Geomechanics of injection-induced seismicity in Illinois basin

Injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into deep underground formations is a promising approach to mitigate accelerating greenhouse gas emissions. However, it affects the state of stress in the subsurface, potentially making it more favorable for fault reactivation and earthquakes. The injection process is associated with complex hydromechanical behavior which cannot be accurately characterized solely based on geophysical data, highlighting the need for precise laboratory testing. Additionally, induced seismic response is usually associated with three-dimensional features, such as architecture of injection site, fractures, faults, and discontinuities rather than failure of intact rock. Simplification or neglecting of these features might introduce additional bias in the characterization of the underground storage projects, while their accurate representation during the assessment is challenging from fundamental and technical standpoints. This work encompasses geophysical field observations, comprehensive laboratory geomechanical testing, and high-performance numerical simulations within self-consistent frameworks to improve risk assessment related to the induced seismic response during subsurface CO2 injection in the Illinois Basin. The conducted experiments address strength characteristics, poromechanical response, and single- and two-phase flow properties of rock specimens for reservoir (Mt. Simon sandstone), basal sealing (Argenta sandstone), and crystalline basement (Precambrian rhyolite) formations. High-resolution numerical modeling allows to consider the stratigraphy of the storage site and adjacent formations and reconstruct three-dimensional state of stress and its evolution during the implementation of the project. Results suggest that clusters of microseismicity observed in the crystalline basement are associated with critically stressed zones that are formed due to the local stratigraphy of the site and reactivated during the injection. Empirical evidence highlighting the deficiencies of the standard approach, which combines Biot poroelasticity and Mohr-Coulomb failure, has been gathered through comprehensive laboratory experiments. The process of macroscopic failure nucleation and complex rock-fluid interaction cannot be fully considered within the standard framework, requiring the establishment of more advanced poro-visco-elasto-plastic relationships. The collected data presents an empirical foundation for building more realistic constitutive models, as well as suggesting the parameters indicative of the large earthquake preparation process in the field. The on-going effort is focused on enhancing the consideration of heterogenous geologic formation by deploying artificial intelligence

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Bondarenko, Nikita

Contributors dc:contributor

• Makhnenko, Roman Y.
• Popovics, John S.
• Olson, Scott M.
• Elbanna, Ahmed
• Williams-Stroud, Sherilyn
• Okwen, Roland T.

• Induced Seismicity
• Geomechanical Characterization
• High-performance Computations
• Geologic Carbon Storage
• Illinois Basin Decatur Project
• Hydromechanical Interaction.

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Nikita Bondarenko

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125825

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F125825