EGS Collab Project: Status and Progress

Abstract

The EGS (Enhanced Geothermal Systems) Collab project is performing stimulation and flow experiments in highly monitored and well-characterized intermediate-scale (~10-20 m) field test beds. Our fracture creation, stimulation and interwell flow tests are performed to better understand processes that control formation of effective subsurface heat exchangers useful in EGS. EGS Collab tests will provide a means of testing tools and concepts that could later be employed under geothermal reservoir conditions at DOE’s Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) or other enhanced geothermal systems. Key to the project is using numerical simulations in the experiment design and interpretation of results. An overview of the EGS Collab project will be presented to provide a framework for other Collab presentations. A description of results from numerical simulations and experiments performed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota will be presented. To date, stepwise stimulations have been performed at several locations, with the final stimulation connecting our injection and production wells. Numerous data sets have been collected and analyzed.