Using Estimated Risk to Develop Stimulation Strategies for Enhanced Geothermal Systems     

John Douglas  Hideo Aochi 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》2014,171(8):1847-1858

Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) are an attractive source of low-carbon electricity and heating. Consequently, a number of tests of this technology have been made during the past couple of decades, and various projects are being planned or under development. EGS work by the injection of fluid into deep boreholes to increase permeability and hence allow the circulation and heating of fluid through a geothermal reservoir. Permeability is irreversibly increased by the generation of microseismicity through the shearing of pre-existing fractures or fault segments. One aspect of this technology that can cause public concern and consequently could limit the widespread adoption of EGS within populated areas is the risk of generating earthquakes that are sufficiently large to be felt (or even to cause building damage). Therefore, there is a need to balance stimulation and exploitation of the geothermal reservoir through fluid injection against the pressing requirement to keep the earthquake risk below an acceptable level. Current strategies to balance these potentially conflicting requirements rely on a traffic light system based on the observed magnitudes of the triggered earthquakes and the measured peak ground velocities from these events. In this article we propose an alternative system that uses the actual risk of generating felt (or damaging) earthquake ground motions at a site of interest (e.g. a nearby town) to control the injection rate. This risk is computed by combining characteristics of the observed seismicity of the previous 6 h with a (potentially site-specific) ground motion prediction equation to obtain a real-time seismic hazard curve; this is then convolved with the derivative of a (potentially site-specific) fragility curve. Based on the relation between computed risk and pre-defined acceptable risk thresholds, the injection is increased if the risk is below the amber level, decreased if the risk is between the amber and red levels, or stopped completely if the risk is above the red level. Based on simulations using a recently developed model of induced seismicity in geothermal systems, which is checked here using observations from the Basel EGS, in this article it is shown that the proposed procedure could lead to both acceptable levels of risk and increased permeability.  相似文献   

北京南口—孙河断裂带水热系统特征与成因分析          下载免费PDF全文

雷晓东  胡圣标  杨全合  姜光政  李娟  李晨  张超  高堋 《地球物理学报》2017,60(5):1838-1850

中低温对流型地热资源在华北地区广泛分布,是一种清洁的替代能源.与活动断裂带相关的水热型地热资源是中低温地热系统的重要组成部分.本文基于高精度重力测量、微动测深及钻孔温度测量等数据,从热源、通道、储层和盖层四个方面探讨了南口—孙河断裂带水热系统特征.低重力异常揭示的燕山期花岗二长岩、闪长岩岩体范围为23.8 km~2和14.3 km~2,放射性测井数据计算得到其生热率均值为3.14μW·m~(-3),侏罗系火山岩生热率均值为1.65μW·m~(-3),隐伏岩体和火山岩均难以构成地热系统的附加热源.重力异常显示南口—孙河断裂带宽度约500~800 m,断裂带切割蓟县系雾迷山组白云岩热储层.钻井温度曲线显示断裂带内水热活动强烈,说明该断裂带是导水、导热的重要通道.断裂带南西侧马池口一带第四系松散层与侏罗系火山岩形成了热储盖层,微动测深显示火山岩最大厚度约1500 m.综上源、通、储、盖四个要素分析,该地热系统为热传导一对流复合型,来自京西北山区的大气降水经远距离径流深循环吸收地层热量后沿南口—孙河断裂上移到达裂隙发育的白云岩地层中形成热水.总之,沿南口—孙河断裂带具备了良好的地热地质条件,可达到规模开采的条件.  相似文献   

Finite-element simulation of hot-water-type geothermal reservoirs     

N. Karahanolu  V. Doyuran  N. Akka 《Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research》1985,23(3-4)

A fully coupled finite-element model is presented to simulate geothermal reservoirs in terms of the unknown variables of displacement, pore pressure and temperature using an elasto-plastic stress-strain relationship. The mathematical model combines the simultaneous mechanisms of subsidence, mass flow and heat flow through porous media by utilizing the equilibrium, fluid flow and energy flow equations. The governing partial differential equations are based upon constant physical parameters (except fluid density) and formulated for hot-water-type geothermal reservoirs. A simultaneous solution algorithm is applied to the modelling equations yielding transient and spatial distributions of the unknown variables. Application of the simulator to actual field conditions is performed by simulating the production history of a well located in the Denizli-Kızıldere geothermal field in Turkey. The results show an excellent agreement between the computed and the observed values of temperature and pore pressure variations throughout the reservoir.  相似文献   

A Study of Permeability Changes Due to Cold Fluid Circulation in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs          下载免费PDF全文

Nima Gholizadeh Doonechaly  Reda R. Abdel Azim  Sheik S. Rahman 《Ground water》2016,54(3):325-335

