Kai Bröker

I am a postdoctoral researcher with a background in applied geophysics and earth sciences. My work focuses on in-situ stress measurements and hydromechanical processes in fractured rock masses. By developing innovative methods for in-situ stress measurements and exploring the coupled thermo-hydromechanical processes governing subsurface fluid flow, I aim to advance the sustainable use of the subsurface for renewable geothermal energy and CO2 storage.

During my PhD, I investigated stress measurement techniques in granitic reservoirs and the implications of the stress field and its heterogeneity for hydraulic stimulations. My research encompassed geomechanical characterization methods, including mini-frac tests, borehole breakout analysis, and hydraulic stimulation experiments in the fractured crystalline rock mass of the Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies in Ticino, Switzerland. I was involved in conducting hectometer scale (~ 100 m) hydraulic stimulation experiments at depths greater than 1.1 km to investigate the seismo-hydromechanical response of the rock mass to fluid injections. This work provided me with extensive experience in planning and managing large-scale field experiments as part of an interdisciplinary team.