Numerical Modeling Approaches for Mitigating Induced Seismicity in Geothermal Reservoirs
I.S. Saifullin (TU Delft - Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics)
A. Novikov (TU Delft - Reservoir Engineering)
G.S.S. MR. SERRAO SEABRA (TU Delft - Reservoir Engineering)
Anne Pluymakers (TU Delft - Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics)
A.G. Muntendam-Bos (TU Delft - Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics)
D.V. Voskov (Stanford University, TU Delft - Reservoir Engineering)
E. Hernandez (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek)
J. Pogacnik (Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek)
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Abstract
Geothermal energy offers a sustainable source of heat and electricity but alters reservoir pressure and temperature, affecting in-situ stress and potentially triggering fault reactivation and induced seismicity. Deep geothermal reservoirs are valuable for their high temperatures but pose challenges like low permeability and fracture-dominated flow, increasing the risk of fault instability.
This study explores two approaches to assess stress changes: a semi-analytical geomechanical proxy and a fully-coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) model using open-DARTS. The THM model simulates coupled thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical processes in complex rock formations, while the proxy method approximates displacements and stress changes using reservoir simulation outputs and homogeneous geomechanical rock properties assumptions.
The proxy model has been applied to matrix- and fault-dominated systems, including the Brugge dataset. Results include pressure, temperature, displacements, stress changes predictions over 30 years. Fault stability is evaluated using Mohr-Coulomb criteria with a constant friction coefficient.
In fracture-dominated systems, faults often control flow but. Discrete Fracture Model (DFM) has been used for flow modelling.
Combining proxy and THM models can optimize the balance between accuracy and computational cost. The study emphasizes the differing impacts of pressure and temperature on fault stability during geothermal operations.