Seismic responses to fluid injection

There is immense potential to use our underground environment in a responsible manner as we move towards a net zero carbon society. For example, deep rock formations can store captured CO2 emissions, and there is increasing flexibility in the ways that geothermal energy can be recovered.

However, our move towards these technologies should be made carefully since we need to reliably predict how the ground will react, especially given the difficulty of gathering a full picture of conditions at large depths.

This project will improve our fundamental understanding of the interplays between fluid injection and the induced microseismicity and permeability evolution of fractured rocks.

Laboratory experiments will be carried out to study the behaviour of critically stressed fractures under fluid injection, with any slippage being monitored by direct block deformation measurements in each direction, and by Acoustic Emission (AE) monitoring.

The research programme will extend this study via numerical modelling towards linking the geomechanical behaviour of fault reactivation with fluid injection.

Geomechanical behaviour during fracture slip will include the fracture opening and closure, and the shear displacement with any associated shear dilation. The flow regime and the global induced seismicity and permeability of the model domain will be investigated towards an improved understanding of injection-induced seismicity and interactions between fractures.

Outcomes from this project will lead to more accurate prediction and reduced risk of induced microseismicity, currently of practical importance to industry and public stakeholders for the development of geothermal energy and CO2 sequestration, as well as being a topic of significant interest to the general public.

Geothermal fluid circulation in fractured rock

Publications

Hosking, L.J., Chen, M., Sandford, R.J., Thomas, H.R. Analysis of coupled dual porosity thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical behaviour during CO2 injection in coal. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 135
Ma, Y., Chen, X., Hosking, L.J., Yu, H-S., Thomas, H.R., Norris, S. (2020). The influence of coupled physical swelling and chemical reactions on deformable geomaterials. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics
Chen, M., Hosking, L.J., Sandford, R.J., Thomas, H.R. (2020). A coupled compressible flow and geomechanics model for dynamic fracture aperture during carbon sequestration in coal. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, 44, pp.1727-1749.
Chen, M., Hosking, L.J., Sandford, R.J., and Thomas, H.R. (2020). Numerical analysis of improvements to CO2 injectivity in coal seams through fracture connection to the injection well. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 53, pp.2887–2906 .
Hosking, L.J. and Thomas, H.R. (2020). Dual porosity modelling of coal core flooding experiments with carbon dioxide. Computers and Geotechnics, 121 .
Detheridge, A., Hosking, L.J., Thomas, H.R., Sarhosis, V., Gwynn-Jones, D., Scullion, J. (2019). Deep seam and minesoil carbon sequestration potential; South Wales Coalfield, UK. Journal of Environmental Management, 248, pp.1-8 .
Chen, M., Hosking, L.J., Sandford, R.J., Thomas, H.R. (2019). Dual porosity modelling of the coupled mechanical response of coal to gas flow and adsorption. International Journal of Coal Geology, 205, pp.115-125 .
Hosking, L.J., Thomas, H.R., Sedighi, M. (2018). A dual porosity model of high-pressure gas flow for geoenergy applications. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 55(6), pp.839-851 .
Sarhosis, V., Hosking, L.J., Thomas, H.R. (2018). Carbon sequestration potential of the South Wales Coalfield. Environmental Geotechnics, 5(4), pp.234-246.

Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project

Dr Lee Hosking - Lee is a Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng MICE) and Senior Lecturer in Energy Geomechanics in the Department of Engineering, where he is part of the Centre for Energy Efficient and Sustainable Technologies. His research focuses on modelling deep ground behaviour for low-carbon technologies, mainly geological CO₂ storage and geothermal energy, including multiphase flow, heat transfer, and geomechanical behaviour in deep rock formations. Lee teaches across the civil engineering discipline, including sustainable energy and transport infrastructure engineering, climate change science and technology, and professional skills. Before joining Brunel, Lee was a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University, working on CO₂ storage as part of a holistic energy systems project. He holds a PhD and MEng in Civil Engineering from Cardiff University. Lee is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Editorial Board of Deep Underground Science and Engineering. He is also a member of the UK CO₂ Capture and Storage Research Community (UKCCSRC), the British Geotechnical Association, and the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. Lee welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students and potential research collaborators.

Related Research Group(s)

Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering - Delivering a new understanding of our geo-environment and critical infrastructure in diverse ecosystems, for predicting and preventing catastrophic failure and responding to the need for decarbonisation and energy security.

Partnering with confidence

Organisations interested in our research can partner with us with confidence backed by an external and independent benchmark: The Knowledge Exchange Framework. Read more.

Project last modified 02/10/2023