Operational and geological controls of coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along faults: Induced earthquakes in Pohang, South Korea
Abstract
Coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along pre-existing faults in deep basement contribute to recent occurrence of seismic events at subsurface energy exploration sites. Our coupled fluid-flow and geomechanical model describes the physical processes inducing seismicity corresponding to the sequential stimulation operations in Pohang, South Korea. Simulation results show that prolonged accumulation of poroelastic energy and pore pressure along a fault can nucleate seismic events larger than Mw3 even after terminating well operations. In particular the possibility of large seismic events can be increased by multiple-well operations with alternate injection and extraction that can enhance the degree of pore-pressure diffusion and subsequent stress transfer through a rigid and low-permeability rock to the fault. This study demonstrates that the proper mechanistic model and optimal well operations need to be accounted for to mitigate unexpected seismic hazards in the presence of the site-specific uncertainty such as hidden/undetected faults and stress regime.
- Authors:
-
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Seoul National Univ. (Korea, Republic of)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1670768
- Report Number(s):
- SAND2020-10452J
Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322; 691033
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES
Citation Formats
Chang, Kyung Won, Yoon, Hongkyu, Kim, YoungHee, and Lee, Moo Yul. Operational and geological controls of coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along faults: Induced earthquakes in Pohang, South Korea. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-58881-z.
Chang, Kyung Won, Yoon, Hongkyu, Kim, YoungHee, & Lee, Moo Yul. Operational and geological controls of coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along faults: Induced earthquakes in Pohang, South Korea. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58881-z
Chang, Kyung Won, Yoon, Hongkyu, Kim, YoungHee, and Lee, Moo Yul. Fri .
"Operational and geological controls of coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along faults: Induced earthquakes in Pohang, South Korea". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58881-z. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1670768.
@article{osti_1670768,
title = {Operational and geological controls of coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along faults: Induced earthquakes in Pohang, South Korea},
author = {Chang, Kyung Won and Yoon, Hongkyu and Kim, YoungHee and Lee, Moo Yul},
abstractNote = {Coupled poroelastic stressing and pore-pressure accumulation along pre-existing faults in deep basement contribute to recent occurrence of seismic events at subsurface energy exploration sites. Our coupled fluid-flow and geomechanical model describes the physical processes inducing seismicity corresponding to the sequential stimulation operations in Pohang, South Korea. Simulation results show that prolonged accumulation of poroelastic energy and pore pressure along a fault can nucleate seismic events larger than Mw3 even after terminating well operations. In particular the possibility of large seismic events can be increased by multiple-well operations with alternate injection and extraction that can enhance the degree of pore-pressure diffusion and subsequent stress transfer through a rigid and low-permeability rock to the fault. This study demonstrates that the proper mechanistic model and optimal well operations need to be accounted for to mitigate unexpected seismic hazards in the presence of the site-specific uncertainty such as hidden/undetected faults and stress regime.},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-58881-z},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = 1,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Fri Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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Figure 1: (A) Map showing the epicenter of the 2017 Pohang earthquake. Inset map shows tectonic setting of Korean Peninsula. Gray lines represent fault locations. Map was produced using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) software, version GMT 4..5.9. (B) Schematic description of the numerical domain consists of the basement rock andmore »
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journal, August 2018
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Induced Seismicity
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journal, February 2013
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Hydraulic Fracturing and Seismicity in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin
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journal, March 2012
- Horton, S.
- Seismological Research Letters, Vol. 83, Issue 2
Managing injection-induced seismic risks
text, January 2021
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- Open Access Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka
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