Top

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering

Published in:

01-06-2012 | Original paper

A Review of Some Rock Mechanics Issues in Geothermal Reservoir Development

Author: A. Ghassemi

Published in: Geotechnical and Geological Engineering | Issue 3/2012

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

Rock mechanics and geomechanical studies can provide crucial information for economic geothermal reservoir development. Although significant progress has been made in reservoir geomechanics, technical challenges specific to the geothermal area (high temps, data collection, experimentation issues) have prevented widespread use of geomechanics in geothermal reservoir development. However, as the geothermal industry moves to develop more challenging resources using the concept of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), and to maximize productivity from conventional resources, the need for improved understanding of geomechanical issues and developing specific technologies for geothermal reservoirs has become critical. Rock mechanics research and improved technologies can impact areas related to in-situ stress characterization, initiation and propagation of artificial and natural fractures, and the effects of coupled hydro-thermo-chemo-mechanical processes on fracture permeability and induced seismicity. Rock mechanics/geomechanics research, including experimental and theoretical investigations as well as numerical and analytical solutions, has an important role in optimizing reservoir design and heat extraction strategies for sustainable geothermal energy development. A number of major areas where rock mechanics research can facilitate geothermal systems development are reviewed in this paper with particular emphasis on EGS design and management.

previous article World Stress Map Database as a Resource for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

next article New Prediction Models for Mean Particle Size in Rock Blast Fragmentation

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Abe H, Sekine H, Shibuya Y (1983) Thermoelastic analysis of a crack-like reservoir in a hot dry rock during extraction of geothermal energy. J Energy Resour Tech 105:503–508CrossRef

Abe H, Hayashi K, Yamamoto T (1995) Process of crack growth from a reservoir formed along a joint by injection of fluid for extraction of geothermal heat. In: Mechanics of Jointed and Faulted Rock, MJFR-2, Vienna, pp 423–428

Addis MA, Hanssen TH, Yassir N, Willoughby DR, Enever J (1998) A comparison of leak-off test and extended leak-off. In: Proceedings of Eurock ‘98, SPE/ISRM symposium: rock mechanics in petroleum engineering, 8–10 July 1998

Amadei B, Stephansson O (1997) Rock stress and its measurement. Chapman and Hall, LondonCrossRef

Asanuma H, Soma N, Kaieda H, Kumano Y, Izumi T, Tezuka K, Niitsuma H, Wyborn D (2005) Microseismic monitoring of hydraulic stimulation at the Australian HDR project in Cooper Basin. In: Proceedings of the world geothermal congress, Antalya, 5 pp

Axelsson G (2010) Sustainable geothermal utilization—case histories; definitions; research issues and modeling. Geothermics 39(4):283–291CrossRef

Baisch S, Weidler R, Voros R, Wyborn D, de Graaf L (2006) Induced seismicity during the stimulation of a geothermal HFR reservoir in the Cooper Basin, Australia. Bull Seismol Soc Am 96:2242–2256CrossRef

Bandis SC, Lumsden AC, Barton N (1983) Mechanical properties of rock Joints. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 20:249–263CrossRef

Baria R, Baumgärtner J, Gérard A, Jung R, Garnish J (1999) European HDR research programme at Soultz-sous-Forets (France) 1987–1996. Geothermics 28:655–669CrossRef

Barr DT, Cleary MP (1983) Thermoelastic fracture solutions using distributions of singular influence functions—II: numerical modelling of thermally self-driven cracks. Int J Solids Struct 19(1):83–91CrossRef

Barton NR, Bakhtar K (1982) Rock joint description and modeling for the hydrothermomechanical design of nuclear waste repositories. TerraTek Engineering, Salt Lake City, Utah, Tech Rep 83–10

Barton NR, Choubey V (1977) The shear strength of rock joints in theory and practice. Rock Mech 10:1–54CrossRef

Barton NR, Bandis S, Bakhtar K (1985) Strength, deformation and conductivity coupling of rock joints. Int J Rock Mech Mining Sci Geomech Abstr 22:121–140CrossRef

Baumgartner J, Rummel F (1989) Experience with “fracture pressurization tests” as a stress measuring technique in a jointed rock mass. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 26:661–671CrossRef

Bažant ZP, Ohtsubo H (1977) Stability conditions for propagation of a system of cracks in a brittle solid. Mech Res Comm 4:353–366CrossRef

Bažant ZP, Ohtsubo H, Aoh K (1979) Stability and post-critical growth of a system of cooling or shrinkage cracks. Int J Fract 15:443–456CrossRef

