High Temperature Triaxial Direct-Shear Testing for FORGE and Field Scale Implications

• DOI: 10.56952/arma-2024-0290
• Publication Date: 2024-08-10T16:35:20Z
• Authors: L. P. Frash; U. C. Iyare; B. K C; M. Meng; M. Smith; K. Kroll
• Keywords: Direct shear test

ABSTRACT: Rock fractures are the most important element of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) but we lack necessary data to predict combined effect temperature, flow, mechanics, and chemistry on forecasted effectiveness these for heat extraction power production. Here, seek quantify strength, deformation, hydraulic conductivity rock before after shear slip, at geothermal reservoir conditions. This information enables evaluation likelihood that hydraulically induced slip will improve performance EGS. can also aid risk forecasting injection seismicity. Concurrent effluent analysis yields insights regarding chemical reactivity fresh fractures. Our measurements were obtained using triaxial direct-shear experiments conducted conditions replicating well 16A(78)-32 Frontier Observatory Research in Energy (FORGE) Milford, Utah. We implement into models evaluate their impact predicted relative prior estimates. 1. INTRODUCTION energy retains promise supply clean stable electrical (Hamm et al., 2018), as flexible accommodate intermittency wind solar (Ricks 2024). Predicting behavior is key expansion, especially because its requirement facilitate fluid flow (Tester 2006; Brown 2012). However, properties hot deep not known, if effects from stimulation, chemistry, mechanics be considered. The an opportunity better understand such processes by comprehensive scientific assessment a dry (HDR) resource (Podgorney 2023), along with technologies needed access harvest heat. present laboratory characterize thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, (THMC) coupled related stimulation through shear-induced Results this work reveal potential enhance fractures, including frictional properties, dilation tendencies, reactivity; details which included herein.