Title: Stratigraphy‐Induced Localization of Microseismicity During CO 2 Injection in Illinois Basin

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]
  1. University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Urbana IL USA, ETH Zurich Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Zurich Switzerland
  2. University of Lausanne Institute of Earth Sciences Lausanne Switzerland
  3. University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Illinois State Geological Survey Champaign IL USA
  4. University of Illinois Urbana‐Champaign Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Urbana IL USA

Abstract Subsurface fluid injection stimulates complex hydromechanical interaction, necessitating the integration of geomechanical data across spatial and temporal scales to consider the sophisticated behavior. Induced seismic response is usually associated with the complex reservoir architecture and pre‐existing features that are three‐dimensional, such as local stratigraphy, fractures, faults, and other discontinuities. This study encompasses laboratory characterization of the coupled hydromechanical response of cores extracted from rock formations in Illinois Basin: reservoir ‐ Mt. Simon sandstone, basal seal ‐ Argenta sandstone, and crystalline basement ‐ Precambrian rhyolite. High‐resolution numerical modeling allows considering the three‐dimensional complexity of the Illinois Basin Decatur Project with spatial resolution comparable to one of the active seismic surveys. A detailed reconstruction of the evolving state of stress in formations lacking direct stress measurements is achieved by numerical modeling that integrated laboratory‐derived hydromechanical properties, a porosity‐permeability relationship, active seismic data, and an inverted three‐dimensional porosity distribution. It appears that the microseismic clusters, mainly observed in the crystalline basement during the injection, are linked to zones experiencing more critically stressed conditions prior to injection. These zones have a potential for reactivation during the injection and are attributed to the specific local stratigraphy of the injection site, as well as transfer of triggering perturbations during the injection.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
FE0031892
OSTI ID:
2543153
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 130; ISSN 2169-9313
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • Makhnenko, Roman Y.; Labuz, Joseph F.
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