Discrete fracture network (DFN) model simulations, where a fracture network can have a natural heterogeneity, is one of the most effective approaches in fluid flow analyses for naturally fractured and enhanced geothermal reservoirs. In the DFN model simulations, fractures are modeled by a pair of parallel smooth plates although real fractures have rough surfaces. Numerous field and laboratory o...

The Time Domain Random Walk (TDRW) method has been recently developed by Delay and Bodin [Delay, F. and Bodin, J., 2001. Time domain random walk method to simulate transport by advection-dispersion and matrix diffusion in fracture networks. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(21): 4051-4054.] and Bodin et al. [Bodin, J., Porel, G. and Delay, F., 2003c. Simulation of solute transport in discrete fracture ne...

A study of the e€ects of grid discretization on the migration of DNAPL within a discrete-fracture network embedded in a porous rock matrix is presented. It is shown that an insuciently ®ne discretization of the fracture elements can lead to an overprediction of the volume of DNAPL that continues to migrate vertically at the intersection of a vertical and horizontal fracture. Uniform discretiza...

Many geological formations consist of crystalline rock that have very low matrix permeability but allow flow through an interconnected network of fractures. Understanding the flow of groundwater through such rocks is important in considering disposal of radioactive waste in underground repositories. A specific area of interest is the conditioning of fracture transmissivities on measured values ...

Structural and topological information play a key role in modeling of flow through fractured rock. Discrete fracture network (DFN) computational suites such as dfnWorks [23] are designed to simulate flow and transport in such media. Transport calculations that use a particle tracking method reveal that a small backbone of fractures exists where most transport occurs providing a significant redu...

Fractures in geologic media are known to provide preferential pathways for fluid flow and transport of contaminants. Computations of flow and transport in fracture networks are usually performed using either a discrete fracture network (DFN) modeling approach or a continuum based approach. The DFN approach explicitly model individual elements of a network and thus is considered to provide accur...

      Many large oil and gas fields in the most productive world regions happen to be fractured. The exploration and development of these reservoirs is a true challenge for many operators. These difficulties are due to uncertainties in geological fracture properties such as aperture, length, connectivity and intensity distribution. To successfully address these challenges, it is paramount to im...