Geology of the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous geothermal aquifers in the West Netherlands Basin – an overview

Willems, C.J.L.; Vondrak, A.; Mijnlieff, H.F.; Donselaar, M.E.; Kempen, B.M.M. van

doi:10.1017/njg.2020.1

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Thermophysical properties of the Delft sandstone layer were based on the Slochteren sandstone model and adapted based on Willems et al (2020). Rodenrijs properties were based on the claystone properties from the Slochteren model and Alblasserdam properties were based on a mix between sandstone and claystone properties with specific information taken from Willems et al (2020). For the Delft sandstone model, the same fault properties as in the Slochteren sandstone model were used.…”

Section: Model Setups and Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of cooling-induced fault reactivation in Dutch geothermal reservoirs

Mathur,

Hofmann,

Cacace

et al. 2024

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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Geothermal energy is one of the most viable sources of renewable heat. However, the potential risk of induced seismicity associated with geothermal operations may slow down the growth of the geothermal sector. Previous research has led to significant progress in understanding fluid-injection-induced seismicity in geothermal reservoirs. However, an in-depth assessment of thermal effects on the seismic risk was generally considered to be of secondary importance. This study aims to investigate the relative influence of temperature and key geological and operational parameters on the slip tendency of pre-existing faults. This is done through coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical simulations of the injection and production processes in synthetic geothermal reservoir models of the most utilized and potentially exploitable Dutch geothermal reservoir formations: Slochteren sandstone, Delft sandstone and Dinantian limestone. In our study, changes in the slip tendency of a fault can largely be attributed to thermo-elastic effects, which confirms the findings of recent studies linking thermal stresses to induced seismicity. While the direct pore pressure effect on slip tendency tends to dominate over the early phase of the operations, once pore pressure equilibrium is established in a doublet system, it is the additional stress change associated with the growing cold-water front around the injection well that has the greatest influence. Therefore, the most significant increase in the slip tendency was observed when this low-temperature front reached the fault zone. The distance between an injection well and a pre-existing fault thus plays a pivotal role in determining the mechanical stability of a fault. A careful selection of a suitable target formation together with an appropriate planning of the operational parameters is also crucial to mitigate the risk of induced seismicity. Besides the well-known relevance of the in situ stress field and local fault geometry, rock-mechanical properties and operation conditions exert a major influence on induced stress changes and therefore on the fault (re)activation potential during geothermal operations.

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Section: Model Setups and Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of cooling-induced fault reactivation in Dutch geothermal reservoirs

Mathur,

Hofmann,

Cacace

et al. 2024

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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“…The structural elements are divided in three types; highs, where Permian and/or Carboniferous rocks have not been deposited or have been eroded, platforms, which are characterised by the absence of the Jurassic formations due to erosion, and (inverted) basins, where the Jurassic has been preserved (Kombrink et al, 2012). In the following, we briefly summarise the main hydrocarbon and geothermal plays in the Netherlands; for an extensive overview see for example, Wong et al (2007), Mijnlieff (2020), van Wees et al, (2020) and Willems et al (2020), as well as for production licences and geological information of hydrocarbon fields.…”

Section: Review Of Geological and Operational Characteristics Of Hydr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main producing reservoir units were the Rijswijk, Berkel, IJsselmonde and De Lier Members of the Lower Cretaceous Vlieland Sandstone Formation, host to for example, the Berkel, De Lier and Rotterdam fields. The reservoir rocks are mostly shallow marine sandstones with significant variability in thickness due to syn-tectonic sedimentation, and variability in facies and hence transmissivity (Willems et al, 2020). The main caprock of these reservoirs is the Vlieland Claystone Formation.…”

Section: Review Of Geological and Operational Characteristics Of Hydr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Jurassic/Cretaceous play is currently the largest geothermal play, with most operational doublets targeting the Delft Sandstone Member of the Schieland Group (Willems et al, 2020, Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate, 2021). The Delft Sandstone is of fluvial origin and has a high net-to-gross ratio.…”

Section: Review Of Geological and Operational Characteristics Of Hydr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of hydrocarbon and geothermal energy production in the Netherlands: reservoir characteristics, pressure and temperature changes, and implications for fault reactivation

