蟒山讲坛第四十四期 : Controlling Permeability in Deep Subsurface Systems: From Reservoir Stimulation to Next-Generation Energy Applications

Permeability is the fundamental rate-limiting factor governing the performance of unconventional reservoirs, deep geothermal systems, and subsurface energy storage. However, current stimulation technologies remain largely empirical, focusing on fracture creation rather than control. This disconnect leads to unpredictable fracture networks, inefficient fluid flow, and long-term integrity challenges. This presentation critically evaluates existing stimulation techniques, including hydraulic fracturing, supercritical CO₂ injection, foam-based stimulation, and thermal methods, and demonstrates their limitations in controlling fracture evolution under in-situ stress conditions. By integrating insights from rock mechanics, fluid–rock interactions, and energy-driven fracture processes, the talk reframes permeability enhancement as a problem of controlled energy delivery in the subsurface. A novel framework based on time-dependent energy release is introduced, enabling regulated fracture initiation and propagation, and offering improved control over fracture density, orientation, and connectivity. This approach opens new opportunities for sustainable and efficient subsurface engineering across a wide range of applications, from hydrocarbon recovery to geothermal energy and hydrogen storage. By shifting the paradigm from passive stimulation to active control, this work highlights the need for a new generation of technologies aimed at engineering permeability rather than merely inducing it. Ranjith Pathegama Gamage，澳大利亚莫纳什大学教授、澳大利亚技术科学与工程院院士、中国工程院外籍院士、英国皇家工程院院士、欧洲科学与艺术学院院士、印度国家工程院外籍院士，莫纳什大学地球深部能源研究实验室主任、英国材料学会会员、美国土木工程师协会会员、澳大利亚工程师协会会员。发表学术论文600余篇，H指数109 (Google Scholar)，引用超过4万次。担任《Geomechanics and Geophysics for GeoEnergy and GeoResources》主编，《Unconventional Oil and Gas Resources》副主编，以及《Engineering Geology》与《Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering》编委。2017年入选江苏省外专百人计划，2019年获江苏省五一劳动奖章，2021年获江苏省友谊奖章，2025年获中国政府友谊奖和洪堡研究奖。