A comparison of FBG- and Brillouin-strain sensing in the framework of a decameter-scale hydraulic stimulation experiment

In the framework of the In-situ Stimulation and Circulation (ISC) experiment Fiber-Bragg-Grating (FBG) and Brillouin strain sensing systems were installed to monitor deformation during six hydraulic shearing and six hydraulic fracturing experiments. Three boreholes were dedicated to strain monitoring. Both systems are installed in the same boreholes, offering a unique opportunity to compare these systems with respect to their applicability in hydraulic stimulation tests. A total of 60 FBG sensors with 1 m base length were installed across fractures, shear zones and intact rock. Along the entire borehole length, pre-stressed optical cables for Brillouin distributed strain (DBS) sensing were embedded in grout with two installation methods: a bare cable and a cable packed and fixed with glue every 0.65 m. The strain signals were compared as time series for a given borehole depth and as profiles along the borehole axis. The study reveals that the FBG system gives a high accuracy (0.04 µ-strain) and temporal resolution (>1s) with pointwise measurements. The bare DBS leg yield good quantitative strain data with poorer strain accuracy (>500 times poorer than FBG) and poorer temporal resolution (factor of >100). The packed DBS leg provide no meaningful information about the strain field.

, 2018