Bell JS (2003) Practical methods for estimating in situ stresses for borehole stability applications in sedimentary basins. J Pet Sci Eng 38:111–119CrossRef

Bell JS, Gough DI (1979) Northeast–southwest compressive stress in Alberta: evidence from oil wells. Earth Planet Sci Lett 45:475–482CrossRef

Berard T, Cornet FH (2003) Evidence of thermally induced borehole elongation: a case study at Soultz, France. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 40:1121–1140CrossRef

Bernabé Y, Evans B (2007) Numerical modelling of pressure solution deformation at axisymmetric asperities under normal load. Spec Publ—Geol Soc Lond 284:1185–1205

Bertani R (2012) Geothermal Power Generation in the World 2005–2010 Update Report. Geothermics 41:1–19

Bobet A, Einstein HH (1998) Numerical modeling of fracture coalescence in a model rock material. Int J Fract 92:221–252CrossRef

Bodvarsson G (1976) Thermoelastic phenomena in geothermal systems. In: Proceedings of the second UN symposium on the development and use of geothermal resources, San Francisco, pp 903–907

Boone TJ, Ingraffea AR, Roegiers J-C (1991) Simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation in poroelastic rock with application to stress measurement technique. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 28:1–14

Bourdin B, Francfort GA, Marigo J-J (2008) The variational approach to fracture. J Elast 91(1–3):5–148CrossRef

Brudy M, Zoback MD, Fuchs K, Baumgartner J (1997) Estimation of the complete stress tensor to 8 km depth in the KTB scientific drill holes: implications for crustal strength. J Geophys Res 102:18453–18475CrossRef

Bruel D (2002) Impact of induced thermal stresses during circulation tests in an engineered fractured geothermal reservoir; example of the Soultzsus-Forets European Hot Fractured rock Geothermal Project, Rhine Graben, France. Oil Gas Sci Tech Rev IFP 57:459–470CrossRef

Camacho G, Ortiz M (1996) Computational modeling of impact damage in brittle materials. Int J Solids Struct 33:2899–2938CrossRef

Carter BJ, Desroches J, Ingraffea AR, Wawrzynek PA (2000) Simulating fully 3D hydraulic fracturing. In: Zaman M, Booker J, Gioda G (eds) Modeling in geomechanics. Wiley Publishers, New York

Cook AM, Myer LR, Cook NGW, Doyle FM (1990) The effect of tortuosity on flow through a natural fracture. In: Hustrulid WA, Johnson WA (eds) Rock mechanics contributions and challenges, Proceedings of the 31st US symposium on rock mechanics. Golden, CO

Cornet FH (1987) Results from Le Mayet de Montagne project. Geothermics 16(4):355–374CrossRef

Cornet FH (2000) Comment on Large-scale in situ permeability tensor of rocks from induced microseismicity by S.A. Shapiro, P. Audigane and J.-J. Royer. Geophys J Int 140:465–469CrossRef

Cornet FH, Jianmin Y (1995) Analysis of induced seismicity for stress field determination and pore pressure mapping. Pure Appl Geophys 145(3/4):677–700CrossRef

Cornet FH, Valette B (1984) In situ stress determination from hydraulic injection test data. J Geophys Res 89:11527–11537CrossRef

Cornet FH, Helm J, Poitrenaud H, Etchecopar A (1997) Seismic and aseismic slips induced by large-scale fluid injection. Pure Appl Geophys 150:563–583CrossRef

De Bree P, Walters JV (1989) Micro/Minifrac test procedures and interpretation for in situ stress determination. Int J Rock Mech and Mining Sci Abstr 26:515–521CrossRef

Detwiler RL (2010) Permeability alteration due to mineral dissolution in partially saturated fractures. J Geophys Res 115:B09210–B09220CrossRef

Detwiler RL, Glass RJ, Bourcier WL (2003) Experimental observations of fracture dissolution: the role of Peclet number on evolving aperture variability. Geophys Res Lett 30(12):1648–1652CrossRef

Dickson MH, Fanelli M (2003) Geothermal energy: utilization and technology, UNESCO renewable energy series. Earthscan Publications Ltd, London

Djurhuus J, Aadnoy BS (2003) In situ stress state from inversion of fracturing data from oil wells and borehole image logs. J Petrol Sci Eng 38(3–4):121–130CrossRef

