The Impact of Injection on Seismicity at The Geyses, CaliforniaGeothermal Field
Water injection into geothermal systems has often become arequired strategy to extended and sustain production of geothermalresources. To reduce a trend of declining pressures and increasingnon-condensable gas concentrations in steam produced from The Geysers,operators have been injecting steam condensate, local rain and streamwaters, and most recently treated wastewater piped to the field fromneighboring communities. If geothermal energy is to provide a significantincrease in energy in the United States (US Department of Energy (DOE)goal is 40,000 megawatts by 2040), injection must play a larger role inthe overall strategy, i.e., enhanced geothermal systems, (EGS). Presentedin this paper are the results of monitoring microseismicity during anincrease in injection at The Geysers field in California using data froma high-density digital microearthquake array. Although seismicity hasincreased due to increased injection it has been found to be somewhatpredicable, thus implying that intelligent injection control may be ableto control large increases in seismicity.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE. Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency andRenewable Energy. Solar and Renewable Resource Technologies
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 928487
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-61693; R&D Project: G32737; BnR: EB4005020; TRN: US200815%%346
- Journal Information:
- International Journal of Rock Mechanics&MiningSciences, Vol. 44, Issue 8; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 12/2007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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