Inferring Geothermal Reservoir Processes at the Raft River Geothermal Field, Idaho, USA, Through Modeling InSAR–Measured Surface Deformation

Liu, Fang; Fu, Pengcheng; Mellors, Robert J.; Plummer, Mitchell A.; Ali, Syed Tabrez; Reinisch, Elena C.; Liu, Qi; Feigl, Kurt L.

doi:10.1029/2017JB015223

Title: Inferring Geothermal Reservoir Processes at the Raft River Geothermal Field, Idaho, USA, Through Modeling InSAR–Measured Surface Deformation

Journal Article · Fri May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JB015223· OSTI ID:1638786

^[1];

^[2];

^[2]; Plummer, Mitchell A. ^[3]; Ali, Syed Tabrez ^[4];

^[4]; Liu, Qi ^[1];

^[4]

Tongji Univ., Shanghai (China)
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

Ground surface deformations detected with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) provide valuable information for inferring subsurface reservoir processes that are difficult to observe directly. This study aims at building a reservoir model that honors the available geological, hydrological and geo-mechanical data and also produces ground surface deformation consistent with InSAR measurements at the Raft River Geothermal Field. In the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled model developed, the reservoir deforms as a result of the rock’s poroelastic response to changes in hydrologic pressure and thermal expansion/contraction. The results indicate that the observed deformation is the result of pressure decrease in the deep production reservoir and pressure increase in a shallower reservoir that accommodates the injected fluid (likely in the Salt Lake Formation). The combination of the uplift around injection wells with subsidence around the production wells, affected by the Bridge Fault as a flow barrier, creates a complex pattern of surface deformation in which the center of subtle subsidence significantly deviates from the location of the production wells. A parametric study suggests that (1) the Bridge Fault Zone is likely a flow barrier, (2) the surface deformation appears to be insensitive to the presence of the Narrows Structure, and (3) additional flow barriers likely exist to shape the flow system. This case study demonstrates the utility of a high-fidelity forward model that honors available known information and THM coupled processes in understanding geothermal reservoir characteristics.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); Chinese National Natural Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0006760; AC52-07NA27344; 41572267; 51639008; EE0005510; DGE‐1256259; AC52‐07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1638786

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1439391; OSTI ID: 1463826

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-740529

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Vol. 123, Issue 5; ISSN 2169-9313

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 11 works

Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (27)

