The impact of natural fractures on heat extraction from tight Triassic sandstones in the West Netherlands Basin: A case study combining well, seismic and numerical data

The positive impact that natural fractures can have on geothermal heat production from low-permeability reservoirs has become increasingly recognised and proven by subsurface case studies. In this study, we assess the potential impact of natural fractures on heat extraction from the tight Lower Buntsandstein Subgroup targeted by the recently...

Natural Fracture Network Characterisation: Numerical modelling, outcrop analysis and subsurface data

Responsibly using the subsurface for geo-energy extraction or storage requires an accurate understanding of the static and dynamic behaviour of the targeted reservoirs. While mostly dependent on intrinsic rock properties (e.g. porosity and permeability), this behaviour is also believed to be significantly impacted by the presence of natural...

Mechanical controls on horizontal stresses and fracture behaviour in layered rocks: A numerical sensitivity analysis

In layered materials, the deformation style, orientation, confinement, and 3D connectivity of natural fractures is generally impacted by changes in sedimentary facies and alternations in mechanical properties. In this study we address this effect and perform a numerical sensitivity analysis. Mechanical properties, confining pressures, and...

Natural fault and fracture network characterization for the southern Ekofisk field: A case study integrating seismic attribute analysis with image log interpretation

Production from the Ekofisk Chalk Field in the North Sea is believed to be significantly influenced by the presence of a connected fault and fracture network. In the current study, we create a 3D seismic discontinuity cube which is representative of this network within the southern part of the Ekofisk Field. This is done using a multiscale...

Mechanical Factors Controlling the Development of Orthogonal and Nested Fracture Network Geometries

Orthogonal fracture networks form an arrangement of open well-connected fractures which have perpendicular abutment angles and sometimes show topological relations by which fracture sets abut against each other, thus forming a nested network. Previous modelling studies have shown that orthogonal fractures may be caused by a local stress...

Fluid flow from matrix to fractures in Early Jurassic shales

The potential of shale reservoirs for gas extraction is largely determined by the permeability of the rock. Typical pore diameters in shales range from the μm down to the nm scale. The permeability of shale reservoirs is a function of the interconnectivity between the pore space and the natural fracture network present. We have measured the...