Researchers at l'Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy have devised strategies for reducing the earthquake risk associated with geothermal energy, CO2 storage and other human activities happening deep underground.
The researchers came up with the idea of “training” the reservoir before the stimulation process begins. In the case of a reverse fault, which involves high horizontal stresses, cold fluid is injected underground over a period of at least 12 months. “As the reservoir cools, the rock contracts,” explains Fryer. “This lowers the horizontal forces acting on it, thereby reducing differential stress and making earthquakes less likely.”
This research provides important insights for industry, potentially helping companies devise ways to reduce the likelihood of induced seismicity. “Understanding every possible scenario and acting accordingly could pave the way for some promising real-world applications,” says Siddiqi.
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Injection-induced seismicity: strategies for reducing risk using high stress path reservoirs and temperature-induced stress preconditioning. B Fryer, G Siddiqi, L Laloui. Geophysical Journal International, Volume 220, Issue 2, February 2020, Pages 1436–1446, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggz490
Injection-induced seismicity: strategies for reducing risk using high stress path reservoirs and temperature-induced stress preconditioning. B Fryer, G Siddiqi, L Laloui. Geophysical Journal International, Volume 220, Issue 2, February 2020, Pages 1436–1446, https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggz490