As a clean renewable resource, hot dry rock is widely distributed in China. Based on preliminary estimation, the available hot dry rock resources buried beneath the earth surface between 3 and 10 km account for 90% of the total geothermal resources. However, it is challenging to get these resources efficiently. The key technology for development of these resources is reservoir stimulation, which should guarantee a large reservoir volume for heat exchange, and the extraction well should keep sufficient flow rate and be sustainable for long-term heat extraction. This paper summarizes research progress of reservoir stimulation and related key technologies in world hot dry rock stimulation projects, aiming to promote the development of hot dry rock resources and research of related technologies in China.

hot dry rock  /  enhanced geothermal system  /  reservoir stimulation  /  fracture characterization