Discrete Fracture Network Simulation for Sedimentary Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Red River Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota

摘要

The Red River Formation (Ordovician), which lies between 3.6 and 4.2 km depth in the Williston Basin, is a viable site for installation of sedimentary EGS (SEGS). SEGS is possible there because temperatures in the formation surpass 140°C and the permeability is 0.1 -38 mD; fracture stimulation can be utilized to improve performance. A GIS and geostatistical analysis was completed to show that there is a satisfactory correlative relationship between the surface lineaments and the basement faults in the study area. Consequently, the orientations and locations of the surface lineaments and basement faults were combined in a shapefile to represent the area's discrete fracture network. In the future, the results of these two analyses can be utilized to create a reservoir simulation model of an SEGS in the Red River Formation; the purpose of this model would be to ascertain the thermal response of the reservoir to fracture stimulation.