4D Proxy Imaging of Fracture Dilation and Stress Shadowing Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography During High Pressure Injections Into a Dense Rock Formation

Fluid flow through fractured rock systems is governed in large part by the distribution, interconnectivity, and size of fracture apertures. In-situ stress one primary factors controlling aperture, that altered significantly during high-pressure fluid injections or extractions. Interactions between stress, pore pressure, can result complex evolving poroelastic behavior with significant implications regarding predictability risk involved developing managing deep subsurface reservoirs (geothermal, fossil energy, geologic carbon sequestration). In saturated rocks, bulk electrical conductivity sensitive to both secondary porosity (i.e., matrix fractures), therefore aperture distribution. We demonstrate use time-lapse 3D resistivity tomography for remotely monitoring induced changes distribution high pressure into a dense system at scale tens meters. Results reveal continuously field involving dilations natural contractions adjacent zones shadow stress. provide information about spatiotemporal point potential imaging autonomously conditions proxy conductivity.