Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering
The coupling between subsurface flow and geomechanical deformation is critical in the assessment of the environmental impacts of groundwater use, underground liquid waste disposal, geologic storage of carbon dioxide, and exploitation of shale gas reserves. In particular, seismicity induced by fluid...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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John Wiley & Sons, Inc/American Geophysical Union
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89522 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3855-1441 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7370-2332 |
| _version_ | 1826205148522741760 |
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| author | Jha, Birendra Juanes, Ruben |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jha, Birendra Juanes, Ruben |
| author_sort | Jha, Birendra |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The coupling between subsurface flow and geomechanical deformation is critical in the assessment of the environmental impacts of groundwater use, underground liquid waste disposal, geologic storage of carbon dioxide, and exploitation of shale gas reserves. In particular, seismicity induced by fluid injection and withdrawal has emerged as a central element of the scientific discussion around subsurface technologies that tap into water and energy resources. Here we present a new computational approach to model coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics of faulted reservoirs. We represent faults as surfaces embedded in a three-dimensional medium by using zero-thickness interface elements to accurately model fault slip under dynamically evolving fluid pressure and fault strength. We incorporate the effect of fluid pressures from multiphase flow in the mechanical stability of faults and employ a rigorous formulation of nonlinear multiphase geomechanics that is capable of handling strong capillary effects. We develop a numerical simulation tool by coupling a multiphase flow simulator with a mechanics simulator, using the unconditionally stable fixed-stress scheme for the sequential solution of two-way coupling between flow and geomechanics. We validate our modeling approach using several synthetic, but realistic, test cases that illustrate the onset and evolution of earthquakes from fluid injection and withdrawal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:08:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/89522 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T13:08:30Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | John Wiley & Sons, Inc/American Geophysical Union |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/895222022-09-28T12:09:51Z Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering Jha, Birendra Juanes, Ruben Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jha, Birendra Juanes, Ruben The coupling between subsurface flow and geomechanical deformation is critical in the assessment of the environmental impacts of groundwater use, underground liquid waste disposal, geologic storage of carbon dioxide, and exploitation of shale gas reserves. In particular, seismicity induced by fluid injection and withdrawal has emerged as a central element of the scientific discussion around subsurface technologies that tap into water and energy resources. Here we present a new computational approach to model coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics of faulted reservoirs. We represent faults as surfaces embedded in a three-dimensional medium by using zero-thickness interface elements to accurately model fault slip under dynamically evolving fluid pressure and fault strength. We incorporate the effect of fluid pressures from multiphase flow in the mechanical stability of faults and employ a rigorous formulation of nonlinear multiphase geomechanics that is capable of handling strong capillary effects. We develop a numerical simulation tool by coupling a multiphase flow simulator with a mechanics simulator, using the unconditionally stable fixed-stress scheme for the sequential solution of two-way coupling between flow and geomechanics. We validate our modeling approach using several synthetic, but realistic, test cases that illustrate the onset and evolution of earthquakes from fluid injection and withdrawal. Eni S.p.A. (Firm) (Multiscale Reservoir Science Project) 2014-09-15T14:26:27Z 2014-09-15T14:26:27Z 2014-05 2013-12 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 00431397 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89522 Jha, Birendra, and Ruben Juanes. “Coupled Multiphase Flow and Poromechanics: A Computational Model of Pore Pressure Effects on Fault Slip and Earthquake Triggering.” Water Resources Research 50, no. 5 (May 2014): 3776–3808. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3855-1441 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7370-2332 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013WR015175 Water Resources Research Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf John Wiley & Sons, Inc/American Geophysical Union MIT web domain |
| spellingShingle | Jha, Birendra Juanes, Ruben Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| title | Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| title_full | Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| title_fullStr | Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| title_short | Coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics: A computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| title_sort | coupled multiphase flow and poromechanics a computational model of pore pressure effects on fault slip and earthquake triggering |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89522 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3855-1441 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7370-2332 |
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