Geophysical System for Fluid Flow and Fracture Imaging
- Hydrogeophysics, Inc.
This project sought to establish new geophysical and computational methods to image fluid migration through induced and natural hard rock fracture systems. Fluid flow imaging of fracture systems can be used to help eliminate irrelevant microfracture events and establish production borehole connectivity to induced fractures. A few existing microseismic techniques attempt to employ fluid flow metering (not imaging) and microseismic event correlation in an effort to reduce uncertainty in connectivity to the production borehole. However, this method is insufficient to adequately reduce uncertainty in fracture localization solutions and determining fracture connectivity to the production well. Recent industry efforts have been focused on improving microseismic performance, but direct imaging of subsurface fracture systems using non-seismic, or multisensor approaches using fluid flow related phenomenology has not been pursued. Hydrogeophysics, Inc. believes that a new integrated multisensor approach will enhance the subsurface fracture system characterization process and reduce uncertainty in the site characterization results, thus reducing project related risks. Based on this, Hydrogeophysics, Inc. considers that additional data from different, measurable signals, generated by physical interactions with fractured systems (e.g., seismic, electrical, fluid flow) is required to further constrain fracture localization solutions, while using as much a priori information as possible in fracture localization models and computations. Three geoscience based industry segments, geothermal, carbon sequestration, and oil and gas industries (listed under this topic by the Department of Energy) can benefit from the development of this new technology. All of these industry segments need to be able to image fracture systems, establish fluid flow patterns, determine hydraulic connectivity to production boreholes, and track fracture system and fluid flow changes over time. There continues to be a substantial level of dissatisfaction and frustration in these industries with existing subsurface fracture imaging technology. Resolving the problems with fracture and fluid flow imaging is crucial to meeting and sustaining critical industry objectives of energy production and waste sequestration. In addition to the stated primary industry interest areas in this Funding Opportunity Announcement, other applications for the proposed technology, including subsurface injection of liquid waste for disposal (minimizing or preventing induced seismicity), and mining industries are plausible. Therefore, this technology has a broad geophysical and industrial application potential. Fluid motion in fractures generates a lesser known, but vitally important electrical signal (i.e., streaming potential) within fractured systems. This type of signal can be exploited as a critical part of the multisensor system approach. Hydrogeophysics, Inc. proposes to develop new geophysical streaming potential technology that exploits fluid flow to generate 4D images of fracture systems in our multisensor approach. We base our approach on the physics of fluid flow dynamics in fractured media, streaming potential phenomenology, and a priori information on subsurface structure details. This effort employs advanced signal processing methods, along with knowledge-guided forward model development and joint inversion processing in a phased, risk-reduction process. In Phase I, HGI modeled the streaming potential effect in fractures, and determined its order of magnitude as presented on the surface of a numerical model. We developed subsurface multiphysics based models using structurally simple, numerical finite element techniques with the finite element modeling software Comsol Multiphysics. Data from the models was extracted and processed using advanced signal processing methods. The performance of the signal processing methods were evaluated relative to the required signal to noise ratio improvements needed to extract very small signals from high electrical noise environments. The results of this research demonstrated the feasibility, and applicability of this technology to improve subsurface signals through advanced numerical processing methods.
- Research Organization:
- Hydrogeophysics, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0019611
- OSTI ID:
- 1575921
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- HGI R&D RPT-2019-001; 19SC500611
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
42 ENGINEERING
02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
fluid flow imaging
fracture imaging
hydraulic fracturing
geophysics
numerical modeling
multiphysics modeling
finite element
streaming potential
signal processing
Comsol Multiphysics
fracture modeling
fluid flow
fluid flow in fractures