Reservoir behavior due to injection and circulation of cold fluid is studied with a shear displacement model based on the distributed dislocation technique, in a poro‐thermoelastic environment. The approach is applied to a selected volume of Soultz geothermal reservoir at a depth range of 3600 to 3700 m. Permeability enhancement and geothermal potential of Soultz geothermal reservoir are assessed over a stimulation period of 3 months and a fluid circulation period of 14 years. This study—by shedding light onto another source of uncertainty—points toward a special role for the fracture surface asperities in predicting the shear dilation of fractures. It was also observed that thermal stress has a significant impact on changing the reservoir stress field. The effect of thermal stresses on reservoir behavior is more evident over longer circulation term as the rock matrix temperature is significantly lowered. Change in the fracture permeability due to the thermal stresses can also lead to the short circuiting between the injection and production wells which in turn decreases the produced fluid temperature significantly. The effect of thermal stress persists during the whole circulation period as it has significant impact on the continuous increase in the flow rate due to improved permeability over the circulation period. In the current study, taking into account the thermal stress resulted in a decrease of about 7 °C in predicted produced fluid temperature after 14 years of cold fluid circulation; a difference which notably influences the potential prediction of an enhanced geothermal system.  相似文献   

Research on seismic fluid identification driven by rock physics   总被引：8，自引：0，他引：8  

YIN Xing Yao  ZONG Zhao Yun  WU Guo Chen 《中国科学:地球科学(英文版)》2015,(2):159-171

Seismic fluid identification works as an effective approach to characterize the fluid feature and distribution of the reservoir underground with seismic data. Rock physics which builds bridge between the elastic parameters and reservoir parameters sets the foundation of seismic fluid identification, which is also a hot topic on the study of quantitative characterization of oil/gas reservoirs. Study on seismic fluid identification driven by rock physics has proved to be rewarding in recognizing the fluid feature and distributed regularity of the oil/gas reservoirs. This paper summarizes the key scientific problems immersed in seismic fluid identification, and emphatically reviews the main progress of seismic fluid identification driven by rock physics domestic and overseas, as well as discusses the opportunities, challenges and future research direction related to seismic fluid identification. Theoretical study and practical application indicate that we should incorporate rock physics, numerical simulation, seismic data processing and seismic inversion together to enhance the precision of seismic fluid identification.  相似文献   

Chemical composition of thermal springs, cold springs, streams, and gas vents in the Mt. Amiata geothermal region (Tuscany, Italy)     

V. Duchi  A.A. Minissale  F. Prati 《Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research》1987,31(3-4)

A geochemical study of thermal and cold springs, stream waters and gas emissions has been carried out in the Mt. Amiata geothermal region.The cold springs and stream waters do not seem to have received significant contribution from hot deep fluids. On the contrary, the thermal springs present complex and not clearly quantifiable interactions with the hot fluids of the main geothermal reservoir.The liquid-dominated systems in the Mt. Amiata area, like most of the high-enthalpy geothermal fields in the world, are characterized by saline, NaCl fluids. The nature of the reservoir rock (carbonatic and anhydritic), and its widespread occurrence in central Italy, favor a regional circulation of “Ca-sulfate” thermal waters, which discharge from its outcrop areas. Waters of this kind, which have been considered recharge waters of the known geothermal fields, dilute, disperse and react with the deep geothermal fluids in the Mt. Amiata area, preventing the use of the main chemical geothermometers for prospecting purposes. The temperatures obtained from the chemical geothermometers vary widely and are generally cooler than temperatures measured in producing wells.Other thermal anomalies in central Italy, apart from those already known, might be masked by the above-mentioned circulation. A better knowledge of deep-fluid chemistry could contribute to the calibration of specific geothermometers for waters from reservoirs in carbonatic rocks.  相似文献   

Integrated interpretation of the magnetotelluric and magnetic data from Mahallat geothermal field,Iran     

Behrooz Oskooi  Mahmoud Mirzaei  Behnam Mohammadi  Mohammad Mohammadzadeh-Moghaddam  Feridon Ghadimi 《Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica》2016,60(1):141-161

Magnetotelluric (MT) and ground magnetic surveys were conducted on the Mahallat geothermal field situated in Markazi province, central Iran, as a primary part of the explorations and developments of a geothermal energy investigation program in the region. Mahallat region has the greatest geothermal fields in Iran. MT survey was performed in November 2011 on an 8 km profile crossing the hot springs with a total of 17 stations. The 2D inversion of the determinant MT data was performed using a 2D inversion routine based on the Occam approach. The 2D resistivity model obtained from the determinant data shows a low resistivity zone at 800-2000 m depth and a higher resistivity zone above the low resistivity zone, interpreted as geothermal reservoir and cap rock, respectively. It also revealed two major concealed faults which are acting as preferential paths for the circulation of hydrothermal fluids. To obtain more geophysical evidence, a ground magnetic survey with 5000 stations was also performed over an area of 200 km² around the MT profile. Magnetic measurements show a main positive anomaly of about +1000 nT over the study area, which could be interpreted as an intrusive body with the high magnetic susceptibility (i.e. mafic and ultramafic rocks) into the sedimentary host rocks. We interpret the body as the heat source of the geothermal system. Structural index and depth estimation of the anomaly indicate that the intrusive body is similar to a cylinder extending from about one kilometer depth down to greater depths. The results of MT and magnetic investigations indicate a geothermal reservoir which proves the preliminary geological observations to a great extent.  相似文献