An Advanced Discrete Fracture Methodology for Fast, Robust, and Accurate Simulation of Energy Production From Complex Fracture Networks

Fracture networks are abundant in subsurface applications (e.g., geothermal energy production, CO₂ sequestration). Fractured reservoirs often have a very complex structure, making modeling flow and transport in such networks slow and unstable. Consequently, this limits our ability to perform uncertainty quantification and increases...

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...

Large-scale natural fracture network patterns: Insights from automated mapping in the Lilstock (Bristol Channel) limestone outcrops

The Lilstock outcrop in the southern Bristol Channel provides exceptional exposures of several limestone beds displaying stratabound fracture networks, providing the opportunity to create a very large, complete, and ground-truthed fracture model. Here we present the result of automated fracture extraction of high-resolution photogrammetric...

Morphology and topology of dolostone lithons in the regional Carboneras Fault Zone, Southern Spain

Dolostones in a Neogene strike-slip fault zone are described. Two main types of structural features are recognised: (i) Background deformation in the form of a network of bedding-perpendicular and hybrid conjugate fractures, barren fractures and bedding-parallel stylolites. (ii) Fault-related features include breccias and cataclasites....

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...

An integrated workflow for stress and flow modelling using outcrop-derived discrete fracture networks

Fluid flow in naturally fractured reservoirs is often controlled by subseismic-scale fracture networks. Although the fracture network can be partly sampled in the direct vicinity of wells, the inter-well scale network is poorly constrained in fractured reservoir models. Outcrop analogues can provide data for populating domains of the...

Inter-well scale natural fracture geometry and permeability variations in low-deformation carbonate rocks

Regional natural fracture networks often show variations on a scale below that captured by seismic reflection data. This variability is not considered in most reservoir models, but likely impacts uncertainties in permeability. We quantify this uncertainty using a database of 13,000 fractures in nine outcrops digitised in the carbonate...