THE CHALLENGES OF FRACTURE DOMINATED SYSTEMS AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE SUBTER PROGRAM

Darcy flow in conventional porous reservoirs has dominated applications in subsurface fluid engineering, including hazardous waste treatment and management, oil and gas production, vadose zone hydrology, and geothermal energy production. However, continuum representations of porous media and Darcy flow failed to adequately represent important geological phenomena. Increasingly, the challenges of modern subsurface engineering require a different tool kits and information, specifically for systems in which fracture flow is the overwhelming feature. As such, the complex physics and mechanics of unconventional oil and gas production, management of subsurface CO2 accumulations, and recovery of geothermal energy have prompted Scientific efforts to develop new tools and approaches that more accurately reflect these systems. After decades of work, including the development sophisticated computational and geophysical systems, a community of geoscientists has called for a new effort to tackle geoscience problems of pressing national interest. These have been matched by extraordinary progress in material science. The SubTER initiative is part of that effort, with the goal of delivering mastery of the subsurface using advanced tools into Geo mechanics, geophysics, and geochemistry, and material science to make dramatic progress key issues of sustainability.