Acoustic Methods for Detecting Water-Filled Fractures Using Commercial Logging Tools

摘要

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Energy Development Project, under the Department of Energy and in cooperation with Dresser Atlas, has conducted single- and dual-well acoustic measurements to detect fractures in the artificial geothermal reservoir at the Fenton Hill New Mexico experimental site. The measurements were made using modified Dresser Atlas logging tools. Signals traversed distances of from 48 to 150 feet between two wells. Signals intersecting hydraulic fractures in the reservoir under both hydrostatic and pressurized conditions were simultaneously detected in both wells. Upon reservoir pressurization, signals along many ray paths were severely attenuated throughout their entire coda. In addition obvious shear wave arrivals were notably absent. The signals were processed to obtain Full-Wave Acoustic, Power, and Normalized Equi-Power Logs. Analysis of these logs identified the effective ''top'' of a region of hydraulically activated fractures and fractures intersecting the injection well behind casing. (ERA citation 04:000503)