Dobroskok AA, Ghassemi A, Linkov AM (2005) Numerical simulation of crack propagation influenced by thermal and porous liquid stresses. Int J of Fract 134:L29–L34CrossRef

Dobson PF, Kneafsey TJ, Sonnenthal EI, Spycher N, Apps JA (2003) Experimental and numerical simulation of dissolution and precipitation: implications for fracture sealing at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. J Contam Hyd 62–63:459–476CrossRef

Elsworth D (1989) Thermal permeability enhancement of blocky rocks: one-dimensional flows. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 26(3/4):329–339

Elsworth D, Yasuhara H (2009) Mechanical and transport constitutive models for fractures subject to dissolution and precipitation. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 34(5):533–549

Evans KF, Cornet FH, Hashida T, Hayashi K, Ito T, Matsuki K, Wallroth T (1999) Stress and rock mechanics issues of relevance to HDR/HWR engineered geothermal systems: review of developments during the past 15 years. Geothermics 28:455–474CrossRef

Evans KF, Zappone A, Kraft T, Deichmann N, Moia F (2012) A survey of the induced seismic responses to fluid injection in geothermal and CO₂ reservoirs in Europe. Geothermics 41:30–54

Fardin N, Jing L, Stephansson O (2001a) Heterogeneity and nisotropy of roughness of rock joints. In: Proceedings of the ISRM regional symposium EUROCK, Espoo, Finland, pp 223–227

Fardin N, Stephansson O, Jing L (2001b) The scale dependence of rock joint surface Roughness. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 38:659–669CrossRef

Finnie I, Cooper GA, Berlie J (1979) Fracture propagation in rock by transient cooling. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 16:11–21CrossRef

Fortin M, Archambault G, Aubertin M, Gill DE (1988) An algorithm for predicting the effect of a variable normal stiffness on shear strength of discontinuities. In: Proceedings of the 15th Canadian rock mechanics symposium, Toronto, pp 109–117

Foulger GR, Julian BR, Hill DP, Pitt AM, Malin PE, Shalev E (2004) Non-double-couple microearthquakes at Long Valley caldera, California, provide evidence for hydraulic fracturing. J Volcanol Geoth Res 132:45–71CrossRef

Fredrich JT, Wong T-F (1986) Mechanics of thermally induced cracking in three crustal rocks. J Geophys Res 91(B12):12743–12754CrossRef

Gale JE (1982) The effects of fracture type (induced vs natural) on the stress—fracture closure—fracture permeability relationship. Proceedings of the 23rd US symposium on rock mechanic, Berkeley, CA, pp 290–296

Gao H, Klein P (1997) Numerical simulation of crack growth in an isotropic solid with randomized internal cohesive bonds. J Mech Phys Solids 46:187–218CrossRef

Geertsma J, de Klerk FA (1969) A rapid method of predicting width and extent of hydraulically induced fractures. J Pet Tech (Dec):1571–1581

Gephart JW, Forsyth DW (1984) An improved method for determining the regional stress tensor using earthquake focal mechanism data: application to the San Fernando earthquake sequence. J Geophys Res 89:9305–9320CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Kumar S (2007) Changes in fracture aperture and fluid pressure due to thermal stress and silica dissolution/precipitation induced by heat extraction from substrate rocks. Geothermics 36:115–140CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Roegiers J-C (1996) A three-dimensional poroelastic hydraulic fracture simulator using the displacement discontinuity method. In: Proceedings of the 2nd North American rock mechanics symposium, Montreal, pp 982–987

Ghassemi A, Suresh Kumar G (2007) Variation of fracture aperture and pressure due to combined heat extraction-induced thermal stress and silica dissolution/precipitation. Geothermics 36:115–140CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Zhang Q (2004) Poro-thermoelastic mechanisms in wellbore stability and reservoir stimulation. In: Proceedings of the 29th workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering, Stanford University, CA

Ghassemi A, Zhang Q (2004b) A transient fictitious stress boundary element method for poro-thermoelastic media. J Eng Anal Boundary Elem 28(11):1363–1373CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Zhang Q (2006) Poro-thermoelastic response of a stationary crack using the displacement discontinuity method. ASCE J Eng Mech 132(1):26–33CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Zhou XX (2011) A Three-dimensional poro- and thermoelastic model for analysis of fracture response in EGS. Geothermics 40:39–49CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Tarasovs S, Cheng AD-H (2003) An Integral equation method for modeling three-dimensional heat extraction from a fracture in hot dry rock. Int J Numer Anal Methods Geomech 27(12):989–1004CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Tarasovs S, Cheng AH-D (2005) Integral equation solution of heat extraction-induced thermal stress in enhanced geothermal reservoir. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 29:829–844CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Tarasovs S, Cheng AH-D (2007) A three-dimensional study of the effects of thermo-mechanical loads on fracture slip in enhanced geothermal reservoir. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 44:1132–1148CrossRef

