Combining autoencoder neural network and Bayesian inversion algorithms
to estimate heterogeneous fracture permeability in enhanced geothermal
reservoirs
Abstract
While hydraulic fracturing is widely used to enhance the permeability of
deep geothermal, gas and oil reservoirs, it remains challenging to infer
the heterogeneous distribution of permeability in the fractured zone.
Typically, a limited number of boreholes are available at which
reservoir imaging and tracer testing can be conducted. The number of
observations is often far fewer than the number of estimable
permeabilities, making model inversion ill-posed. To overcome this
problem, this study combined the autoencoder neural network (a deep
learning approach) with Bayesian inversion algorithm (using Markov Chain
Monte Carlo, MCMC sampling) to estimate permeability in the enhanced
geothermal reservoir, based on a single-well-injection-withdrawal test
(SWIW). The autoencoder neural network was used to reduce parameter
dimensionality into low-dimension codes by four orders of magnitude,
while MCMC sampling was used to update the low-dimension codes according
to the SWIW observations. The spatial distribution of permeability was
then reconstructed from these low-dimension codes using the original
autoencoder neural network. Application of the approach to a synthetic
enhanced geothermal system demonstrated that the methodology achieved
rapid stabilization of the Bayesian inversion. When the root mean square
error (RMSE) between modelled and observed borehole temperature and flow
rate values was less than unity, estimated permeability values were
comparable to the synthetic reference case, with a mean square error
lower than 0.001 mD. The combination of the deep-learning based
dimension reduction technique and Bayesian inversion algorithm allow the
estimate of permeability distribution in deep artificial reservoirs
based on limited number of boreholes.