Inverse modeling of ground surface uplift and pressure with iTOUGH-PEST and TOUGH-FLAC: The case of CO2 injection at In Salah, Algeria

Rinaldi, Antonio Pio; Rutqvist, Jonny; Finsterle, Stefan; Liu, Hui‐Hai

doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2016.10.009

Cited by 37 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…We propose here a deterministic 2‐D model using the TOUGH‐FLAC simulator for modeling hydromechanical processes [ Rutqvist , ]. This coupled fluid flow and geomechanics code has been frequently applied to the study of fault reactivation and seismicity induced by fluid injection, including the stimulation of enhanced geothermal systems [e.g., Rutqvist et al ., ; Jeanne et al ., ; Rinaldi et al ., ] and carbon sequestration [e.g., Cappa and Rutqvist , ; Rinaldi and Rutqvist , ; Rinaldi et al ., , ; Urpi et al ., ], as well as the hydraulic fracturing of shale gas reservoirs [ Rutqvist et al ., , ]. Applications of TOUGH‐FLAC to gas production have so far been limited to studies on hydrate‐bearing deposits and have not been applied to natural gas production from an aquifer [ Rutqvist et al ., ; Rutqvist et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the physics‐based processes behind production‐induced seismicity in natural gas fields

Zbinden¹,

Rinaldi²,

Urpi³

et al. 2017

JGR Solid Earth

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Induced seismicity due to natural gas production is observed at different sites worldwide. Common understanding states that the pressure drop caused by gas production leads to compaction, which affects the stress field in the reservoir and the surrounding rock formations and hence reactivates preexisting faults and induces earthquakes. In this study, we show that the multiphase fluid flow involved in natural gas extraction activities should be included. We use a fully coupled fluid flow and geomechanics simulator, which accounts for stress‐dependent permeability and linear poroelasticity, to better determine the conditions leading to fault reactivation. In our model setup, gas is produced from a porous reservoir, divided into two compartments that are offset by a normal fault. Results show that fluid flow plays a major role in pore pressure and stress evolution within the fault. Fault strength is significantly reduced due to fluid flow into the fault zone from the neighboring reservoir compartment and other formations. We also analyze scenarios for minimizing seismicity after a period of production, such as (i) well shut‐in and (ii) gas reinjection. In the case of well shut‐in, a highly stressed fault zone can still be reactivated several decades after production has ceased, although on average the shut‐in results in a reduction in seismicity. In the case of gas reinjection, fault reactivation can be avoided if gas is injected directly into the compartment under depletion. However, gas reinjection into a neighboring compartment does not stop the fault from being reactivated.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the physics‐based processes behind production‐induced seismicity in natural gas fields

Zbinden¹,

Rinaldi²,

Urpi³

et al. 2017

JGR Solid Earth

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“…In comparison to the fix permeability increase proposed by Rinaldi et al (2016), here if fracture reactivation occurs, the permeability may follow a similar stress-dependent permeability curve as that of Equation (8) …”

Section: Stress-dependent Permeabilitymentioning

confidence: 83%

Long-term thermal effects on injectivity evolution during CO2 storage

Vilarrasa

Rinaldi

Rutqvist

2017

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is likely to reach the bottom of injection wells at a colder temperature than that of the storage formation, causing cooling of the rock. This cooling, together with overpressure, tends to open up fractures, which may enhance injectivity. We investigate cooling effects on injectivity enhancement by modeling the In Salah CO 2 storage site and a theoretical, long-term injection case. We use stress-dependent permeability functions that predict an increase in permeability as the effective stress acting normal to fractures decreases. Normal effective stress can decrease either due to overpressure or cooling. We calibrate our In Salah model, which includes a fracture zone perpendicular to the well, obtaining a good fitting with the injection pressure measured at KB-502 and the rapid CO 2 breakthrough that occurred at the observation well KB-5 located 2 km away from the injection well. CO 2 preferentially advances through the fracture zone, which becomes two orders of magnitude more permeable than the rest of the reservoir. Nevertheless, the effect of cooling on the long-term injectivity enhancement is limited in pressure dominated storage sites, like at In Salah, because most of the permeability enhancement is due to overpressure. However, thermal effects enhance injectivity in cooling dominated storage sites, which may decrease the injection pressure by 20 %, saving a significant amount of compression energy all over the duration of storage projects. Overall, our simulation results show that cooling has the potential to enhance injectivity in fractured reservoirs.

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“…Four million tons of carbon dioxide were injected into a 20-m thick, water-filled reservoir at a depth of about 2000 m. The three injection wells were drilled horizontally with a length between 1 and 1.5 km. A caprock with a thickness of about 900 m prevented the CO 2 from escaping to shallower depths (Ringrose et al, 2011;Rinaldi et al, 2017).…”

Section: Example Studies Outside the Wadden Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This way they could make an estimate of the extent and aperture distribution of the tensile fracture, and of the pore pressure distribution. Rinaldi & Rutqvist (2013) and Rinaldi et al (2017) took the analysis a step further by constructing a coupled model for mechanics and flow for the In Salah field case, and by performing an inversion toward the driving parameters of this model. Based on the outcome of these results they performed a sensitivity analysis to estimate the robustness of the solution and the uncertainty of the parameter estimates.…”

Section: Example Studies Outside the Wadden Seamentioning

confidence: 99%

Subsidence in the Dutch Wadden Sea

Fokker

Leijen

Orlić

et al. 2018

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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Ground surface dynamics is one of the processes influencing the future of the Wadden Sea area. Vertical land movement, both subsidence and heave, is a direct contributor to changes in the relative sea level. It is defined as the change of height of the Earth's surface with respect to a vertical datum. In the Netherlands, the Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP) is the official height datum, but its realisation via reference benchmarks is not time-dependent. Consequently, NAP benchmarks are not optimal for monitoring physical processes such as land subsidence. However, surface subsidence can be regarded as a differential signal: the vertical motion of one location relative to the vertical motion of another location. In this case, the actual geodetic height datum is superfluous.In the present paper, we highlight the processes that cause subsidence, with specific focus on the Wadden Sea area. The focus will be toward anthropogenic causes of subsidence, and how to understand them; how to measure and monitor and use these measurements for better characterisation and forecasting; with some details on the activities in the Wadden Sea that are relevant in this respect. This naturally leads to the identification of knowledge gaps and to the formulation of notions for future research.

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Inverse modeling of ground surface uplift and pressure with iTOUGH-PEST and TOUGH-FLAC: The case of CO2 injection at In Salah, Algeria

Cited by 37 publications

References 52 publications

On the physics‐based processes behind production‐induced seismicity in natural gas fields

On the physics‐based processes behind production‐induced seismicity in natural gas fields

Long-term thermal effects on injectivity evolution during CO2 storage

Subsidence in the Dutch Wadden Sea

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