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The stress regime in a Rotliegend reservoir of the Northeast German Basin

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Abstract

In-situ stresses have significant impact, either positive or negative, on the short and long term behaviour of fractured reservoirs. The knowledge of the stress conditions are therefore important for planning and utilization of man-made geothermal reservoirs. The geothermal field Groß Schönebeck (40 km north of Berlin/Germany) belongs to the key sites in the northeastern German Basin. We present a stress state determination for this Lower Permian (Rotliegend) reservoir by an integrated approach of 3D structural modelling, 3D fault mapping, stress ratio definition based on frictional constraints, and slip-tendency analysis. The results indicate stress ratios of the minimum horizontal stress S hmin being equal or increasing 0.55 times the amount of the vertical stress S V (S hmin ≥ 0.55S V ) and of the maximum horizontal stress S Hmax ≤ 0.78–1.00S V in stress regimes from normal to strike slip faulting. Thus, acting stresses in the 4,100-m deep reservoir are S V  = 100 MPa, S hmin = 55 MPa and S Hmax = 78−100 MPa. Values from hydraulic fracturing support these results. Various fault sets of the reservoir are characterized in terms of their potential to conduct geothermal fluids based on their slip and dilatation tendency. This combined approach can be adopted to any other geothermal site investigation.

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Abbreviations

NEGB:

Northeast German Basin

S Hmax :

Maximum horizontal stress

S hmin :

Minimum horizontal stress

S V :

Vertical stress

S 1 :

Maximum principle stress

S 2 :

Intermediate principle stress

S 3 :

Minimum principle stress

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Acknowledgments

Special thank is addressed to Agust Gudmundsson and an anonymous referee for helpful and improving comments on this article. Thank is also addressed to D. Bruhn and H. Milsch for valuable advice. We wish to thank Gaz de France-PEG for data release, specially G. Voigtländer and C. Schreyer for friendly cooperation. The 3D model is processed with earthVision®, Dynamic Graphics Inc. (DGI) and 3Dstress, Midland Valley. This multidisciplinary project is a joint research project funded by BMWi, BMBF, BMU, MWI and MWFK.

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Author notes

  1. Heinz-Gerd Holl

    Present address: Schlumberger Oilfield Australia Pty Ltd., 127 Creek Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section Geothermics, GFZ Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Inga Moeck & Heinz-Gerd Holl

  2. TU Berlin, Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587, Berlin, Germany

    Heinz Schandelmeier

Authors
  1. Inga Moeck
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  2. Heinz Schandelmeier
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  3. Heinz-Gerd Holl
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Correspondence to Inga Moeck.

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Moeck, I., Schandelmeier, H. & Holl, HG. The stress regime in a Rotliegend reservoir of the Northeast German Basin. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 98, 1643–1654 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-008-0316-1

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