Fracturing Optimization and In-Situ Characterization of Rock Permeability and Fracture Distributions
EMSL Project ID
48651
Abstract
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) are the future of geothermal energy, and geothermal is the future of energy production within the US and worldwide. However, to our knowledge, no prior EGS project has sustained production at rates greater than 1/2 of what is needed for economic viability. Tremendous amounts of fractured-rock surface area for heat exchange and volumes of fluid flow are needed to sustain EGS. The primary limitation that makes commercial EGS infeasible is our current inability to cost-effectively create high-permeability reservoirs from impermeable, igneous rock within the 3-10 km depth range. The oil and gas industry demonstrated that real-time control/adjustment of stimulation is critical. However, our understanding of stimulation in geothermal systems remains extremely limited. Development of permeability-enhancement technologies specifically for geothermal systems is required before EGS will become viable. This project will maximize the permeability enhancement while minimizing the cost of EGS reservoir stimulation through technology and monitoring method development enabling real-time optimization of permeability enhancement. Improving our stimulation methods decreases reservoir creation cost through increasing the well spacing and decreasing the number of wells needed. Improving stimulation implementation with real-time monitoring decreases cost through decreasing the need to repeat stimulation, which is currently used to mitigate unsuccessful stimulation or optimize stimulation. Novel physical and chemical methods will be employed to advance our ability to stimulate permeability within geothermal reservoirs and extend it to unconventional oil/gas recovery.
Project Details
Start Date
2014-10-09
End Date
2015-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members
Related Publications
Jung HB, KC Carroll, S Kabilan, DJ Heldebrant, DW Hoyt, L Zhong, T Varga, SA Stephens, L Adams, A Bonneville, AP Kuprat, and CA Fernandez. 2015. "Stimuli-Responsive/Rheoreversible Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids as a Greener Alternative to Support Geothermal and Fossil Energy Production." Green Chemistry 17(5):2799-2812. doi:10.1039/c4gc01917b