Ghassemi A, Nygren A, Cheng AD-H (2008) Effects of heat extraction on fracture aperture: a poro-thermoelastic analysis. Geothermics 37(5):525–539CrossRef

Glass RJ, Rajaram H, Detwiler RL (2003) Immiscible displacements in rough-walled fractures: competition between roughening by random aperture variations and smoothing by in-plane curvature. Phys Rev E 68:061110–061116CrossRef

Goodman RE (1980) Introduction to rock mechanics. Wiley, New York

Goodman RE, St John C (1977) Finite element analysis for discontinuous rocks. Numerical Methods in Geotechnical Engineering, pp 148–175

Gough DI, Bell JS (1981) Stress orientations from oil well fractures in Alberta and Texas. Can J Earth Sci 18:1358–1370CrossRef

Grasselli G (2006) Shear strength of rock joints based on quantified surface description. Rock Mech Rock Eng 39:295–314CrossRef

Grasselli G, Egger P (2003) Constitutive law for the shear strength of rock joints based on three-dimensional surface parameters. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 40:25–40CrossRef

Grasselli G, Wirth J, Egger P (2002) Quantitative three-dimensional description of rough surface and parameter evolution with shearing. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 39:789–800CrossRef

Guiducci C, Pellegrino A, Radu JP, Collin F, Charlier R (2002) Numerical modeling of hydro-mechanical fracture behavior. In: Numerical models in geomechanics (NUMOG VIII), Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 293–299

Guo F, Morgenstern NR, Scott JD (1993) Interpretation of hydraulic fracturing breakdown pressure. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 30(6):617–626CrossRef

Gutierrez-Negrin LCA, Quijano-Leon JL (2003) Analysis of seismicity in the Los Humeros, Mexico, geothermal field. Geotherm Resour Counc Trans 28:467–472

Haring M, Ulich S, Ladner F, Dyer B (2008) Characterization of the basel 1 enhanced geothermal system. Geothermics 37(5):469–495CrossRef

Hayashi K, Sayama T, Abe H (1990) Stability of a geothermal reservoir crack connecting with a horizontal natural fracture in the earth’s crust. In: Rossmanith H-P (ed) Mechanics of Jointed and Faulted Rock. MJFR, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 659–666

Healy D, Jones RR, Holdsworth RD (2006) Three-dimensional brittle shear fracturing by tensile crack interaction. Nature 439. doi:10.1038/nature04346

Hickman SH, Davatzes NC (2010) In situ stress and fracture characterization for planning of an EGS stimulation in the Desert Peak geothermal field, Nevada. In: Proceedings 35th workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Hopkirk RJ, Sharma D, Pralong PJ (1981) Coupled convective and conductive heat transfer in the analysis of HDR geothermal sources. In: Lewis RW et al (eds) Numerical methods in heat transfer. Wiley, New York, pp 261–307

Huenges E, Holl H-G, Legarth B, Zimmermann G, Saadat A, Tischner T (2004) The stimulation of a sedimentary geothermal reservoir in the North German basin: case study Groß Schönebeck”, Z. Angew Geol 2:24–27

Ito T, Hayashi K (1991) Physical background to the breakdown pressure in hydraulic fracturing tectonic stress measurements. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 28:285–293

Iwai K (1976) Fundamental studies of fluid flow through a single fracture. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley, 208 pp

Jeffrey RG, Zhang X, Bunger AP (2010). Hydraulic fracturing of naturally fractured reservoirs. In: Proceedings of the 35th workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Jing L, Nordlund E, Stephansson O (1992) An experimental study on the anisotropy and stress-dependency of the strength and deformability of rock joints. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 29(6):535–542CrossRef

Jones FO (1975) A laboratory study of the effects of confining pressure on fracture flow and storage capacity in carbonate rocks. J Petrol Tech 27:21–27

Julian BR, Miller AD, Foulger GR (1998) Non-double-couple earthquakes, 1, Theory. Rev Geophys 36:525–549CrossRef

Julian BR, Foulger GR, Richards-Dinger K, Monastero F (2006) Time dependent seismic tomography of the Coso geothermal area, 1996–2004. In: Proceedings of the 31st workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering, Stanford University, CA

