The EGS collab project: Stimulation and simulation

EGS Collab Team

The EGS collab project: Stimulation and simulation

EGS Collab Team

Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) requires accurate predictions of flow rates and temperatures at production wells over time. The concept of EGS is simple; however, complications from heterogeneity and complexity of fracture pathways may lead to channeling, short-circuiting, and premature thermal breakthrough. In the EGS Collab project, we are establishing a suite of highly monitored and well characterized intermediate-scale (~10-20 m) field test beds along with fracture stimulation and interwell flow tests to better understand processes that control formation of effective subsurface heat exchangers. EGS Collab experiments will provide a means of testing tools and concepts that could later be employed under geothermal reservoir conditions at FORGE or elsewhere. Key to the project is using numerical simulations in the experiment design and interpretation of results. Our tests will be well-controlled, in situ experiments focused on rock fracture behavior and permeability enhancement. Our pre- and post-test modeling results of each field experiment compared with detailed measurements will allow for improved model prediction and validation. We will use comprehensive instrumentation to collect high-quality and high-resolution geophysical and other fracture characterization and fluid flow data. We will analyze these data and compare them with models and field observations to further elucidate the basic relationships between stress, induced seismicity, and permeability enhancement. We will also observe and quantify other key governing parameters that impact permeability, and will attempt to understand how these parameters might change throughout the development and operation of an EGS project with the ultimate goal of enabling commercial viability of EGS. Our first set of experiments will be performed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. Our team is well underway with building the first field experiment test bed planned for this project, which is supported by the US Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office.

Original language	English
State	Published - 2018
Event	52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium - Seattle, United States Duration: Jun 17 2018 → Jun 20 2018

Conference

Conference	52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium
Country/Territory	United States
City	Seattle
Period	06/17/18 → 06/20/18

Funding

This material was based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Technology Development, Geothermal Technologies Office, under Award Number DE-AC02-05CH11231 with LBNL and other awards with other national laboratories. The United States Government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. We thank the drillers of Agapito Associates, Inc., for their skill and dedicated efforts to create our test bed boreholes. The research supporting this work took place in whole or in part at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The assistance of the Sanford Underground Research Facility and its personnel in providing physical access and general logistical and technical support is gratefully acknowledged. The earth model output for this paper was generated using Leapfrog Software. Copyright © Aranz Geo Limited. Leapfrog and all other Aranz Geo Limited product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of Aranz Geo Limited.

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Office of Technology Development
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Geothermal Technologies Office	DE-AC02-05CH11231
Geothermal Technologies Office

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Cite this

@conference{1fdd8e1402484ea6a5f862e46d6de1d5,

title = "The EGS collab project: Stimulation and simulation",

abstract = "Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) requires accurate predictions of flow rates and temperatures at production wells over time. The concept of EGS is simple; however, complications from heterogeneity and complexity of fracture pathways may lead to channeling, short-circuiting, and premature thermal breakthrough. In the EGS Collab project, we are establishing a suite of highly monitored and well characterized intermediate-scale (~10-20 m) field test beds along with fracture stimulation and interwell flow tests to better understand processes that control formation of effective subsurface heat exchangers. EGS Collab experiments will provide a means of testing tools and concepts that could later be employed under geothermal reservoir conditions at FORGE or elsewhere. Key to the project is using numerical simulations in the experiment design and interpretation of results. Our tests will be well-controlled, in situ experiments focused on rock fracture behavior and permeability enhancement. Our pre- and post-test modeling results of each field experiment compared with detailed measurements will allow for improved model prediction and validation. We will use comprehensive instrumentation to collect high-quality and high-resolution geophysical and other fracture characterization and fluid flow data. We will analyze these data and compare them with models and field observations to further elucidate the basic relationships between stress, induced seismicity, and permeability enhancement. We will also observe and quantify other key governing parameters that impact permeability, and will attempt to understand how these parameters might change throughout the development and operation of an EGS project with the ultimate goal of enabling commercial viability of EGS. Our first set of experiments will be performed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. Our team is well underway with building the first field experiment test bed planned for this project, which is supported by the US Department of Energy{\textquoteright}s Geothermal Technologies Office.",

author = "{EGS Collab Team} and Kneafsey, {T. J.} and Dobson, {P. F.} and Ajo-Franklin, {J. B.} and C. Valladao and Blankenship, {D. A.} and Knox, {H. A.} and P. Schwering and Morris, {J. P.} and M. Smith and White, {M. D.} and T. Johnson and R. Podgorney and E. Mattson and G. Neupane and W. Roggenthen and T. Doe and Bauer, {S. J.} and T. Baumgartner and K. Beckers and A. Bonneville and L. Boyd and Brown, {S. T.} and Burghardt, {J. A.} and T. Chen and Y. Chen and K. Condon and Cook, {P. J.} and Doughty, {C. A.} and D. Elsworth and J. Feldman and A. Foris and Frash, {L. P.} and Z. Frone and P. Fu and K. Gao and A. Ghassemi and H. Gudmundsdottir and Y. Guglielmi and G. Guthrie and B. Haimson and A. Hawkins and J. Heise and Herrick, {C. G.} and M. Horn and Horne, {R. N.} and J. Horner and M. Hu and H. Huang and M. Maceira and Y. Polsky",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2018 ARMA, American Rock Mechanics Association.; 52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium ; Conference date: 17-06-2018 Through 20-06-2018",

year = "2018",

language = "English",

}

TY - CONF

T1 - The EGS collab project

T2 - 52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium

AU - EGS Collab Team

AU - Kneafsey, T. J.

