Thermal Drawdown-Induced Flow Channeling in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the flow-channeling phenomenon caused by thermal drawdown in fractured geothermal reservoirs. A discrete fracture network-based, fully coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical simulator is used to study the interactions between fluid flow, temperature change, and the associated rock deformation. The responses of a number of randomly generated 2D fracture networks that represent a variety of reservoir characteristics are simulated with various injection-production well distances. We find that flow channeling, namely flow concentration in cooled zones, is the inevitable fate of all the scenarios evaluated. We also identify a secondary geomechanical mechanism caused by the anisotropy in thermal stress that counteracts the primary mechanism of flow channeling. This new mechanism tends, to some extent, to result in a more diffuse flow distribution, although it is generally not strong enough to completely reverse flow channeling. We find that fracture intensity substantially affects the overall hydraulic impedance of the reservoir but increasing fracture intensity generally does not improve heat production performance. Finally, increasing the injection-production well separation appears to be an effective means to prolong the production life of a reservoir.
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Atmospheric, Earth, and Energy Division
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office; LLNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1366903
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-644453
Journal ID: ISSN 0723-2632
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 49; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0723-2632
- Publisher:
- Springer
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; 15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; geothermal; enhanced geothermal system; hot wet rock; thermal breakthrough; flow channeling; THM model
Citation Formats
Fu, Pengcheng, Hao, Yue, Walsh, Stuart D. C., and Carrigan, Charles R. Thermal Drawdown-Induced Flow Channeling in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1007/s00603-015-0776-0.
Fu, Pengcheng, Hao, Yue, Walsh, Stuart D. C., & Carrigan, Charles R. Thermal Drawdown-Induced Flow Channeling in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-015-0776-0
Fu, Pengcheng, Hao, Yue, Walsh, Stuart D. C., and Carrigan, Charles R. 2015.
"Thermal Drawdown-Induced Flow Channeling in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-015-0776-0. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1366903.
@article{osti_1366903,
title = {Thermal Drawdown-Induced Flow Channeling in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs},
author = {Fu, Pengcheng and Hao, Yue and Walsh, Stuart D. C. and Carrigan, Charles R.},
abstractNote = {In this paper, we investigate the flow-channeling phenomenon caused by thermal drawdown in fractured geothermal reservoirs. A discrete fracture network-based, fully coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical simulator is used to study the interactions between fluid flow, temperature change, and the associated rock deformation. The responses of a number of randomly generated 2D fracture networks that represent a variety of reservoir characteristics are simulated with various injection-production well distances. We find that flow channeling, namely flow concentration in cooled zones, is the inevitable fate of all the scenarios evaluated. We also identify a secondary geomechanical mechanism caused by the anisotropy in thermal stress that counteracts the primary mechanism of flow channeling. This new mechanism tends, to some extent, to result in a more diffuse flow distribution, although it is generally not strong enough to completely reverse flow channeling. We find that fracture intensity substantially affects the overall hydraulic impedance of the reservoir but increasing fracture intensity generally does not improve heat production performance. Finally, increasing the injection-production well separation appears to be an effective means to prolong the production life of a reservoir.},
doi = {10.1007/s00603-015-0776-0},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1366903},
journal = {Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering},
issn = {0723-2632},
number = 3,
volume = 49,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
Web of Science
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