Boosting well performance in geothermal systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for extracting thermal energy from a conventional geothermal reservoir. One aspect involves drilling or accessing a production well that intersects the conventional geothermal reservoir, and detonating at least one linear shaped charge to enlarge or open a naturally-occurring fracture of the conventional geothermal reservoir at the intersection of the naturally-occurring fracture and the production well, which reduces pressures loss of fluid flow into the production well from the naturally-occurring fracture. The reduction in pressure loss can increase fluid flow into the production well to increase the amount of captured heat. The detonation of the linear shaped charge(s) can increase aperture size of at least one naturally-occurring fracture at a wellbore surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.