinks or sources of element concentrations that may exist in a geochemical system. M3 helped to address the reactions in the coupled code HYTEC. Thus, the major flow-paths and reaction paths were identified and used for transport evaluation. The reactive transport results (one-dimensional and two-dimensional simulations) are in good agreement with the statistical approach using the M3 model. M3 and HYTEC show a dissolution of the uranium layer in contact with upwardly oxidising waters. M3 and HYTEC show a gain of manganese rich minerals downstream the reactor. A comparison of the U and Mn plots for M3 deviation and HYTEC results showed an almost mirror behaviour. The U transport stops when the Mn gain increases. Thus, HYTEC and M3 modelling predict that a possible reason for not having U transport up to the surface in Okelobondo is due to an inorganic trap which may hinder the uranium transport. The two independent modelling approaches can be used to complement each other and to better understand the processes that can take place in nature. This provides the opportunity to assess the necessary tools for site investigations, data evaluation and helps to trace the reactions and to identify the hydro-geo-chemical system. Thus, we can build reliable tools which can be used to assess the performance of possible waste repository sites.