Controlling Induced Earthquake Magnitude by Cycled Fluid Injection

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Zhu ◽  
J. Q. Kang ◽  
D. Elsworth ◽  
H. P. Xie ◽  
Y. Ju ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Earthquake Magnitude ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Induced Earthquake

Fluid Injection and Seismic Activity in the Northern Montney Play, British Columbia, Canada, with Special Reference to the 17 August 2015Mw 4.6 Induced Earthquake

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 542-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Babaie Mahani ◽  
Ryan Schultz ◽  
Honn Kao ◽  
Dan Walker ◽  
Jeff Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Special Reference ◽  
Seismic Activity ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Induced Earthquake

scholarly journals Dynamic Fault Interaction during a Fluid-Injection-Induced Earthquake: The 2017 Mw 5.5 Pohang Event

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 2328-2349
Author(s):  
Kadek Hendrawan Palgunadi ◽  
Alice-Agnes Gabriel ◽  
Thomas Ulrich ◽  
José Ángel López-Comino ◽  
Paul Martin Mai
Keyword(s):  
Fault Plane ◽  
Fluid Pressure ◽  
Local Stress ◽  
Stress Conditions ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Geothermal System ◽  
Dynamic Rupture ◽  
Fault Interaction ◽  
Induced Earthquake ◽  
Secondary Fault

ABSTRACT The 15 November 2017 Mw 5.5 Pohang, South Korea, earthquake has been linked to hydraulic stimulation and fluid injections, making it the largest induced seismic event associated with an enhanced geothermal system. To understand its source dynamics and fault interactions, we conduct the first 3D high-resolution spontaneous dynamic rupture simulations of an induced earthquake. We account for topography, off-fault plastic deformation under depth-dependent bulk cohesion, rapid velocity weakening friction, and 1D subsurface structure. A guided fault reconstruction approach that clusters spatiotemporal aftershock locations (including their uncertainties) is used to identify a main and a secondary fault plane that intersect under a shallow angle of 15°. Based on simple Mohr–Coulomb failure analysis and 180 dynamic rupture experiments in which we vary local stress loading conditions, fluid pressure, and relative fault strength, we identify a preferred two-fault-plane scenario that well reproduces observations. We find that the regional far-field tectonic stress regime promotes pure strike-slip faulting, whereas local stress conditions constrained by borehole logging generate the observed thrust-faulting component. Our preferred model is characterized by overpressurized pore fluids, nonoptimally oriented but dynamically weak faults and a close-to-critical local stress state. In our model, earthquake rupture “jumps” to the secondary fault by dynamic triggering, generating a measurable non-double-couple component. Our simulations suggest that complex dynamic fault interaction may occur during fluid-injection-induced earthquakes and that local stress perturbations dominate over regional stress conditions. Therefore, our findings have important implications for seismic hazard in active georeservoir.

Magnitude distribution complexity and variation at The Geysers geothermal field

2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (2) ◽  
pp. 893-906
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Leptokaropoulos
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Hazard ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Hazard Assessment ◽  
Seismic Hazard Assessment ◽  
B Value ◽  
Geothermal Field ◽  
Earthquake Magnitude ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Magnitude Distribution ◽  
The Geysers

SUMMARY Earthquake magnitude (size) distribution is a major component required for seismic hazard assessment and therefore, the accurate determination of its functional shape and variation is a task of utmost importance. Although often considered as stationary, the magnitude distribution at particular sites may significantly vary over time and space. In this study, the well-known Gutenberg–Richter (GR) law, which is widely assumed to describe earthquake magnitude distribution, is tested for a case study of seismicity induced by fluid injection at The Geysers (CA, USA) geothermal field. Statistical tests are developed and applied in order to characterize the magnitude distribution of a high quality catalogue comprising seismicity directly associated with two injection wells, at the north western part of The Geysers. The events size distribution variation is investigated with respect to spatial, temporal, fluid injection and magnitude cut-off criteria. A thorough spatio-temporal analysis is performed for defining seismicity Clusters demonstrating characteristic magnitude distributions which significantly differ from the ones of the nearby Clusters. The magnitude distributions of the entire seismic population as well as of the individual Clusters are tested for their complexity in terms of exponentiality, multimodal and multibump structure. Then, the Clusters identified are further processed and their characteristics are determined in connection to injection rate fluctuations. The results of the analysis clearly indicate that the entire magnitude distribution is definitely complex and non-exponential, whereas subsequent periods demonstrating significantly diverse magnitude distributions are identified. The regional seismicity population is divided into three major families, for one of which exponentiality of magnitude distribution is clearly rejected, whereas for the other two the GR law b-value is directly proportional to fluid injection. In addition, the b-values of these Families seem to be significantly magnitude dependent, a fact that is of major importance for seismic hazard assessment implementations. To conclude, it is strongly suggested that magnitude exponentiality must be tested before proceeding to any b-value calculations, particularly in anthropogenic seismicity cases where complex and time changeable processes take place.

scholarly journals Dynamic fault interaction during a fluid-injection induced earthquake: The 2017 Mw 5.5 Pohang event

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kadek Hendrawan Palgunadi ◽  
Alice-Agnes Gabriel ◽  
Thomas Ulrich ◽  
José Lopéz-Comino ◽  
P. Mai
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Fault Interaction ◽  
Induced Earthquake

Forecasting Induced Earthquake Hazard Using a Hydromechanical Earthquake Nucleation Model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin L. Rubinstein ◽  
Andrew J. Barbour ◽  
Jack H. Norbeck
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Earthquake Hazard ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Hazard Models ◽  
Induced Earthquakes ◽  
Induced Earthquake ◽  
Earthquake Nucleation ◽  
Nucleation Model ◽  
Central United States ◽  
The U.S

Abstract In response to the dramatic increase in earthquake rates in the central United States, the U.S Geological Survey began releasing 1 yr earthquake hazard models for induced earthquakes in 2016. Although these models have been shown to accurately forecast earthquake hazard, they rely purely on earthquake statistics because there was no precedent for forecasting induced earthquakes based upon wastewater injection data. Since the publication of these hazard models, multiple physics-based methods have been proposed to forecast earthquake rates using injection data. Here, we use one of these methods to generate earthquake hazard forecasts. Our earthquake hazard forecasts are more accurate than statistics-based hazard forecasts. These results imply that fluid injection data, where and when available, and the physical implications of fluid injection should be included in future induced earthquake hazard forecasts.

A new approach to the hydraulic fracture geometric dimensions determination

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-134
Author(s):  
A.M. Ilyasov
Keyword(s):  
Exact Solution ◽  
Hydraulic Fracture ◽  
Pressure Gauge ◽  
Hyperbolic Type ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Fracturing Fluid ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Gauge Data ◽  
Bottomhole Pressure ◽  
Half Length

Based on the generalized Perkins-Kern-Nordgren model (PKN) for the development of a hyperbolic type vertical hydraulic fracture, an exact solution is obtained for the hydraulic fracture self-oscillations after terminating the fracturing fluid injection. These oscillations are excited by a rarefaction wave that occurs after the injection is stopped. The obtained solution was used to estimate the height, width and half-length of the hydraulic fracture at the time of stopping the hydraulic fracturing fluid injection based on the bottomhole pressure gauge data.

INDUCED SEISMICITY ASSOCIATED WITH WASTE FLUID INJECTION WELLS

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan MacDonald ◽  
◽  
John E. Ebel
Keyword(s):  
Induced Seismicity ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Injection Wells
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