Experimental Rock Characterisation of Upper Pannonian Sandstones from Szentes Geothermal Field, Hungary

Péter Koroncz, Zsanett Vizhányó, Márton Pál Farkas (), Máté Kuncz, Péter Ács, Gábor Kocsis, Péter Mucsi, Anita Fedorné Szász, Ferenc Fedor and János Kovács
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Péter Koroncz: Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Zsanett Vizhányó: Geochem Geological and Environmental Research, Consultancy and Service Ltd., 7673 Kővágószőlős, Hungary
Márton Pál Farkas: Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Máté Kuncz: Geochem Geological and Environmental Research, Consultancy and Service Ltd., 7673 Kővágószőlős, Hungary
Péter Ács: Geochem Geological and Environmental Research, Consultancy and Service Ltd., 7673 Kővágószőlős, Hungary
Gábor Kocsis: Mecsekérc Ltd., 7633 Pécs, Hungary
Péter Mucsi: Mecsekérc Ltd., 7633 Pécs, Hungary
Anita Fedorné Szász: Geochem Geological and Environmental Research, Consultancy and Service Ltd., 7673 Kővágószőlős, Hungary
Ferenc Fedor: Geochem Geological and Environmental Research, Consultancy and Service Ltd., 7673 Kővágószőlős, Hungary
János Kovács: Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-22

Abstract: The Upper Pannonian (UP) sandstone formation has been utilised for thermal water production in Hungary for several decades. Although sustainable utilisation requires the reinjection of cooled geothermal brine into the host rock, only a fraction of the used water is reinjected in the country. UP sandstone formation is reported to exhibit low injectivity, making reinjection challenging, and its petrophysical properties are poorly known, which increases uncertainty in designing operational parameters. The goal of the study is to provide experimental data and to gain a better understanding of formation characteristics that control injectivity and productivity issues in Upper Pannonian sandstone layers. Petrographical characterisation and petrophysical laboratory experiments are conducted on cores retrieved from two wells drilled in the framework of an R&D project at the depth of between 1750 m and 2000 m. The experiments, such as grain density, porosity, permeability, and ultrasonic velocity, as well as thin section, grain size distribution, XRD, and SEM analyses, are used to determine Petrophysical Rock Types (PRT) that share distinct hydraulic (flow zone indicator, FZI) and petrophysical characteristics. These are used to identify well intervals with lower potential for injectivity issues. The results imply that fines migration due to formation erosion is one of the key processes that must be better understood and controlled in order to mitigate injectivity issues at the study area. Future investigation should include numerical and experimental characterisation of formation damage, including water–rock interaction tests, critical flow velocity measurements, and fines migration analysis under reservoir conditions.

Keywords: Pannonian basin; sandstone; XRD analysis; SEM analysis; thin-section analysis; permeability; porosity; Petrophysical Rock Typing; flow zone indicator; injectivity; formation damage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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