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<p>Grain-scale heterogeneity and injection fluid viscosity significantly influence the hydro-mechanical behaviour of granites during hydraulic fracturing in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). However, their coupled influence on the fracture complexity and seismic response has been insufficiently explored. To investigate, a grain-based discrete element model (GB-DEM) was developed, incorporating a segmentation algorithm that integrates petrophysical imaging to accurately reproduce mineral distributions. The models were calibrated against laboratory mechanical tests and hydraulic fracturing experiments, and grain-scale heterogeneity was quantified using Voronoi-based metrics. Three synthetic granites with different heterogeneity levels were examined under different viscosities. Results reveal that fracture propagation distance from the injection point has a critical transition zone. Within this interval, fracture complexity reaches its maximum, crack energy remains elevated, and beyond it, the seismic magnitudes increase. Low-viscosity injection and higher grain-scale heterogeneity both promote shorter injection duration, greater total crack numbers, higher proportions of intergranular cracking, enhanced fracture complexity, and reduced <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(b\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mi>b</mi> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation> values. Elevated crack energy and larger seismic magnitudes are predominantly associated with low-viscosity fluids. These insights provide a physics-based foundation for developing injection strategies that enhance thermal recovery whilst mitigating induced seismicity in EGS operations.</p>

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Fracture Complexity and Seismicity Influenced by Mineral Heterogeneity and Fluid Viscosity in Hydraulic Fracturing of Simulated Crystalline Rock

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月10日

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  • Xin Zhang,
  • Xiaoguang Wang,
  • Jixiong Zhang,
  • Yudi Tang,
  • Shunzheng Jia,
  • Guangyao Si

摘要

Grain-scale heterogeneity and injection fluid viscosity significantly influence the hydro-mechanical behaviour of granites during hydraulic fracturing in Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). However, their coupled influence on the fracture complexity and seismic response has been insufficiently explored. To investigate, a grain-based discrete element model (GB-DEM) was developed, incorporating a segmentation algorithm that integrates petrophysical imaging to accurately reproduce mineral distributions. The models were calibrated against laboratory mechanical tests and hydraulic fracturing experiments, and grain-scale heterogeneity was quantified using Voronoi-based metrics. Three synthetic granites with different heterogeneity levels were examined under different viscosities. Results reveal that fracture propagation distance from the injection point has a critical transition zone. Within this interval, fracture complexity reaches its maximum, crack energy remains elevated, and beyond it, the seismic magnitudes increase. Low-viscosity injection and higher grain-scale heterogeneity both promote shorter injection duration, greater total crack numbers, higher proportions of intergranular cracking, enhanced fracture complexity, and reduced \(b\) b values. Elevated crack energy and larger seismic magnitudes are predominantly associated with low-viscosity fluids. These insights provide a physics-based foundation for developing injection strategies that enhance thermal recovery whilst mitigating induced seismicity in EGS operations.