WP4 will demonstrate many of the technologies and methodologies of WP1-3 at the full reservoir scale (TRL 5-7), exploiting the FORGE Utah EGS laboratory facility. Demonstration at full scale, in real-time (thus without the benefit of hindsight) under imperfect real-world conditions is a critical step towards validating the technological, and methodological advances and moving them towards operation. The various experimental stimulations and flow tests to be implemented at FORGE over the next three years will provide unique testing opportunities for new instrumentation, newly developed real-time processing and forecasting methods. WP4 cuts across DEEP and is an important component of bringing the next level of EGS de-risking technology from its current TRL 2-4 stage to the TRL 5-7 stage. Further, WP4 serves as an interface between the academic institutions and industrial operators, who will need to professionalize and implement targeted workflows for de-risking for their respective EGS projects, such as Haute Sorne, Switzerland. Further, this work package will allow for transfer of knowledge, methods and software between academia and industry.
Lastly, WP4 enables transfer of knowledge gained between individual projects, with the potential to fill in existing gaps in national approaches in addressing induced seismicity. This is a critical step towards harmonized best practices (WP5). While the full experimental schedule of stimulations at FORGE is still pending, it is anticipated that the first full-scale stimulations will happen in 2021 and further activities, including additional stimulation occurring throughout the 5-year main period of FORGE. This timeline is ideal for DEEP as it allows us to include learning from earlier tests in later experiments.
Lead: LBNL
Participants: UUTAH, GES, ETH, IEG, DIAS, EOST and Nori Nakata
Contact: Donald Vasco and Nori Nakata