Jung R (1989) Hydraulic in situ investigations of an artificial fracture in Falkenberg Granite. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 26(3–4):301–308

Kappelmeyer O, Gerard A (1987) Production of heat from impervious hot crystalline rock sections (hot-dry-rock concept). In: Terrestrial heat from impervious rocks-Investigation in the Falkenberg granite massif. Geologisches Jahrbuc, Reihr E, Heft 39, pp 7–22

Klein P, Gao H (1998) Crack nucleation and growth as strain localization in a virtual-bond continuum. Eng Fract Mech 61(1):21–48CrossRef

Kohl T, Evans KF, Hopkirk RJ, Ryback L (1995) Coupled hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical considerations for the simulation of hot dry rock reservoirs. Geothermics 24:345–359CrossRef

Koshelev VF, Ghassemi A (2003) Hydraulic fracture propagation near a natural discontinuity. In Proceedings of the 28th workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering. Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Kulatilake PHSW, Um J (1999) Requirements for accurate quantification of self-affine roughness using the roughness-length method. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 36(1):5–18

Kulatilake PHSW, Shou G, Huang TH, Morgan RM (1995) New peak shear strength criteria for anisotropic rock joints. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 32(7):673–697CrossRef

Ladanyi B, Archambault G (1970) Simulation of shear behavior of a jointed rock mass. In: Proceedings of 11th US symposium on rock mechanics, pp 105–125

Laubach and Tushman (2009) Laurentian palaeostress trajectories and ephemeral fracture permeability, Cambrian Eriboll Formation sandstones west of the Moine Thrust Zone, NW Scotland. J Geol Soc 166(2):349–362CrossRef

Lehner FK (1995) A model for intergranular pressure solution in open systems. Tectonophysics 245:153–170CrossRef

Li X, Cui L, and Roegiers J-C (1998) Thermoporoelastic modeling of wellbore stability in non-hydrostatic stress field. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 35(4–5), Paper No. 063

Liu J, Sheng J, Polak A, Elsworth D, Yasuhara H, Grader A (2006) A fully-coupled hydrological–mechanical–chemical model for fracture sealing and preferential opening. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 43:23–36CrossRef

Lowell RP (1990) Thermoelasticity and the formation of black smokers. Geophys Res Lett 17:709–712CrossRef

Lowell RP, Germanovich LN (1995) Dike injection and the formation of megaplumes at ocean ridges. Science 267:1804–1807CrossRef

Lowell RP, Van Cappellen P, Germanovich LN (1993) Silica precipitation in fractures and the evolution of permeability in hydrothermal upflow zones. Science 260:192–194CrossRef

Lund JE, Freeston DH, Tonya LB (2011) Direct utilization of geothermal energy 2010 worldwide review. Geothermics 40(3):159–180

Maceka RW, Silling AA (2007) Peridynamics via finite element analysis. Finite Elem Anal Des 43:1169–1178CrossRef

Majer EL (2007) White Paper: Induced seismicity and enhanced geothermal systems. Center for Computational Seismology, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkelely 32 pp

Majer EL, Baria R, Stark M, Oates S, Bommer J, Smith B, Asanuma H (2007) Induced seismicity associated with enhanced geothermal systems. Geothermics 36:185–227CrossRef

Martin JT, Lowell RP (1997) On thermoelasticity and silica precipitation in hydrothermal systems: numerical modeling of laboratory experiments. J Geophys Res 102(B6):12095–12107CrossRef

Megel T, Kohl T, Rose P (2005) Reservoir modeling for stimulation planning at the Coso EGS project. Geoth Res Counc Trans 29:173–176

Michael AJ (1987) Use of focal mechanisms to determine stress: a control study. J Geophys Res 92:357–368CrossRef

Min KS, Ghassemi A (2011) Three-dimensional numerical analysis of thermal fracturing in rock. In: Proceedings of the 45th ARMA conference, San Francisco, CA

Mossop A (2001) Seismicity, subsidence and strain at the geysers geothermal field. Ph.D. dissertation, Stanford University

Nemat-Nasser S (1983) Numerical modelling of thermally self-driven cracks: discussion of David T. Barr and Michael P. Cleary: Thermoelastic fracture solutions using distributions of singular influence functions—II. Int J Solids Struct 22(11):1369–1373

