eprintid: 1783
rev_number: 17
eprint_status: archive
userid: 6
dir: disk0/00/00/17/83
datestamp: 2016-12-20 13:24:16
lastmod: 2017-02-08 12:21:39
status_changed: 2016-12-20 13:24:16
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: McClure, Mark W.
creators_name: Horne, Roland N.
corp_creators: Department of Petroleum Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas at Austin,  United States
corp_creators: Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University, United States
title: Correlations between formation properties and induced seismicity during high pressure injection into granitic rock
subjects: MP2
subjects: MP4
subjects: RA1
subjects: RF1
subjects: RJ
subjects: RS1
subjects: RSW
subjects: RUK
subjects: SG
divisions: IP4
divisions: SHEER-6
full_text_status: none
abstract: We reviewed published results from six projects where hydraulic stimulation was performed in granitic rock. At
each project, fractures in the formation were well-oriented to slip at the injection pressures used during stimulation.
In all but one case, thousands of cubic meters of water were injected, and in every case, flow rates on the
order of tens of liters per second were used. Despite these similarities, there was a large variation in the severity
of induced seismicity that occurred in response to injection. At the three projects where induced seismicity was
significant, observations at the wellbore showed evidence of well-developed brittle fault zones. At the three projects
where induced seismicity was less significant, observations at the wellbore indicated only crack-like features
and did not suggest significant fault development. These results suggest that assessments of the degree
of fault development at the wellbore may be useful for predicting induced seismicity hazard. We cannot rule
out that the differences were caused by variations in frictional properties that were unrelated to the degree of
fault development (and it is possible that there is a relationship between these two parameters). The projects
with more significant seismicity tended to be deeper, and if this is a meaningful correlation, it is unclear whether
depth influenced seismic hazard through the degree of fault development, frictional properties, or some other
variable. The results of this paper are not conclusive, but they suggest that there may be significant opportunity
for future research on identifying geological conditions that increase induced seismicity hazard.
date: 2014
date_type: published
publication: Engineering Geology
volume: 175
publisher: Elsevier Science
pagerange: 74-80
id_number: doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.03.015
issn: 0013-7952
official_url: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.03.015
access_IS-EPOS: limited
owner: Publisher
citation:   McClure, Mark W. and Horne, Roland N.  (2014) Correlations between formation properties and induced seismicity during high pressure injection into granitic rock.  Engineering Geology, 175.  pp. 74-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.03.015 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.03.015>