Hydraulic fracturing under high temperature and pressure conditions with micro CT applications: Geothermal energy from hot dry rocks

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing has been widely employed to enhance the permeability of tight geological formations including deep geothermal reservoirs. However, due to the complex in-situ stresses, high-temperature conditions and heterogeneity of the formations, hydraulic fracturing under deep geothermal conditions is poorly understood to date. The aim of the current study is, therefore, to investigate the effect of reservoir depth, temperature, and sample heterogeneity during hydraulic fracturing and the influences of rock micro-structure on fracture propagation. A series of hydraulic fracturing experiments was conducted on two Australian granite types under a wide range of confining pressures from ..