Parametric study of an enhanced geothermal system based on thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of a prospective site in Songliao Basin

• EGS reservoir simulation with thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling was carried out.
• Hydraulic conductivity is enhanced due to the thermal stress during production.
• Permeability and porosity play major role in terms of the productivity.
• For a vertical fracture, increasing fracture thickness improves the productivity.
• For vertical wells, production wells should be deeper than injection well.

The promising technology of Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) using the vast extent of geothermal energy resources proves to be feasible according to research conducted over the past few decades, whereas there is still a lack of thorough understanding of the underground process. Thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of a conceptual reservoir based on the geological setting of a target area in Songliao Basin was carried out. The effects of the geological background and the parameters determined during the stimulation and production processes were investigated regarding the output of the reservoir. The results demonstrated that properties that are able to strength the heat convection in the reservoir is able to evaluate the power output significantly, and wellbore arrangement that takes advantage of the buoyancy flow is also a valuable way to increase the production.