Buijze¹,

Veldkamp²,

Wassing³

2023

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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The Netherlands is in the midst of an energy transition with hydrocarbon production gradually declining, whereas the role of sustainable energy technologies is on the rise. One of these technologies is geothermal energy production from porous reservoirs at 1.5–3 km depth. As the number of geothermal projects increases, there is a growing concern that felt and/or damaging induced seismic events could occur as a result of geothermal operations. Over the last two decades, such events have occurred in the Netherlands due to gas production, notably in the Groningen gas field. However, the occurrence of felt events is limited to hydrocarbon fields in certain regions or reservoirs. Understanding where and for which plays these events are observed helps to estimate seismogenic potential for geothermal operations and other sustainable subsurface activities. Here, we summarise and review the main similarities and differences in terms of geological and geomechanical characteristics between the hydrocarbon and geothermal plays in the Netherlands, and we consider the differences in pressure and temperature changes. By doing so, we provide better insights into the factors that could play a role for fault reactivation and induced seismicity, and how these differ for hydrocarbon production and geothermal operations in the Netherlands. The review shows that geological characteristics for most geothermal target reservoirs are similar to those of hydrocarbon, albeit geothermal projects so far target higher porosity rocks than hydrocarbon reservoirs. On the other hand, pressure and temperature changes are very different, with significant depletion for hydrocarbon fields vs significant cooling around geothermal injection wells. The different operations result not only in different expected stress change magnitudes but also in a distinct spatio-temporal stress build-up on faults, which has implications for seismogenic potential and monitoring of these different operations.

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“…Pb-Z mineralizations and Fe-Cu-Au deposits, Sibson and Scott, 1998;Groves and Bierlein, 2007;Hageman et al, 2016;Gibson et al, 2017;Gibson and Edwards, 2020;Liang et al, 2021). Finally, a thorough understanding of basin evolution, including basin inversion, is also of great interest for geothermal energy projects since tectonic displacements can strongly affect the thermal profile of the subsurface (Sandiford, 1999;Edwards et al, 2015;Vidal and Genter, 2018;Doornenbal et al, 2019;Békési et al, 2020;Weibel et al, 2020;Willems et al, 2020). Possible future applications, including exploration for natural hydrogen, are presented in Sect.…”

Section: Importance Of Basin Inversion Tectonicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analogue modelling of basin inversion: a review and future perspectives

Zwaan

Schreurs²,

Buiter³

et al. 2022

Solid Earth

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Abstract. Basin inversion involves the reversal of subsidence in a basin due to compressional tectonic forces, leading to uplift of the basin's sedimentary infill. Detailed knowledge of basin inversion is of great importance for scientific, societal, and economic reasons, spurring continued research efforts to better understand the processes involved. Analogue tectonic modelling forms a key part of these efforts, and analogue modellers have conducted numerous studies of basin inversion. In this review paper we recap the advances in our knowledge of basin inversion processes acquired through analogue modelling studies, providing an up-to-date summary of the state of analogue modelling of basin inversion. We describe the different definitions of basin inversion that are being applied by researchers, why basin inversion has been historically an important research topic and what the general mechanics involved in basin inversion are. We subsequently treat the wide range of different experimental approaches used for basin inversion modelling, with attention to the various materials, set-ups, and techniques used for model monitoring and analysing the model results. Our new systematic overviews of generalized model results reveal the diversity of these results, which depend greatly on the chosen set-up, model layering and (oblique) kinematics of inversion, and 3D along-strike structural and kinematic variations in the system. We show how analogue modelling results are in good agreement with numerical models, and how these results help researchers to better understand natural examples of basin inversion. In addition to reviewing the past efforts in the field of analogue modelling, we also shed light on future modelling challenges and identify a number of opportunities for follow-up research. These include the testing of force boundary conditions, adding geological processes such as sedimentation, transport, and erosion; applying state-of-the-art modelling and quantification techniques; and establishing best modelling practices. We also suggest expanding the scope of basin inversion modelling beyond the traditional upper crustal “North Sea style” of inversion, which may contribute to the ongoing search for clean energy resources. It follows that basin inversion modelling can bring valuable new insights, providing a great incentive to continue our efforts in this field. We therefore hope that this review paper will form an inspiration for future analogue modelling studies of basin inversion.

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Geology of the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous geothermal aquifers in the West Netherlands Basin – an overview

Cited by 7 publications

References 27 publications

Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of cooling-induced fault reactivation in Dutch geothermal reservoirs

Thermo-hydro-mechanical simulation of cooling-induced fault reactivation in Dutch geothermal reservoirs

Comparison of hydrocarbon and geothermal energy production in the Netherlands: reservoir characteristics, pressure and temperature changes, and implications for fault reactivation

Analogue modelling of basin inversion: a review and future perspectives

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