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Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupling analysis of spiral wellbores in horizontal wells for heat extraction from hot dry rock: A case study of the Gonghe Basin, Qinghai, China

Author

Listed:
  • Jiang, Sheng
  • Chen, Chen
  • Zhang, Shanling
  • Xu, Zhenhua
  • Liu, Xiang
  • Tu, Guigang
  • Zhao, Songying

Abstract

The development of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) as a sustainable high-temperature geothermal resource has gained increasing attention in renewable energy applications. This study employs a three-dimensional thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupled finite element model to assess the feasibility of spiral wellbores in U-shaped Closed-Loop Geothermal Systems (UCLGS) for HDR extraction. The heat extraction performance of spiral wellbores was evaluated over 50 years and compared with cylindrical wellbores. The distribution patterns of the reservoir temperature field during heat extraction with spiral and cylindrical wellbores were investigated. Additionally, the evolution of the reservoir stress and displacement fields during heat extraction was analyzed, exploring the response mechanisms of these fields. Results indicate that the spiral wellbore demonstrates superior thermal extraction performance compared to the cylindrical wellbore, with production temperature, wellbore heat extraction per linear meter, and power generation increasing by 12.67 %, 23.73 %, and 27.07 %, respectively. However, spiral wellbores also induce more significant stress and displacement responses within the reservoir. This research provides valuable insights into the long-term evolution of reservoir stress and displacement, offering references for spiral wellbore application in UCLGS.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiang, Sheng & Chen, Chen & Zhang, Shanling & Xu, Zhenhua & Liu, Xiang & Tu, Guigang & Zhao, Songying, 2025. "Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical coupling analysis of spiral wellbores in horizontal wells for heat extraction from hot dry rock: A case study of the Gonghe Basin, Qinghai, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 319(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:319:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225007005
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.135058
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