AU - Dobson, P. F.

AU - Ajo-Franklin, J. B.

AU - Valladao, C.

AU - Blankenship, D. A.

AU - Knox, H. A.

AU - Schwering, P.

AU - Morris, J. P.

AU - Smith, M.

AU - White, M. D.

AU - Johnson, T.

AU - Podgorney, R.

AU - Mattson, E.

AU - Neupane, G.

AU - Roggenthen, W.

AU - Doe, T.

AU - Bauer, S. J.

AU - Baumgartner, T.

AU - Beckers, K.

AU - Bonneville, A.

AU - Boyd, L.

AU - Brown, S. T.

AU - Burghardt, J. A.

AU - Chen, T.

AU - Chen, Y.

AU - Condon, K.

AU - Cook, P. J.

AU - Doughty, C. A.

AU - Elsworth, D.

AU - Feldman, J.

AU - Foris, A.

AU - Frash, L. P.

AU - Frone, Z.

AU - Fu, P.

AU - Gao, K.

AU - Ghassemi, A.

AU - Gudmundsdottir, H.

AU - Guglielmi, Y.

AU - Guthrie, G.

AU - Haimson, B.

AU - Hawkins, A.

AU - Heise, J.

AU - Herrick, C. G.

AU - Horn, M.

AU - Horne, R. N.

AU - Horner, J.

AU - Hu, M.

AU - Huang, H.

AU - Maceira, M.

AU - Polsky, Y.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) requires accurate predictions of flow rates and temperatures at production wells over time. The concept of EGS is simple; however, complications from heterogeneity and complexity of fracture pathways may lead to channeling, short-circuiting, and premature thermal breakthrough. In the EGS Collab project, we are establishing a suite of highly monitored and well characterized intermediate-scale (~10-20 m) field test beds along with fracture stimulation and interwell flow tests to better understand processes that control formation of effective subsurface heat exchangers. EGS Collab experiments will provide a means of testing tools and concepts that could later be employed under geothermal reservoir conditions at FORGE or elsewhere. Key to the project is using numerical simulations in the experiment design and interpretation of results. Our tests will be well-controlled, in situ experiments focused on rock fracture behavior and permeability enhancement. Our pre- and post-test modeling results of each field experiment compared with detailed measurements will allow for improved model prediction and validation. We will use comprehensive instrumentation to collect high-quality and high-resolution geophysical and other fracture characterization and fluid flow data. We will analyze these data and compare them with models and field observations to further elucidate the basic relationships between stress, induced seismicity, and permeability enhancement. We will also observe and quantify other key governing parameters that impact permeability, and will attempt to understand how these parameters might change throughout the development and operation of an EGS project with the ultimate goal of enabling commercial viability of EGS. Our first set of experiments will be performed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. Our team is well underway with building the first field experiment test bed planned for this project, which is supported by the US Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office.

AB - Development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) requires accurate predictions of flow rates and temperatures at production wells over time. The concept of EGS is simple; however, complications from heterogeneity and complexity of fracture pathways may lead to channeling, short-circuiting, and premature thermal breakthrough. In the EGS Collab project, we are establishing a suite of highly monitored and well characterized intermediate-scale (~10-20 m) field test beds along with fracture stimulation and interwell flow tests to better understand processes that control formation of effective subsurface heat exchangers. EGS Collab experiments will provide a means of testing tools and concepts that could later be employed under geothermal reservoir conditions at FORGE or elsewhere. Key to the project is using numerical simulations in the experiment design and interpretation of results. Our tests will be well-controlled, in situ experiments focused on rock fracture behavior and permeability enhancement. Our pre- and post-test modeling results of each field experiment compared with detailed measurements will allow for improved model prediction and validation. We will use comprehensive instrumentation to collect high-quality and high-resolution geophysical and other fracture characterization and fluid flow data. We will analyze these data and compare them with models and field observations to further elucidate the basic relationships between stress, induced seismicity, and permeability enhancement. We will also observe and quantify other key governing parameters that impact permeability, and will attempt to understand how these parameters might change throughout the development and operation of an EGS project with the ultimate goal of enabling commercial viability of EGS. Our first set of experiments will be performed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. Our team is well underway with building the first field experiment test bed planned for this project, which is supported by the US Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technologies Office.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083947362&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Paper

AN - SCOPUS:85083947362

Y2 - 17 June 2018 through 20 June 2018

ER -

The EGS collab project: Stimulation and simulation

Abstract

Conference

Funding

UN SDGs

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