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Title: Flowback Test Analyses at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Site

Journal Article · · Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
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Abstract In 2017 and 2019, injection testing was carried out in three zones in a vertical well in granite at the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy site near Milford, Utah, USA. In several injection cycles, flowback was implemented rather than shut-in. The goal was to explore an alternative to prolonged shut-in periods for inferring closure stress, formation compressibility, and formation permeability (permeability thickness product). The flowback procedures involved a cyclic flowback/shut-in, while pressure decreased. The flowback data are presented, and analyses are shown. The inferred closure stress(es) from flowback analyses are lower than for equivalent injection cycles that were strictly shut-in. Relatively high formation compressibility obtained from the flowback analyses indicates an extensive, fractured system. This study also includes numerical simulation of the flowback events. The numerical model shows that the rebound pressure is not necessarily the lower bound of the minimum principal stress. The signature of stiffness change can be identified as the process when the depletion mainly transitions from hydraulic fracture to natural fractures from numerical analysis. Overall, flowback potentially has advantages over shut-in because of the reduced time to closure.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0007080
OSTI ID:
1821061
Journal Information:
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Journal Name: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 55; ISSN 0723-2632
Publisher:
Springer Science + Business MediaCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
Austria
Language:
English

References (15)

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A Collaborative Study on DFIT Interpretation: Integrating Modeling, Field Data, and Analytical Techniques conference January 2019
Field Trials of the New DFIT-Flowback Analysis (DFIT-FBA) for Accelerated Estimates of Closure and Reservoir Pressure and Reservoir Productivity conference January 2020
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Revisiting Microfrac In-situ Stress Measurement via Flow Back - A New Protocol conference October 2011
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A Rapid Injection Flow-Back Test RIFT to Estimate In-Situ Stress and Pore Pressure in a Single Test conference February 2020
Determination of Fracture Volume and Closure Pressure From Pump-In/Flowback Tests conference November 1991
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Pump-in/Flowback Tests Reduce the Estimate of Horizontal in-Situ Stress Significantly conference September 2001
Interpretation of Fracturing Pressures journal September 1981
Evaluation Of Fracture Parameters Using Pump-In/Flow-Back Test conference April 2013
In-Situ Stress Measurements at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) Site journal November 2020

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Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
42 ENGINEERING
Utah FORGE
closure stress
compressibility
flowback test
permeability