Seismic imaging of fractures in geothermal reservoirs

The fracture systems that act as conduits for fluids play an important role in the extraction of geothermal energy in both liquid- and vapor-dominated fields. Hydraulic fracturing is a common engineering practice used to enhance fluid production from reservoirs with low permeability. In hot dry rock and in vapor-dominated reservoirs that are being depleted, it is necessary to inject water to produce steam. This process generally requires hydraulic fracturing in advance to enhance the recovery. Therefore, fracture imaging and characterization are important in obtaining a better understanding of geothermal reservoirs. In this paper, the authors present two new techniques for seismic characterization of fracture systems. These approaches provide the means to obtain much more detailed information about fracture systems within geothermal reservoirs