Cryogenic fracturing using liquid nitrogen on granite at elevated temperatures: a case study for enhanced geothermal systems in Kazakhstan

Cryogenic fracturing using liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is a novel stimulation technology that enhances porosity, permeability, and rock-fluid contact area in subsurface formations targetted for geothermal energy extraction. In our experimental study, granite cores collected from the Zhylgyz region in South Kazakhstan were equilibrated at various elevated temperatures before treatments involving LN₂ exposure time. Compression, Brazilian, and fracture toughness tests were performed on granite with starting temperatures ranging from 100 to 500 °C to quantify the impact of initial temperature on cryogenic fracturing and to compare with baseline geomechanical tests at 50 °C without LN₂ exposure. The results show that LN₂ cooling of hot granite induces mechanical rock failure and permeability enhancement. Moreover, the degree of thermo-fracturing augments with initial granite temperature, total freezing time, and number of freezing–thawing cycles. The peak load before failure of granite specimens, both in compression and Brazilian tests, reduces with the increased sample temperature difference and length of LN₂ treatment. The fracture toughness of our semi-circular bend (SCB) LN₂-treated specimens diminished with increasing temperature difference between granite and boiling point. In both experimental LN₂ treatment processes, the specimens with an initial temperature of 500 °C before LN₂ treatment formed many new fissures and extensions of pre-existing ones, showing that the plastic behavior is augmented. While cryo-fracturing experimental confirmation is recommended with site-specific samples in planning geothermal operations, these results in our work indicate a threshold downhole temperature, e.g., > 300 °C, for enhanced stimulation outcomes.