Stress-Based Forecasting of Seismicity Induced by Geothermal Operations and CO2 Storage.
Description:
The need for more and cleaner energy and for sequestration of large quantities of CO2 in geological formations to mitigate climate change is driving various activities involving extracting or injecting fluids from the subsurface. These activities induce deformation and can eventually activate faults. Fault slip can be either seismic or aseismic. Fault activation can be a benefit, for example in the context on geothermal energy as it is a way to enhance fluid circulation. It is also a source of hazard as significant, potentially damaging earthquakes might be induced as has been observed a number of geothermal operations. In the context of carbon dioxide or gas storage, faulting of the caprock could, in addition to exposing surface infrastructure to seismic hazard, jeopardize the mechanical integrity of a reservoir. We will review recent progress made in understanding these processes based on the study of case examples where we combine remote sensing, GPS geodesy, and seismic monitoring on the observational side and us a versatile modelling framework to relate reservoir operations to deformation and seismicity. The model accounts for the possibility of triggering faulting and earthquakes due to pore-pressure diffusion and poroelastic stress changes. It accounts for the time-dependent nature or earthquake nucleation and for the possibility that the faults might be in a relaxed state of stress of stress. We will show that this modelling applies to a wide range of operations and can provide the foundation for effective methods to forecast earthquakes and faulting due to anthropogenic activities. These methods could in principle be used to mitigate and eventually control fault activation and seismicity during reservoir operations.
Session: Seismic Monitoring, Modelling and Management Needed for Geothermal Energy and Geologic Carbon Storage - I
Type: Oral
Date: 5/2/2024
Presentation Time: 09:00 AM (local time)
Presenting Author: Jean-Philippe
Student Presenter: No
Invited Presentation: Yes
Authors
Jean-Philippe Avouac Presenting Author Corresponding Author avouac@caltech.edu California Institute of Technology |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stress-Based Forecasting of Seismicity Induced by Geothermal Operations and CO2 Storage.
Category
Seismic Monitoring, Modelling and Management Needed for Geothermal Energy and Geologic Carbon Storage