Calculating the Effects of Stress on Fracture Anisotropy and CO2 Flow Vectors

In this paper, we demonstrate the importance of predicting the effects of fracture networks on flow, using a case study from the In Salah CO2 storage site in Algeria. We show how fracture permeability is closely controlled by the stress regime determining the conductive fracture network, and that the anisotropy of the conductive network is reflected in surfaces deformation imaged by InSAR. Our results demonstrate that fracture network prediction combined with present day stress analysis can be used to successfully predict CO2 movement in the sub-surface.