ABSTRACT:

An enhanced geothermal system (EGS) is an engineered thermal reservoir that has been stimulated to extract economical amounts of heat from low permeability geothermal resources. Due to inadequate permeability, hydraulic stimulation is required in order to circulate water through existing natural fractures. A 3-dimensional Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model was developed for simulating and determining the optimum hydraulic fracture network in a prototype two-well scenario. This is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) program in Utah. The DFN model was validated using the FracMan™ software suite. Logging and test data obtained from the pilot well in FORGE site are used to build a representative model of what would be expected for two parallel injection and production wells.

Keywords:
hydraulic fracturing, orientation, Mohr diagram, Upstream Oil & Gas, stimulation, hydraulic fracture shear stimulation, Modeling & Simulation, geothermal reservoir, fracture height, conductivity
Subjects:
Hydraulic Fracturing, Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, Non-Traditional Resources, Naturally-fractured reservoirs, Geothermal resources
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2018. American Rock Mechanics Association
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