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Fracture Sustainability Test, Pre- and Post-Test Photomicrographs

Published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory | Department of Energy | Catalog Last Checked: March 23, 2026 at 09:41 PM | Dataset Last Updated: May 17, 2021 at 04:19 PM
The primary objective of this research is to understand how different rock types, mineral and fluid compositions, and fracture surface textures determine the longevity of fracture apertures, so that selection of reservoir rock can be economically optimized to reduce future refracturing. We are performing laboratory tests to study this in a custom apparatus at conditions relevant to EGS, with temperatures up to 250 degrees C (design maximum 300 degrees C). Our approach is to perform a number of long term (up to several months) laboratory experiments using relevant rock samples with different mineralogies to explore fracture sustainability under EGS conditions. We use an apparatus that allows direct application of a normal force on the fracture faces of a single fracture in a sample having a sheared, tensile fracture. We flow brine of a specified composition through the aperture, and simultaneously measure the fracture permeability and closure. We collect the effluent water for chemical and isotopic analysis. We are numerically modeling our tests and comparing experimental and numerical results. This submission includes photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) and post-test (reacted) samples from Brady well BCH-03 at various depths, Desert Peak well DP 35-13, and samples of Stripa granite. The photomicrographs are provided using uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl). UN is uncrossed nicols, CN and xpl are crossed nicols (crossed polars). The magnification listed is just referring to the objective lens that was used, not the total magnification of the images. With a 5x objective, the bottom dimension of an image is 1.75 mm. With 10x the bottom dimension of an image is 0.875 mm, and with 2x the bottom dimension of an image is 4.375 mm.

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
                                            [
  "019:20"
]
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Tim Kneafsey",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:tjkneafsey@lbl.gov"
}
dataQuality 
                                            true
description The primary objective of this research is to understand how different rock types, mineral and fluid compositions, and fracture surface textures determine the longevity of fracture apertures, so that selection of reservoir rock can be economically optimized to reduce future refracturing. We are performing laboratory tests to study this in a custom apparatus at conditions relevant to EGS, with temperatures up to 250 degrees C (design maximum 300 degrees C). Our approach is to perform a number of long term (up to several months) laboratory experiments using relevant rock samples with different mineralogies to explore fracture sustainability under EGS conditions. We use an apparatus that allows direct application of a normal force on the fracture faces of a single fracture in a sample having a sheared, tensile fracture. We flow brine of a specified composition through the aperture, and simultaneously measure the fracture permeability and closure. We collect the effluent water for chemical and isotopic analysis. We are numerically modeling our tests and comparing experimental and numerical results. This submission includes photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) and post-test (reacted) samples from Brady well BCH-03 at various depths, Desert Peak well DP 35-13, and samples of Stripa granite. The photomicrographs are provided using uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl). UN is uncrossed nicols, CN and xpl are crossed nicols (crossed polars). The magnification listed is just referring to the objective lens that was used, not the total magnification of the images. With a 5x objective, the bottom dimension of an image is 1.75 mm. With 10x the bottom dimension of an image is 0.875 mm, and with 2x the bottom dimension of an image is 4.375 mm.
distribution 
                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Pre-Test BCH-03 3590.4 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/BCH-03%203590.4%20ft.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) samples at Brady well BCH-03 3590.4 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Post-Test BCH-03 3590.4 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/BCH-03%203590.4%20post%20experiment.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of post-test (reacted) samples at Brady well BCH-03 3590.4 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Pre-Test BCH-03 3948.8 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/BCH-03%203948.8%20ft.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) samples at Brady well BCH-03 3948.8 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Pre-Test BCH-03 4873.2 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/BCH-03%204873.2%20ft.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) samples at Brady well BCH-03 4873.2 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Post-Test BCH-03 4873.2 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/BCH-03%204873.2%20post%20experiment.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of post-test (reacted) samples at Brady well BCH-03 4873.2 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Pre-Test DP 35-13 2476.2 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/DP%2035-13%202476.2%20ft.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) samples at Desert Peak well DP 35-13 2476.2 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Post-Test DP35-13 2476.2 ft.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/DP35-13%202476.2%20post%20experiment.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of post-test (reacted) samples at Brady well DP35-13 2476.2 ft in depth. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Pre-Test Stripa Granite.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/Stripa%20Granite.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of pre-test (unreacted) samples of Stripa granite and granite veins. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Post-Test Stripa Granite.zip",
    "format": "zip",
    "accessURL": "https://gdr.openei.org/files/1234/Stripa%20photomicrographs%20-%20post%20experiment.zip",
    "mediaType": "application/zip",
    "description": "Photomicrographs of post-test (reacted) samples of Stripa granite and granite veins. Includes 5x objective photomicrographs with uncrossed and crossed polarized light (xpl)."
  }
]
DOI 10.15121/1666365
identifier https://data.openei.org/submissions/7365
issued 2016-09-26T06:00:00Z
keyword 
                                            [
  "BCH-03",
  "Brady well",
  "DP 35-13",
  "Desert Peak",
  "EGS",
  "aperture",
  "brine",
  "energy",
  "fracture",
  "geology",
  "geothermal",
  "permeability",
  "photomicrograph",
  "post-test",
  "pre-test",
  "reservoir",
  "shear",
  "shear-induced",
  "stripa granite",
  "sustainability",
  "temperature",
  "well data",
  "xpl"
]
landingPage https://gdr.openei.org/submissions/1234
license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
modified 2021-05-17T16:19:17Z
programCode 
                                            [
  "019:006"
]
projectLead Lauren Boyd
projectNumber FY13 AOP 5.1
projectTitle Sustainability of Shear-Induced Permeability for EGS Reservoirs
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
spatial 
                                            "{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[-119.2167,39.55],[15.097133109728262,39.55],[15.097133109728262,59.70006252784378],[-119.2167,59.70006252784378],[-119.2167,39.55]]]}"
title Fracture Sustainability Test, Pre- and Post-Test Photomicrographs

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