Nemat-Nasser S, Keer LM, Parihar KS (1978) Unstable growth of thermally induced interacting cracks in brittle solids. Int J Solids Struct 14:409–430CrossRef

Neuzil CE, Tracy JV (1981) Flow through fractures. Water Resour Res 17:191–199CrossRef

Niitsuma H, Fehler M, Jones R et al (1999) Current status of seismic and borehole measurements for HDR/HWR development. Geothermics 28:475–490CrossRef

Nygren A, Ghassemi A (2004) An estimate of S _Hmax from drilling-induced tensile fractures in Coso geothermal reservoir, CA. Poster Presentation 2004 GRC annual meeting, Palm Springs

Nygren A, Ghassemi A (2005) Influence of cold water injection on critically stressed fractures in Coso geothermal field, CA. In: Proceedings of the 39th US rock mechanics symposium, Anchorage, Alaska

Olson JE (2008) Multi-fracture propagation modeling: application to hydraulic fracturing in shale and tight gas sands. In: Proceedings of the 42nd American rock mechanics symposium, San Francisco

Parotidis M, Shapiro SA, Rothert E (2004) Backfront of seismicity induced after termination of borehole fluid injection. Geophys Res Lett 31:L02612. doi:10.1029/2003GL018987 CrossRef

Pearson C (1981) The relationship between micro-seismicity and high pore pressure during hydraulic stimulation experiments in low permeability rocks. J Geophy Res 86(B9):7855CrossRef

Perkins TK, Gonzalez JA (1985) The effect of thermoelastic stress on injection well fracturing. SPE J 2:78–88

Perkins TK, Kern LR (1961) Widths of hydraulic fractures. J Pet Tech Sep, pp 937–949

Peska P, Zoback MD (1995) Compressive and tensile failure of inclined well bores and determination of in situ stress and rock strength. J Geophys Res 100(12791–12):811

Petty S (2002) Thermal stimulation of well 83-16. In: Rose P (ed) EGS quarterly report. University of Utah Energy and Geoscience Institute, Utah

Petty S (2012) Personal communication

Pine RJ, Batchelor AS (1984) Downward migration of shearing in jointed rock during hydraulic injections. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 21(5):249–263CrossRef

Plumb R, Hickman SH (1985) Stress-induced borehole elongation: a comparison between the four-arm dipmeter and the borehole televiewer in the Auburn geothermal well. J Geophys Res 90:5513–5521CrossRef

Pruess K (1991) TOUGH2: a general numerical simulator for multiphase fluid and heat flow. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Report LBL-29400, Berkeley, CA

Qian W, Pedersen LB (1991) Inversion of borehole breakout orientation data. J Geophys Res 96:20093–20107CrossRef

Rabemananaa V, Durstb P, Bächlerc D, Vuataza FD, Kohl T (2003) Geochemical modelling of the Soultz-sous-Forêts hot fractured rock system: comparison of two reservoirs at 3.8 and 5 km depth. Geothermics 32(4–6):645–653CrossRef

Raven KG, Gale JE (1985) Water flow in a natural rock fracture as a function of stress and sample size. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 22:251–261CrossRef

Rawal C, Ghassemi A (2012) A Reactive thermo-poroelastic analysis of cold water injection into an enhanced geothermal reservoir. Geotehrmics (to appear)

Read RS (2004) 20 years of excavation response studies at AECL’s underground research laboratory. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 41:1251–1275CrossRef

Revil A (1999) Pervasive pressure-solution transfer: a poro-visco-plastic model. Geophys Res Lett 26:255–258CrossRef

Rothert E, Shapiro SA (2003) Microseismic monitoring of borehole fluid injections: Data modeling and inversion for hydraulic properties of rocks. Geophysics 68:685–689. doi:10.1190/1.1567239

Rudnicki JW (1999) Alteration of regional stress by reservoirs and other inhomogeneities: stabilizing or destabilizing? In: Proceedings of the ninth international congress on rock mechanics, Paris, France, pp 1629–1637

Rutqvist J, Stephansson O (2003) The role of hydromechanical coupling in fractured rock engineering. Hydrol J 11:7–40

Rutqvist J, Tsang C-F, Stephansson O (1998) Determination of fracture storativity in hard rocks using high pressure testing. Water Res 34:2551–2560CrossRef

Rutqvist J, Majer E, Oldenburg C, Peterson J, Vasco D (2006) Integrated modeling and field study of potential mechanisms for induced seismicity at The Geysers Geothermal Field, California. Geotherm Resour Counc Trans 30:629–633

