About this Research Topic
Underground energy is important for the whole society development but conventional underground energy is becoming exhausted. The energy for deep reservoirs (usually >3500m for petroleum engineering, >1000m for mining engineering) is diverse, including not limited shale gas/oil, tight gas/oil, hot dry rock geothermal reservoirs and coal gasification. Although it has abundant reserves, the energy production from deep reservoirs is difficult in stimulations because the geological conditions for those deep reservoirs are tougher than those for conventional reservoirs, such as high in-situ stress, obvious heterogeneity in rock properties and complex natural fracture networks. Meanwhile, common technologies also have environmental impacts. The development trend of production technology for deep reservoirs requires it to be environment friendly or decrease environmental impacts at least. CO2 utilization may achieve this environmental aim. In order to efficiently produce energy from deep reservoirs, technological innovation is booming around North America, Europe and Asia.
In order to enhance the stimulation efficiency, the rock characteristics of deep reservoirs should be identified clearly, including geological and mechanical properties. However, the identification of rock characteristics is hard for deep reservoirs because conventional tools may not work normally under tough conditions of deep reservoirs (high temperature or high stress) and some critical behaviors of fluid flow and material deformation may be different from ones for conventional reservoirs. Meanwhile, conventional methods to produce geological energy may not be able to efficiently produce the one from deep reservoirs so lots of innovative production methods have been proposed in recent decades, such as coal gasification stimulated by multiple wells and pulsating hydraulic fracturing to reduce initiation pressure and enhance hydraulic fracture volume. The special mechanisms of those innovative methods to enhance stimulation efficiency are different from ones of conventional methods and unclear. To bring new knowledge about the above aspects, experiments, numerical simulations, and field application trials are widely conducted. The basic behaviors of fluid flow and material deformation/damage can be obtained through experiments, and the key influence factors and optimization of innovation methods can be analyzed by numerical simulations and application trials. Those advances can further improve innovations.
Research welcomes submissions in all areas of geological energy research for deep reservoirs which facilitate and support sustainable innovation and long-term solutions. The review and research articles are all welcome. Topics include, but are not limited to:
• Hydraulic Fracturing
• Enhanced Oil Production
• Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage
• Underground Coal Gasification
• Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Reservoirs
• Reservoir Characteristics Identification
• Experimental Methods
• Numerical Simulation Methods
• Field Application
In order to enhance the stimulation efficiency, the rock characteristics of deep reservoirs should be identified clearly, including geological and mechanical properties. However, the identification of rock characteristics is hard for deep reservoirs because conventional tools may not work normally under tough conditions of deep reservoirs (high temperature or high stress) and some critical behaviors of fluid flow and material deformation may be different from ones for conventional reservoirs. Meanwhile, conventional methods to produce geological energy may not be able to efficiently produce the one from deep reservoirs so lots of innovative production methods have been proposed in recent decades, such as coal gasification stimulated by multiple wells and pulsating hydraulic fracturing to reduce initiation pressure and enhance hydraulic fracture volume. The special mechanisms of those innovative methods to enhance stimulation efficiency are different from ones of conventional methods and unclear. To bring new knowledge about the above aspects, experiments, numerical simulations, and field application trials are widely conducted. The basic behaviors of fluid flow and material deformation/damage can be obtained through experiments, and the key influence factors and optimization of innovation methods can be analyzed by numerical simulations and application trials. Those advances can further improve innovations.
Research welcomes submissions in all areas of geological energy research for deep reservoirs which facilitate and support sustainable innovation and long-term solutions. The review and research articles are all welcome. Topics include, but are not limited to:
• Hydraulic Fracturing
• Enhanced Oil Production
• Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage
• Underground Coal Gasification
• Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Reservoirs
• Reservoir Characteristics Identification
• Experimental Methods
• Numerical Simulation Methods
• Field Application
Keywords: Hydraulic Fracturing, Enhanced Oil Production, Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, Underground Coal Gasification, Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Reservoirs, Reservoir Characteristics Identification, Experimental Methods, Numerical Simulation Methods, Field Application
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
