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

Abstract

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 (SHmax) or minimum (Shmin) 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.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
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  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Geothermal Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1436342
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1495737
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Geothermics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 70; Journal ID: ISSN 0375-6505
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; geothermal reservoir; injection; thermal effect; induced seismicity; numerical simulation

Citation Formats

Jeanne, Pierre, Rutqvist, Jonny, and Dobson, Patrick F. Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003.
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Jeanne, Pierre, Rutqvist, Jonny, & Dobson, Patrick F. Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003
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Jeanne, Pierre, Rutqvist, Jonny, and Dobson, Patrick F. Wed . "Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1436342.
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@article{osti_1436342,
title = {Influence of injection-induced cooling on deviatoric stress and shear reactivation of preexisting fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems},
author = {Jeanne, Pierre and Rutqvist, Jonny and Dobson, Patrick F.},
abstractNote = {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 (SHmax) or minimum (Shmin) 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.},
doi = {10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003},
journal = {Geothermics},
number = ,
volume = 70,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {8}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2017.08.003
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