Scale-dependent fracture patterns and flow in low-enthalpy geothermal targets: the role of diagenesis and contingent nodes

Abstract

Under diagenetic conditions between ca. 50 ℃ to 250 ℃ the systematics of cement precipitation and differential infill makes network porosity, and thus permeability and strength, scale and thermal history dependent. Using examples of regional opening-mode fractures in sandstones from the Cambrian Flathead Formation, Wyoming, a low-enthalpy geothermal outcrop analog, we show that quartz deposits preferentially fill fractures up to ca. 0.05 mm wide with a transition from mostly sealed to mostly open fractures over a narrow size range of opening displacements from 0.05 to 0.1 mm. Scale- and diagenesis- dependent connectivity can be described using use rule-based node descriptions to rapidly measure diagenesis sensitive connections within the context of current field practice.  In our example, although networks have trace connectivity, effective connectivity for fluid flow is greatly reduced by quartz cement. Near some faults, trace connectivity increases as initially wide porous fractures preferentially shear and wing cracks form, increasing fracture intersections (Y-nodes). However, pore space is lost due to the development of quartz-cemented microbreccia. Macro-scale trace connectivity increases, but porous connectivity diminishes and thus potential for fluid flow is markedly lower. We illustrate how diagenesis-sensitive contingent nodes can be used to extrapolate permeability estimates to locations having different thermal histories.