
Optimization and Design of Next-Generation Geothermal Systems Created by Multistage Hydraulic Fracturing
Multistage hydraulic stimulation has the potential to greatly expand the production of geothermal in the United States and worldwide. Zonal isolation and limited-entry completion overcome the problem of flow localization and generate hundreds or thousands of conductive fractures throughout a large volume of rock. In contrast, conventional geothermal stimulation designs are bullheaded as a single stage into a vertical or deviated wellbore, resulting in a small number of dominant flow-pathways.