| Summary: | The extraction of geothermal energy, in situ minerals, liquid and gas hydrocarbons, and subsurface
water are all constrained by the flow of fluid through fractured media in the earth’s crust, as is the
viability of projects involving CO2 sequestration, nuclear and hazardous waste storage, hydrocarbon
storage, and subsurface cavities. Subsurface fractures are the main fluid pathways as the matrix
permeability is negligible in most rocks. In situ recovery (ISR) or in situ leaching (ISL), particularly
in hard rock, poses some challenges currently. One of the main problems is the modelling of fluid
flow in fractured rock masses, and this was the primary focus of this project. Modelling fluid flow in
fractures can be done in many ways. The modelling showed that ISL in hard rock demonstrates
potential. However, the modelling also exhibited the need for advancements in the fluid flow in
fractures modelling area. In this paper comprehensive review of developed approaches for subsurface
fracture mapping, processing and characterisation to build a fractured rock mass geometry and fluid
flow simulation and mineral leachability along with examples were illustrated.
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