Prediction of reinjection effects in fault-related subsidiary structures by using fractional derivative-based mathematical models for sustainable design of geothermal reservoirs

• Published in: Geothermics Vol. 57; pp. 196 - 204
• Main Authors: Suzuki, Anna, Niibori, Yuichi, Fomin, Sergei, Chugunov, Vladimir, Hashida, Toshiyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2015
• Subjects: Density; Design engineering; Fault zone; Fractal; Fractional advection-dispersion equation (fADE); Fracture mechanics; Geothermal; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Reinjection; Reservoirs; Subsidiaries; Tracer test; Tracers; Reinjection; Fault zone; Fractal; Tracer test; Fractional advection-dispersion equation (fADE)
• ISSN: 0375-6505; 1879-3576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geothermics.2015.04.001

•We examine effects of cold-water injection in a geothermal reservoir.•Mass and heat transfer model for a fractured reservoir are developed.•Fracture density in damage zones decreases with distance from fault cores.•The effect of fault-related structures on the tracer response and the thermal response is investigated. This study provides a method to evaluate the effects of cold-water injection into an advection-dominated geothermal reservoir. A fractional advection-dispersion equation (fADE) and a fractional heat transfer equation (fHTE) are applied to fault-related structures in geothermal areas where the fracture density is described by a power-law model. Synthetic production data generated by a numerical reservoir simulator reveal that the fADE and the fHTE are in reasonable agreement with the tracer responses and temperature change in a fault zone. Tracer analysis based on the fADE has potential to elucidate fault-related structures and to predict premature thermal breakthroughs quickly and efficiently.