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Exploring the physical limits of hydraulic fracture caging to forecast its feasibility for geothermal power generation

Journal Article · · Renewable Energy
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  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
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Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are a promising concept for unlocking the great potential of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) for sustainable clean-energy production. However, EGS has remained an elusive goal due to the unsolved challenges of induced seismicity, uneconomically low flow rates, and premature cooling of the produced fluid. We propose that fracture caging offers a path to solving these three challenges. Fracture caging is the placement of a cage of boundary wells around injection wells before injection begins. This cage captures injected fluid to halt fracture growth, even if injection continues at the high-pressures that are conventionally used only for hydraulic fracture stimulation. This pressure will hydroprop fractures to achieve the flowrates that are required for EGS, instead of relying on proppant or shear stimulation. In this study, we present laboratory experiments and a conceptual model to explore the physical limits of hydraulic fracture caging. More specifically we investigate the required number of wells, maximum flow rates, and boundary conditions needed to unlock caging and hydropropping as tools to achieve viable geothermal systems.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
2496805
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2500866
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-24-20100
Journal Information:
Renewable Energy, Vol. 241; ISSN 0960-1481
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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58 GEOSCIENCES
Hydropropping
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Injection Limits
Earth Sciences
Enhanced geothermal systems
EGS
Induced seismicity
Microseismicity
Laboratory