Coupled Hydromechanical Modeling of Induced Seismicity from CO2
Injection in the Illinois Basin
Abstract
Injection of CO2 for geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) into deep
sedimentary formations involves fluid pressure increases that engage
hydromechanical processes that can cause seismicity by activation of
existing faults. In this work, we use a coupled multiphase fluid flow
and geomechanical simulator to model spatiotemporal fluid pressure and
stress changes in order to study the poroelastic effect of CO2 injection
on faults in crystalline basement rock below the injection zone. The
seismicity rate along features interpreted to be basement faults is
modeled using Dieterich’s rate-and-state earthquake nucleation model.
The methodology is applied to microseismicity detected during CO2
injection into the Mount Simon formation during the Illinois Basin –
Decatur Project. The modeling accurately captures an observed reduction
in seismicity rate when the injection in the second well was into a
slightly shallower zone above the base of the Mount Simon formation.
Moreover, the modeling shows that it is important to consider
poroelastic stress changes, in addition to fluid pressure changes for
accurately modeling of the observed seismicity rate.