Saeb S, Amadei B (1990) Modelling joint response under constant or variable normal stiffness boundary conditions. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 27(3):213–217CrossRef

Safari MR, Ghassemi A (2011) A 3D analysis of enhanced geothermal reservoir: shear slip and micro-seismicity. Proceedings of the 45th US rock mechanics/geomechanics symposium, June 26–29, San Francisco, CA

Segall P (1989) Earthquakes triggered by fluid extraction. Geology 17:942–946CrossRef

Segall P, Fitzgerald SD (1998) A note on induced stress changes in hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. Tectonophysics 289:117–128CrossRef

Sesetty V, Ghassemi A (2012) Modeling and analysis of stimulation for fracture network generation. In: Proceedings of the 37th workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Shapiro S, Huenges E, Borm G (1997) Estimating the crust permeability from fluid-injection-induced seismic emission at the KTB site. Geophys J Int 131:F15–F18CrossRef

Shapiro S, Audigane P, Royer J (1999) Large-scale in situ permeability tensor of rocks from induced microseismicity. Geophys J Int 137:207–213CrossRef

Shapiro SA, Rothert E, Rath V, Rindschwentner J (2002) Characterization of fluid transport properties of reservoirs using induced microseismicity. Geophysics 67:212–220CrossRef

Sheridan JM, Hickman SH (2004) In situ stress, fracture, and fluid flow analysis in Well 38C-9: an enhanced geothermal system in the Coso geothermal field. In: Proceedings of the 29th workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, January 26–28, 2004

Sheridan J, Kovac K, Rose P, Barton C, McCulloch J, Berard B, Moore J, Petty S, Spielman P (2003) In Situ stress, fracture and fluid flow analysis-East Flank of the Coso geothermal field. In: Proceedings of the twenty-eighth workshop on geothermal reservoir engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, pp 34–49

Singurindy O, Berkowitz B (2003) Evolution of hydraulic conductivity by precipitation and dissolution in carbonate rock. Water Resour Res 39:1016–1030CrossRef

Stark MA (1990) Imaging injected water in the Geysers reservoir using microearthquakes data. Geotherm Resour Counc Trans 14(Part II):1697–1704

Steefel C, Lasaga AC (1994) A coupled model for transport of multiple chemical species and kinetic precipitation/dissolution reactions with application to reactive flow in single phase hydrothermal systems. Am J Sci 294:529–592CrossRef

Steefel CI, Litchner PC (1998) Multicomponent reactive transport in discrete fractures: I. Controls on reaction front geometry. J Hydrol 209:186–199CrossRef

Suresh Kumar GS, Ghassemi A (2005) Numerical modeling of non-isothermal quartz dissolution/precipitation in a coupled fracture–matrix system. Geothermics 34(4):411–439CrossRef

Svenson E, Schweisinger T, Murdoch LC (2007) Analysis of the hydromechanical behavior of a flat-lying fracture during a slug test. J Hydrol 347:35–47CrossRef

Swenson D, Hardemana B (1997) The effects of thermal deformation on flow in a jointed geothermal reservoir. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 34(3–4): 308.E1–308.E19

Swenson D et al (1997) GEOCRACK: a coupled fluid flow/heat transfer/rock deformation program for analysis of fluid flow in jointed rock. Mechanical Engineering Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan

Tang CA, Tham LG, Lee PKK, Yang TH, Li LC (2002) Coupled analysis of flow, stress and damage (FSD) in rock failure. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 39:477–489CrossRef

Tao Q, Ghassemi A (2010) Poro-thermoelastic borehole stress analysis for determination of the in situ stress and rock strength. Geothermics 39(3):250–259CrossRef

Tarasovs S, Ghassemi A (2010) A Study of Propagation of Cooled Cracks in a Geothermal Reservoir. In: Geothermal resources council annual meeting. 2010: Sacramento, CA

Vernik L, Zoback MD (1990) Strength anisotropy in crystalline rock–implications for assessment of in situ stresses from wellbore breakouts. In: Proceedings 31st US symposium on rock mechanics, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 841–848

Warpinski NR, Teufel LW (1987) Influence of geological discontinuities on hydraulic fracture propagation. JPT 39:209–220CrossRef

Warpinski NR, Wright TB, Uhl JE, Engler BP, Drozda PM, Pearson RE (1996) Micro-seismic monitoring of the B-Sand hydraulic fracture experiment at DOE/GRI Multi-site Projects, SPE 36450

