In Situ stress, natural fracture distribution, and borehole elongation in the Auburn geothermal well, Auburn, New York

Journal Article · Mon Jun 10 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JB090iB07p05497· OSTI ID:5583418

Hickman, S H; Healy, J H; Zoback, M D

Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements and a borehole televiewer survey were conducted in a 1.6-km-deep well at Auburn, New York. This well, which was drilled at the outer margin of the Appalachian Fold and Thrust Belt in the Appalachian Plateau, penetrates approximately 1540 m of lower Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and terminates 60 m into the Precambrian marble basement. Analysis of the hydraulic fracturing tests indicates that the minimum horizontal principal stress increases in a nearly linear fashion from 9.9 +- 0.2 MPa at 593 m to 30.6 +- 0.4 MPa at 1482 m. The magnitude of the maximum horizontal principal stress increases in a less regular fashion from 13.8 +- 1.2 MPa to 49.0 +- 2.0 MPa over the same depth range. The magnitudes of the horizontal principal stresses relative to the calculated overburden stress are somewhat lower than is the norm for this region and are indicative of a strike-slip faulting regime that, at some depths, is transitional to normal faulting. As expected from the relative aseismicity of central New York State, however, analysis of the magnitudes of the horizontal principal stresses indicates, at least to a depth of 1.5 km, that frictional failure on favorably oriented preexisting fault planes is unlikely.

• Research Organization: U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
• OSTI ID: 5583418
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 90:B7; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
BOREHOLES
CAVITIES
COMMINUTION
CONTINENTAL CRUST
EARTH CRUST
FAILURES
FEDERAL REGION II
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
FRACTURES
FRACTURING
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURES
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NEW YORK
NORTH AMERICA
STRESSES
USA
WELLS