• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.521-537
• /
• 2013

While microseismicity induced by hydraulic stimulation carried out for EGS is useful means in estimating the range of permeability increase, it also affect surface structures and environments. In order to establish a mitigation plan for microseismicity triggered by hydraulic stimulation, we reviewed world-wide guidelines on the impact of ground vibration on the surface structure and human environment by blasting. Case studies from Europe and USA on the microseismicity by hydraulic stimulation are presented and suggestions are made for the guidelines on ground vibration by hydraulic stimulation for the ongoing Pohang EGS project.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.320-331
• /
• 2015

This paper presents a case study of an enhanced geothermal system(EGS) demonstration project conducted in $Gro{\ss}$ $Sch{\ddot{o}}nebeck$, Northerm Germany, focusing on hydraulic stimulation. The project was conducted with doublet system in sandstone and volcanic formations at 4 - 4.4 km depth. Under normal faulting to strike-slip faulting stress regime, hydraulic stimulations were conducted at injection and production wells by massive waterfrac and gel-proppant fracturing. Injectivity index increased from $0.97m^3/(hr^*MPa)$ to $7.5m^3/(hr^*MPa)$ and productivity index increased from $2.4m^3/(hr^*MPa)$ to $10.1m^3/(hr^*MPa)$ by a series of hydraulic stimulations at both wells. After circulation tests through injection and production wells, however, productivity index decreased from $8.9m^3/(hr^*MPa)$ to $0.6m^3/(hr^*MPa)$ in two years. Slip tendency analysis for the stimulation in volcanic layer estimated the required pressure for shear slip and its preferred orientations and it showed reasonable match with actual stimulation results. Through the microseismicity observation for the stimulation of volcanic formation, only 80 seismic events with its moment magnitudes in -1.8<$M_W$<-1.0 were observed, which are unexpectedly low for EGS hydraulic stimulation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.506-520
• /
• 2013

While geothermal energy provides the only base-load power among renewable energy sources, its development has been carried out predominantly in volcanic area. EGS (Enhanced Geothermal System) is a ubiquitous technology that can allow the geothermal power generation virtually in any area. This manuscript introduces the current state-of-the-art of EGS development in the world and presents the hydraulic stimulation technology and associated microseismicity which are key technical component in EGS. Finally this paper suggests the key research areas required in Korea for further development of EGS.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.55-60
• /
• 2012

In many cases, geothemal wells will not be opened up a geothermal reservoir under such conditions that an extraction of geothermal energy is economically viable without any further measures. Geothermal wells often have to be stimulated, in order to increase productivity. For the non-volcanic area, such as Korea, the hydraulic stimulation is necessary to complete geothermal power plant. The analysis of induced seismic event showed that the thermal resource might have a much wider extent and a much higher generation potential than previously assumed. In order to record compressional and shear waves emitted during fracture stimulation, three-component geophones are placed in a seismometer. The recorded data from one seismometer is the convolution of the source magnitude, the transmission media, and the sensitivity of the instrument.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.293-303
• /
• 2018

Monitoring is the act of collecting and analyzing accurate engineering information using various methods and instruments. The purposes of the monitoring are design verification, construction management, quality control, safety management, and diagnose of structure etc.. The diagnose evaluation of the geotechnical structures corresponds to the confirmation of the structural performance. It is aimed to judge the soundness of geotechnical structures considering the degree of damage due to the environmental change and elapsed time. Recently, microseismicity, which is widely known in Korea, can be used for safety management and diagnoses of structure as it detects the micro-damage without disturbance of the structure. This report provides guideline on the procedure for assessing an underground oil storage cavern using microseismic monitoring techniques. Guidelines cover the selection of monitoring systems, sensor array, sensor installation and operation of systems, and interpretation.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.471-485
• /
• 2014

The monitoring method of geotechnical structures using acoustic emission(AE) and microseismicity(MS) is to detect the microscopic deformation and fracture behavior in the inner structures by measuring induced acoustics and vibrations. It can identify a pre-indication of failure by taking advantage of the characteristics that the amount and occurrence rates of AE and MS increase rapidly prior to large scale destruction of the target structures. The monitoring system consisting of high-quality sensors, high-speed data acquisition device and the operation program is required for the practical application of this method. Recently, the AE and MS monitoring systems have been localized. In particular, the developed operation software which can analyze and interpret the measured signals was demonstrated through a number of applications to domestic fields. This report introduces the configuration and features of developed monitoring system, then the challenges and future direction of AE monitoring in geotechnical structures are discussed.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.53-58
• /
• 2013

It was introduced a seismic mini-array that could monitor microseismicity efficiently and analyzed seismic data obtained from the mini-array that was operated from December 19, 2012 to January 9, 2013. The mini-array consisted of a six channel data logger, a central 3 components seismometer, and a tripartite array of vertical sensors centered around the 3 components seismometer as an equilateral triangle with about 100 m aperture. All seismometers that had the same instrument response were connected a 6 channel data logger, which was set to record seismograms at a sampling rate of 200 sps. During the three weeks of campaign, a total of 16 microearthquakes were detected. Using time differences of P wave arrivals from the vertical components, S-P time from 3 components seismometers, and back azimuth from the seismic array analysis, it was possible to locate the hypocenter of the microearthquake even with one seismic miniarray. The epicenters of two nearest microearthquakes were a quarry site located 1.3 km from the mini-array. The records of quarry blasting confirmed the our analysis.