In EGS projects, fault zones are considered as the structures controlling deep flow at the reservoir scale. Using a large set of petrophysical properties (porosity, density, permeability, thermal conductivity [TC]) measured on cores collected along the EPS-1 borehole, a model of fault zone is proposed to describe them. A fault zone is a complex structure, showing different parts with different kinds of deformations and/or materials that could explain chemical and physical processes observed during fluid-rock interactions. The different parts composing the fault zone are: (1) the fault core or gauge zone; (2) the damage zone; (3) and the protolith. They are usually heterogeneous and show different physical properties. The damage zone is a potential high permeability channel and could become the main pathway for fluids if secondary minerals seal the fault core. Porosity is the lowest within the protolith, between 0.5 and 1%, but can go up to 15% in the fault zone. Permeability ranges from 10 À20 m 2 in the fresh granite to, at least, 10 À15 m 2 in the fault core, and TC ranges from 2.5 W K À1 m À1 to 3.7 W K À1 m À1 . Finally, variations in specific surface are set over two orders of magnitude. If the lowest values usually characterize the fresh granite far from fault zones, physical properties could show variations spread over their whole respective ranges within these fault zones.
The porosity and transfer properties of a very low porosity material (granite) are measured. A new procedure is defined using a capillary test and X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. Injected volumes are very low, i.e. a few cm 3 for a sample volume of 1 dm 3, using a fluid/rock ratio lower than 0.1%. This technique allows monitoring of the anisotropy of fluid flow during the test. Flow along the injection direction is higher than along the perpendicular direction. Saturation depends on the specific saturation of each mineral zone. Multiscale analysis allows defining the flow conditions as being controlled at both the mineral and the sample scale. Results indicate the specific role for various constituting parts of the material. High speed flow occurs in the crack network of K-feldspar, while the storage function is localized in the reaction zone forms by quartz and muscovite.
The success of the Soultz-sous-Foreˆts Hot-Dry-Rock project depends on the ability to maintain fluid circulation in a fractured granite. Fractures represent the main fluid pathways. To understand the behavior of this granite in respect to thermal fluid-rock interaction the important aspects are (1) the porous network around these fractures and (2) the thermal conductivity of the rock. This granite is altered and composed of different weathered facies. Variations of porosity and thermal conductivity take place in regard to the alteration and fracturing of the granite. Two types of porosity measurements were performed, mercury injection and water porosity on two samples sizes. The two methods give similar porosity values between 0.3% and 10%. Thermal conductivity measurements were performed in two perpendicular directions to look at anisotropy with two methods at different scale and value ranges from 2.3 to 3.9 W.m )1 .K )1 . Optical scanning provides us with a good knowledge of local increase of thermal conductivity due to sealed fracture or quartz-cemented matrix.The relationship between porosity and thermal conductivity is not obvious and has to be studied in details, and results show three cases:(1) a relationship between conductivity and porosity (increase of conductivity with a decrease of porosity), (2) a relationship between conductivity and sealed fractures (increase of conductivity related to an increase of fracture density), (3) and a combination of the two previous ones.The results are carefully compared for different types of granite: alterated, fractured or both. These first results indicate that parameters such as thermal conductivity are linked to the porous medium, the structure and the mineralogy of the rock.
Dans un système de failles normales de la bordure du fossé rhénan, les interactions eaux-roches de part et d'autre de ces failles peuvent contrôler les conditions des circulations fluides. L'objectif de ce travail est de caractériser les structures du réseau poreux dans la zone endommagée autour d'une de ces failles. Il est intéressant d'étudier la relation entre porosité et perméabilité dans cette zone. Des études pétrographiques et pétrophysiques, des mesures microthermométriques sur des inclusions fluides et la composition isotopique de l'oxygène ont permis de caractériser les structures de porosité des roches et notamment des ciments primaires et secondaires.Le couplage de ces approches montre qu'une faille normale peut à la fois jouer le rôle de drain et de barrière à la circulation des fluides. En fonction de la direction de circulation, la faille joue le rôle de drain en laissant remonter les fluides parallèlement au plan de faille et le rôle de barrière, en focalisant les circulations dans le toit. L'anisotropie, notamment des propriétés de transfert héritées des conditions de dépôts fluviatiles, est profondément modifiée par les transferts subits dans le matériau. Ainsi les modifications des transferts dépendent des modifications du réseau poreux : l'hétérogénéité de la structure du réseau et l'anisotropie d'orientation ou de connectivité. Ce modèle de circulation est contrôlé par une interaction entre les modifications des structures du réseau poreux et les circulations fluides, entraînant des modifications de l'anisotropie de certaines propriétés du matériau autour de la faille.Abstract. -Introduction -Normal faults are part of the elements that control fluid flows in sedimentary basins. They can play the role of a barrier or a drain [Hippler, 1993]. These pathways are anisotropic. The aim of this study is to determine the fluid pathways and to characterise the pore network and its role in the transfer properties.Petrophysics, petrographics, geochemical and fluid inclusion studies allow us to characterise a Buntsandstein sandstone affected by a normal fault. This sandstone has a fluviatile origin, field evidenced by fluviatile channels, but also by some clay layers. The fault is located in the north east of France, in the Rhine Graben. The vertical displacement is about 3 meters, and the dip is 70 o east. The fractured zone is composed of three compartments (the hanging wall and the footwall separated by a gouge) divided by three main faults ( fig. 1). Oriented samples were taken from the three blocks and were studied following the procedure figure 2. Results -The petrographical and mineralogical composition of the three compartments were different. The gouge and the footwall were characterised by quartz overgrowths, authigenic kaolinite (30 to 40 % of the clay fraction) and diagenetic illite (40 to 60 % of the clay fraction). The hanging wall was characterised by 70 to 80 % diagenetic illite of the clay fraction ( fig. 3).The isotopic composition of the footwall quartz overgrowth ( fig. 4) was δ 18 O ...
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