Master’s project

Numerical study of the influence of geological heterogeneities during fluid injection in the subsurface

Supervisor: Prof. Lyesse Laloui

Assistant: Jose A. Bosch

Motivation of the project

Fluid injection operations are involved in many geo-energy applications such as CO2 carbon sequestration, deep geothermal energy, and gas storage. The success of these operations may be compromised by eventual microseismic and seismic events caused by the fluid pressure buildup in the reservoir. In order to minimize seismic risks, proper site characterization and monitoring strategies are vital. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of geological heterogeneities on the injection pressure buildup in order to verify the suitability of diagnostic plots for identifying reservoir geometries. To achieve this, numerical simulations of fluid injection in different reservoir configurations will be performed and the results will be compared to ideally homogeneous cases. The results will be useful for enhancing current methodologies of reservoir characterization and injection strategies.

Keywords

Subsurface fluid injection, Reservoir geomechanics, CO2 geological storage, Flow in porous media.

 Goal of the project

The goal of the project is to provide guidelines for the management of fluid injection strategies. The student will acquire advanced knowledge of new technologies related to reservoir geomechanics.

Contacts

Responsible:
Jose A. Bosch
Email: [email protected]
Tel.: [+41 2169] 30868
Room: GC D0391

Professor:
Lyesse Laloui
Email: [email protected]
Tel: [+41 2169] 32314