Fully Coupled Geomechanics and Discrete Flow Network Modeling of Hydraulic Fracturing for Geothermal Applications
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LLNL-CONF-466396 Fully Coupled Geomechanics and Discrete Flow Network Modeling of Hydraulic Fracturing for Geothermal Applications P. Fu, S.M. Johnson, Y. Hao, and C. R. Carrigan. Released on January 20, 2011 36th Annual Stanford Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford, California, January 31 - February 2, 2011 Disclaimer This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, nor any of their employees makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. PROCEEDINGS, Thirty-Sixth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford University, Stanford, California, January 31 - February 2, 2011 SGP-TR-191 FULLY COUPLED GEOMECHANICS AND DISCRETE FLOW NETWORK MODELING OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING FOR GEOTHERMAL APPLICATIONS Pengcheng Fu, Scott M. Johnson, Yue Hao, and Charles R. Carrigan Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 7000 East Ave., L-286 Livermore, CA 94551, USA e-mail: [email protected] stimulation models capable of addressing the ABSTRACT propagation of clusters of fractures in hard rock. The primary objective of our current research is to While hydraulic fracturing has been in use for develop a computational test bed for evaluating decades, understanding relatively complex fracture borehole techniques to enhance fluid flow and heat systems consisting of both pre-existing and newly transfer in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). created (by hydraulic stimulation) fractures remains a Simulating processes resulting in hydraulic fracturing challenging task. A thorough review of the and/or the remobilization of existing fractures, development of computer simulation techniques for especially the interaction between propagating hydraulic fracturing was provided by Adachi et al. fractures and existing fractures, represents a critical (2007). Among the existing models/methods, the goal of our project. To this end, we are continuing to classic PKN and KGD models (Perkins and Kern, develop a hydraulic fracturing simulation capability 1961; Geertsma and de Klerk 1969; Nordgren 1972) within the Livermore Distinct Element Code only handle the propagation of a single fracture with (LDEC), a combined FEM/DEM analysis code with assumed simple geometries in a homogeneous explicit solid-fluid mechanics coupling. LDEC medium. The pseudo-3D (P3D) and planar 3D simulations start from an initial fracture distribution (PL3D) models (Adachi et al. 2007) are capable of which can be stochastically generated or upscaled simulating fractures vertically extending through from the statistics of an actual fracture distribution. multiple geologic layers, but each simulation can During the hydraulic stimulation process, LDEC only handle one crack lying in a single vertical plane. tracks the propagation of fractures and other Although a number of models have emerged in recent modifications to the fracture system. The output is years to explicitly simulate discrete fracture networks transferred to the Non-isothermal Unsaturated Flow (e.g. McClure and Horne, 2010), the key mechanisms and Transport (NUFT) code to capture heat transfer governing the interactions between the propagating and flow at the reservoir scale. This approach is new fractures and the existing fracture network, and intended to offer flexibility in the types of analyses the coupling between geomechanics and fluid we can perform, including evaluating the effects of dynamics, have not been rigorously included. different system heterogeneities on the heat extraction rate as well as seismicity associated with The principal objective of this work is to develop geothermal operations. This paper details the basic realistic computer-based models of EGS stimulation- methodology of our approach. Two numerical response scenarios involving hydraulic stimulation of examples showing the capability and effectiveness of fracture systems in hard rock formations where a pre- our simulator are also presented. existing fracture network may be present along with regional stress and temperature distributions. Our INTRODUCTION proposed approach is intended to assess the influence Engineered geothermal systems are created mainly of many of the pertinent effects for EGS (e.g., through stimulation of lower permeability target formation mechanical characteristics, initial thermal formations using hydraulic fracturing to create or and stress state of formation, hydraulic pumping improve the subsurface heat exchanger component parameters, etc.) on the time-dependent heat transfer (MIT, 2006). As a prerequisite to the successful capability of an initially low-permeability target enhancement of permeability between the injection formation. While much attention in the literature has wells and the production wells, both the MIT study been paid to exploring the local effects of stimulation (2006) and DOE GTP panel express the need for near a single well bore, we aim to investigate how the guidance provided by credible hydraulic-fracturing stimulation of multiple wells, spaced across the reservoir, will influence heat transfer on a reservoir scale by enhancing formation connectivity and 3D computer code developed by the Computational permeability subject to realistic thermal and regional Geosciences Group at LLNL to simulate the response stress conditions. The ultimate goal of our work is to of jointed geologic media to dynamic loading. provide insight into selecting the best choices for Additional capabilities, including combined FEM- producing long-term permeability enhancement on a DEM analysis, fracture mechanics, and explicit solid- site-by-site basis. This paper summarizes our initial fluid coupling have been implemented in LDEC in research effort up to date, focusing on the the continued development over the past decade development of numerical methods and the (Morris et al. 2006; Block et al. 2007; Johnson and preliminary findings. Morris, 2009; Morris and Johnson, 2009). GENERAL APPROACH The Non-isothermal Unsaturated Flow and Transport (NUFT), another LLNL code, is loosely (uni- Our current approach includes: directionally) coupled with LDEC to determine flow and transport at the reservoir scale; details can be -A solid (geomechanics) solver, providing the non- found in Johnson et. al. (2004). NUFT has been local mechanical responses of the rock matrix; developed to capture multiphase, multi-component heat and mass flow and reactive transport in -A flow solver, solving the fluid flow in inter- unsaturated and saturated porous media (Nitao 1998). connected fracture networks; An integrated finite-difference spatial discretization scheme is used to solve mass and energy balance - An adaptive remeshing module, generating new equations in both flow and reactive transport models. meshes for both the solid solver and the flow solver The resulting nonlinear equations are solved by the as fractures propagate; Newton-Raphson method. In our approach, the flow networks are characterized before and after hydraulic - A rock joint model, determining hydraulic aperture fracturing (as calculated in LDEC) and are sizes based on mechanical responses of the rock homogenized into equivalent continuum properties matrix as well as mechanical responses local to the (Johnson et al. 2010) for use in NUFT. NUFT is then fracture discontinuities. used to evaluate the effects of the stimulation operation on heat transfer in the formation resulting Figure 1 shows how information is shared and from fracture enhanced permeability. An example of exchanged between these modules in the simulator. NUFT simulation results is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: Example of NUFT simulation results: a Figure 1: Important modules of the hydraulic permeability field (left) homogenized fracturing simulator and information based on a discrete fracture network and exchange between them in coupled temperature field (right) after certain simulations. period of heat production. (Conceptual demonstration not related to the Ideally, a poroelasticity module is needed to consider numerical examples in this paper.) the leak-off of fluid into the rock matrix along the fractures and the subsequent development of pore Although the goal of our research project is to pressure. This module is among the features to be develop a three-dimensional hydraulic fracture developed in our hydraulic fracturing simulator. capability and LDEC itself is a three-dimensional However, in its current form, the simulator lacks the platform, the interim results in this paper are from the poroelasticity capability, so it is only suitable for two-dimensional analogue. The two-dimensional simulating EGS in nearly impermeable rocks. interim model offers a simpler path to concept validation and provides a platform to optimize