Publication
Hydraulic fracture monitoring in hard rock at 410 m depth with an advanced fluid-injection protocol and extensive sensor array
Author: Arno Zang, Ove Stephansson, Leif Stenberg, Katrin Plenkers, Sebastian Specht, Claus Milkereit, Eva Schill, Grzegorz Kwiatek, Georg Dresen, Günter Zimmermann, Torsten Dahm, Michael Weber
Source: Geophysical Journal International
Date: November 2016
Abstract:
The publication describes an underground experiment at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (Sweden), in which six hydraulic tests were carried out in crystalline rock at a depth of 410 m. Different water injection schemes (continuous, progressive, pulsed) were used. The tests were monitored using an extensive network of acoustic emission, microseismicity, and electromagnetic sensors. The aim was to investigate whether cyclic injection procedures can reduce induced seismicity, in order to enable geothermal applications with lower environmental risk.