Permeability upscaling of fault zones in the Aztec Sandstone, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, with a focus on slip surfaces and slip bands Ahmadov, Ramil; Aydin, Atilla; Karimi-Fard, Mohammad Hydrogeology Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-007-0180-2	journal	April 2007
Time-series analysis of surface deformation at Brady Hot Springs geothermal field (Nevada) using interferometric synthetic aperture radar Ali, S. T.; Akerley, J.; Baluyut, E. C. Geothermics, Vol. 61 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2016.01.008	journal	May 2016
Geodetic measurements and numerical models of transient deformation at Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA Ali, Syed T.; Reinisch, Elena C.; Moore, Joseph Geothermics, Vol. 74 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2018.02.007	journal	July 2018
Fluid geochemistry at the Raft River geothermal field, Idaho, USA: New data and hydrogeological implications Ayling, Bridget; Moore, Joseph Geothermics, Vol. 47 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2013.02.004	journal	July 2013
Subsidence rates at the southern Salton Sea consistent with reservoir depletion: SALTON SEA SUBSIDENCE Barbour, Andrew J.; Evans, Eileen L.; Hickman, Stephen H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 121, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB012903	journal	July 2016
Analysis of the Thermal and Hydraulic Stimulation Program at Raft River, Idaho Bradford, Jacob; McLennan, John; Moore, Joseph Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Vol. 50, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1156-0	journal	January 2017
Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry to Measure Earth’s Surface Topography and Its Deformation Bürgmann, Roland; Rosen, Paul A.; Fielding, Eric J. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Vol. 28, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.28.1.169	journal	May 2000
Two-dimensional phase unwrapping with use of statistical models for cost functions in nonlinear optimization Chen, Curtis W.; Zebker, Howard A. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, Vol. 18, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAA.18.000338	journal	January 2001
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Farr, Tom G.; Rosen, Paul A.; Caro, Edward Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 45, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2005RG000183	journal	January 2007
Deformation and seismicity in the Coso geothermal area, Inyo County, California: Observations and modeling using satellite radar interferometry Fialko, Yuri; Simons, Mark Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 105, Issue B9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JB900169	journal	September 2000
Thermal drawdown-induced flow channeling in a single fracture in EGS Guo, Bin; Fu, Pengcheng; Hao, Yue Geothermics, Vol. 61 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2016.01.004	journal	May 2016
Recent advances in SAR interferometry time series analysis for measuring crustal deformation Hooper, Andrew; Bekaert, David; Spaans, Karsten Tectonophysics, Vol. 514-517 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2011.10.013	journal	January 2012
Anthropogenic and natural ground deformation in the Hengill geothermal area, Iceland Juncu, D.; Árnadóttir, Th.; Hooper, A. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 122, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013626	journal	January 2017
Stability and convergence of sequential methods for coupled flow and geomechanics: Drained and undrained splits Kim, J.; Tchelepi, H. A.; Juanes, R. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 200, Issue 23-24 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2011.02.011	journal	June 2011
Reconnaissance geophysical studies of the geothermal system in southern Raft River Valley, Idaho Mabey, Don R.; Hoover, Donald B.; O’Donnell, James E. GEOPHYSICS, Vol. 43, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440909	journal	December 1978
Radar interferometry and its application to changes in the Earth's surface Massonnet, Didier; Feigl, Kurt L. Reviews of Geophysics, Vol. 36, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1029/97RG03139	journal	November 1998
Discrimination of geophysical phenomena in satellite radar interferograms Massonnet, Didier; Feigl, Kurt L. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 22, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1029/95GL00711	journal	June 1995
Correction to «Land subsidence caused by the East Mesa Geothermal Field, California, observed using SAR interferometry» Massonnet, D.; Holzer, T.; Vadon, H. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 25, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1029/98GL02251	journal	August 1998
ENVISAT ASAR data reduction: impact on SAR interferometry McLeod, I. H.; Cumming, I. G.; Seymour, M. S. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 36, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1109/36.662741	journal	March 1998
A study of injection-induced mechanical deformation at the In Salah CO2 storage project Morris, Joseph P.; Hao, Yue; Foxall, William International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Vol. 5, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2010.10.004	journal	March 2011
Three-dimensional magnetotelluric characterization of the Coso geothermal field Newman, Gregory A.; Gasperikova, Erika; Hoversten, G. Michael Geothermics, Vol. 37, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2008.02.006	journal	August 2008
Recent advances on surface ground deformation measurement by means of repeated space-borne SAR observations Prati, C.; Ferretti, A.; Perissin, D. Journal of Geodynamics, Vol. 49, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jog.2009.10.011	journal	April 2010
A fully coupled method for massively parallel simulation of hydraulically driven fractures in 3-dimensions: FULLY COUPLED PARALLEL SIMULATION OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURES IN 3-D Settgast, Randolph R.; Fu, Pengcheng; Walsh, Stuart D. C. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, Vol. 41, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.2557	journal	September 2016
Gas permeability evolution of cataclasite and fault gouge in triaxial compression and implications for changes in fault-zone permeability structure through the earthquake cycle Uehara, Shin-ichi; Shimamoto, Toshihiko Tectonophysics, Vol. 378, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2003.09.007	journal	January 2004
Geodetic imaging: reservoir monitoring using satellite interferometry: Geodetic imaging Vasco, D. W.; Wicks, Charles; Karasaki, Kenzi Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 149, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246X.2002.01569.x	journal	May 2002
Block-partitioned solvers for coupled poromechanics: A unified framework White, Joshua A.; Castelletto, Nicola; Tchelepi, Hamdi A. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Vol. 303 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2016.01.008	journal	May 2016
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission E., Alsdorf, Douglas; Douglas, Burbank,; Michael, Oskin, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries https://doi.org/10.17615/vvap-cx70	text	January 2005

Cited By (2)

The effect of fluid compressibility and elastic rock properties on deformation of geothermal reservoirs Juncu, D.; Árnadóttir, Th; Geirsson, H. Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 217, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggz011	journal	January 2019
Spatio–Temporal Analysis of Deformation at San Emidio Geothermal Field, Nevada, USA Between 1992 and 2010 Reinisch, Elena C.; Cardiff, Michael; Akerley, John Remote Sensing, Vol. 11, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11161935	journal	August 2019