Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Jeanne, Pierre; Rutqvist, Jonny; Dobson, Patrick F.

doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003

Title: Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Journal Article · Wed Aug 16 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Geothermics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003· OSTI ID:1436342

Jeanne, Pierre ^[1]; Rutqvist, Jonny ^[1]; Dobson, Patrick F. ^[1]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Cold water injection into a hot, fractured, geothermal reservoir may trigger shear activation of pre-existing fractures that can help to enhance reservoir permeability, but may also result in unwanted seismicity. In this study, we investigate through numerical modeling of a hypothetical geothermal reservoir how injection-induced cooling may influence the potential for shear activation, paying special attention to the evolution of deviatoric stress under various stress regimes. In each case, we consider either a reservoir with homogeneous hydraulic properties or the presence of a more permeable fracture zone intersecting the injection well. This fracture zone is either oriented in the maximum (S_Hmax) or minimum (S_hmin) horizontal stress direction. Finally, our main finding is that depending on the configuration, injection-induced cooling stresses can favor or prevent shear reactivation of the preexisting fracture, and this effect can vary temporally and spatially.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1436342

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1495737

Journal Information:: Geothermics, Vol. 70; ISSN 0375-6505

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 17 works

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References (16)

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58 GEOSCIENCES
geothermal reservoir
injection
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induced seismicity
numerical simulation

Title: Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

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