Determining fluid flow zones in a geothermal reservoir from thermal conductivity and temperature

Sébastien Haffen (1) , Yves Géraud (1) , Marc Diraison (2) , Chrystel Dezayes (3)

1 IPGS - Institut de physique du globe de Strasbourg
2 IPGS-Dylbas - Dynamique de la lithosphère et des bassins sédimentaires (IPGS)
3 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)

A methodology of locating fluid-flow zones in a rock formation is applied to the Buntsandstein sandstone reservoir of borehole EPS1, Soultz-sous-Forêts, France. The method is based on analysing thermal gradients determined by two different methods for a same cored borehole, (1) from temperature log and (2) from thermal conductivity measures. Comparing the two thermal-gradient datasets reveals the fluid-circulation zones in the borehole. Using this approach, we identified three main hot-fluid circulation zones within the Buntsandstein sandstone, two controlled by sedimentary facies and one controlled by tectonic structures.

Keywords: Thermal gradient; thermal conductivity; permeability; sandstone reservoir; fluid circulation

Domains: Earth Sciences; Hydrology

Sébastien Haffen, Yves Géraud, Marc Diraison, Chrystel Dezayes. Determining fluid flow zones in a geothermal reservoir from thermal conductivity and temperature. Geothermics, 2013, 46, pp.32-41. ⟨10.1016/j.geothermics.2012.11.001⟩. ⟨hal-00789047⟩