Warpinski NR, Wolhart SL, Wright CA (2001) Analysis and prediction of microseismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing. SPE Paper # 71649

Wells JT, Ghiorso MS (1991) Coupled fluid flow and reaction in mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems I: The behavior of silica. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 55:2467–2482CrossRef

Weng X, Kresse O, Cohen C, Wu R, Gu H (2011) Modeling of hydraulic fracture network propagation in a naturally fractured formation, SPE 140253, presented at the SPE Hydraulic fracturing technology conference and exhibition held in the woodlands. Texas, USA

Wessling S, Junker R, Rutqvist J, Silin D, Sulzbacher H, Tischner T, Tsang F-F (2009) Pressure analysis of the hydromechanical fracture behaviour in stimulated tight sedimentary geothermal reservoirs. Geothermics 38:211–226CrossRef

Williams H, McBirney AR (1979) Volcanology. Freeman, Cooper & Co., San Francisco, CA, USA, 319 pp

Willis-Richards J, Watanabe K, Takahashi H (1996) Progress toward a stochastic rock mechanics model of engineered geothermal systems. J Geophys Res 101(B8):17481–17496

Xu X-P, Needleman A (1994) Numerical simulations of fast crack growth in brittle solids. J Mech Phys Solids 42:1397–1434CrossRef

Xu T, Pruess K (2001) Modeling multiphase non-isothermal fluid flow and reactive geochemical transport in variably fractured rocks: 1. Methodology. Am J Sci 301:16–33CrossRef

Yasuhara H, Elsworth D (2006) A numerical model simulating reactive transport and evolution of fracture permeability. Int J Numer Anal Meth Geomech 30:1039–1062CrossRef

Yasuhara H, Elsworth D, Polak A (2003) A mechanistic model for compaction of granular aggregates moderated by pressure solution. J Geophys Res 108(B11) 2530

Yazid A, Abdelkader N, Abdelmadjid H (2009) State-of-the-art review of the X-FEM for computational fracture mechanics. Appl Math Model 33:4269–4282CrossRef

Yuan SC, Harrison JP (2006) A review of the state of the art in modeling progressive mechanical breakdown and associated fluid flow in intact heterogeneous rock. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 43:1001–1022CrossRef

Zhang ZN, Ge XR (2005a) Micromechanical consideration of tensile crack behavior based on virtual internal bond in contrast to cohesive stress. Theor Appl Fract Mech 43(3):342–359CrossRef

Zhang ZN, Ge XR (2005b) A new quasi-continuum constitutive model for crack growth in an isotropic solid. Eur J Mech A Solids 24(2):243–252CrossRef

Zhang ZN, Ge XR (2006) Micromechanical modelling of elastic continuum with virtual multi-dimensional internal bonds. Int J Numer Meth Eng 65:135–146CrossRef

Zhang Z, Ghassemi A (2011) Simulation of hydraulic fracture propagation near a natural fracture using virtual multidimensional internal bonds. Int J Numer Anal Methods Geomech 35:480–495CrossRef

Zhang X, Jeffrey RJG (2006) The role of friction and secondary flaws on deflection and re-initiation of hydraulic fractures at orthogonal pre-existing fractures. Geophys J Int 166:1454–1465CrossRef

Zhou X, Ghassemi A (2011). Three-dimensional poroelastic analysis of a pressurized natural fracture. Int J Rock Mech. doi:10.1016/ j.ijrmms.2011.02.002

Zoback MD, Healy JH (1992) In situ stress measurements to 3:5 km depth in the Cajon Pass scientific research borehole: implications for the mechanics of crustal faulting. J Geophys Res 97:5039–5057CrossRef

Zoback MD, Moos D, Mastin L, Anderson RN (1985) Wellbore breakouts and in situ stress. J Geophys Res 90:5523–5530CrossRef

Title: A Review of Some Rock Mechanics Issues in Geothermal Reservoir Development
Author: A. Ghassemi
Publication date: 01-06-2012
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Geotechnical and Geological Engineering / Issue 3/2012
Print ISSN: 0960-3182
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1529
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-012-9508-3

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Technik"

Other articles of this Issue 3/2012

World Stress Map Database as a Resource for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

Ground Support Terminology and Classification: An Update

Preface: Special Issue on Selected Topics in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

The Geomechanics of CO2 Storage in Deep Sedimentary Formations

Application of New Theories and Technology for Grouting of Dams and Foundations on Rock

New Prediction Models for Mean Particle Size in Rock Blast Fragmentation