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Experimental Investigation of Thermal Effect on Fracability Index of Geothermal Reservoirs

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Abstract

The thermal effect is not considered in the current fracability index model. In this paper, we investigated experimentally the formation capacity of fracture networks in hot dry rocks at different temperatures, by using rock mechanics triaxial testing system and acoustic emission monitoring. A new brittleness index with consideration of thermal effect is proposed on the basis of crack volumetric strain calculated at different stress levels, which captures the following two characteristics: (1) thermal micro-crack density in the crack closure stage and (2) crack propagation, nucleation and coalescence by external stress. Then, a comprehensive fracability index model is established, which integrates the thermal effect and fracture toughness at different temperatures and confining pressures. The fracability index calculated by the new model is consistent with acoustic emission characteristic, microstructure analysis and b-value analysis, which verify that the proposed model is reliable. The results show that both temperature and confining pressure have a significant effect of formation capacity of fracture networks in hot dry rocks. This study provides new insight into improving the thermal efficiency in geothermal reservoirs.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported financially by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51936001 and 51804033), the Program of Great Wall Scholar (Grant No. CIT & TCD20180313) and Jointly Projects of Beijing Natural Science Foundation and Beijing Municipal Education Commission (Grant No. KZ201810017023).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Pipeline Critical Technology and Equipment for Deep Water Oil & Gas Development, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing, 102617, People’s Republic of China

    Daobing Wang, Yongcun Dong, Dongliang Sun & Bo Yu

  2. Institute of Unconventional Oil and Gas Science and Technology, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, People’s Republic of China

    Fujian Zhou

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  1. Daobing Wang
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  2. Fujian Zhou
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  3. Yongcun Dong
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  4. Dongliang Sun
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  5. Bo Yu
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Correspondence to Daobing Wang, Fujian Zhou or Bo Yu.

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Wang, D., Zhou, F., Dong, Y. et al. Experimental Investigation of Thermal Effect on Fracability Index of Geothermal Reservoirs. Nat Resour Res 30, 273–288 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-020-09733-0

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