Operation Strategy to Avoid Thermal Short-circuit in EGSs with Horizontal Wells

Enhanced geothermal systems face a significant obstacle: thermal short-circuiting, where fluid flows through only a few fractures, limiting efficiency. This issue is particularly problematic for horizontal wells with multiple fractures. To address this challenge, we introduce a revolutionary temperature-sensitive flow management system. Equipped with real-time sensors and dynamic flow control devices, this innovative system optimizes injection and production across the lateral, effectively preventing thermal shortcuts. Utilizing this flow management system, operation strategies can be designed to determine when and where to adjust the injection and production rates within a twin-horizontal well Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Our numerical simulations demonstrate the system's impressive long-term impact. Over a 50-year period, it maintains a produced fluid temperature 40 K higher than uncontrolled systems, and thus the heat extraction efficiency can be increased significantly by simply applying the presented operation strategy. Our innovative approach has the potential to transform horizontal wells into high-performance EGS, unlocking a future of sustainable and efficient energy production.