ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Solid Earth Geophysics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feart.2025.1579468
This article is part of the Research TopicGeophysical Electromagnetic Exploration Theory, Technology and ApplicationView all 5 articles
Wide-Field Electromagnetic Method for Deep Hot Dry Rock Fracturing Monitoring: Penetrating Thick Low-Resistivity Overburden
Provisionally accepted
- 江苏省地质勘查技术院, Nanjing, China
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Hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal reservoirs represent a critical renewable energy source, yet their exploitation requires hydraulic fracturing (HF) to enhance permeability. Traditional electromagnetic (EM) methods face significant challenges in monitoring deep HDR fracturing due to the shielding effect of thick low-resistivity overburden layers (>4000 m, ρ<80 Ω•m). Here, we propose the wide-field electromagnetic method (WFEM) as a novel solution for real-time HF monitoring in such environments. Through a combination of 3D numerical simulations and field applications in the Ordovician-Cambrian HDR reservoir (4200-5600 m depth), we demonstrate WFEM's capability to detect resistivity anomalies (Δρ up to 30%) caused by fracturing fluid injection. Key parameters were optimized via forward modeling: transmitter-receiver distance (r=15 km), current (I=130 A), and electrode spacing (AB=3000 m, MN=100 m). Field data revealed distinct resistivity reduction zones (1000→25 Ω•m) aligned with fracturing wells, validating WFEM's resolution for fluid distribution mapping. This study provides the first evidence of WFEM's efficacy in deep HDR fracturing monitoring, offering a cost-effective alternative to microseismic methods in shielded geological settings.
Keywords: Keyword： Enhanced geothermal systems, Electromagnetic monitoring, Hydraulic fracture network, Resistivity anomaly, Deep reservoir characterization
Received: 19 Feb 2025; Accepted: 26 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gao, Deng, Wang and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wubing Deng, 江苏省地质勘查技术院, Nanjing, China
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