Benoît Valley is full professor at the University of Neuchâtel since 2020, established the Geothermics and Reservoir Geomechanics Laboratory and is director of the Center for Hydrogeology and Geothermics (CHYN) since 2022. His research lies at the interface of structural geology and geomechanics, and focuses on stress and fracture characterization, the relationship between stress and structure, the strength of rocks and rock masses, and the experimental study of thermo-hydro-mechanical processes occurring in rock masses. His research findings are applied to geothermal energy, heat storage, CO2 storage and nuclear waste sequestration.

He is committed to promoting dialogue between research, society and industry, notably through his activities on the steering committee of CHGEOL (the Swiss association of geologists) and his membership of SCNAT's geoscience platform presidium.

During his studies, Benoît Valley received the Bernard Kübler and Jean Landry Prize (2002) from the University of Neuchâtel. From 2002 to 2007, he worked in the engineering geology group at ETH Zürich. His first project concerned the characterization and modeling of a shallow landslide in soil. In 2007, he completed his PhD on the subject of fracture network and stress characterization in the deep granite of Soultz-sous-Forêts (European geothermal project). From 2007 to 2012, he worked as a researcher and consultant in Canada at the MIRARCO Geomechanics Research Center, and developed research programs at CEMI, the Center of Excellence in Mining Innovation. After a brief engagement at the Institute of Geology of ETH Zürich as Senior Scientist in 2013, he joined the University of Neuchâtel as Assistant Professor in 2014 and was appointed Ordinary Professor in 2020.

• Stress field characterization for deep engineering projects / various projects including SPINE supported by the EU
• Heat storage
• Stability of wells under thermo-mechanical constraints / TIBEX project supported by the SFOE
• Hydro-seismo-tectonics and hydromechanical couplings

Bachelor in natural systems

• Introduction to geosciences: the Earth system
• Geosciences and sustainability: life, water, energy, climate
• General geology practical work
• Methods and tools of geologists
• Experiences in applied geology
• Geology field trips

Master in hydrogeology and geothermal energy

• Fractured systems
• Engineering geology and geotechnics
• Groundwater supply and protection
• Hydrogeophysics and borehole geophysics

Dutler NO, Valley B, Amann F, et al (2021) Poroelasticity Contributes to Hydraulic-Stimulation Induced Pressure Changes. Geophysical Research Letters 48:e2020GL091468. 

Kakurina M, Guglielmi Y, Nussbaum C, Valley B (2020) In Situ Direct Displacement Information on Fault Reactivation During Fluid Injection. Rock Mech Rock Eng 53:4313–4328. 

Krietsch H, Gischig VS, Doetsch J, et al (2020) Hydro-mechanical processes and their influence on the stimulation effected volume: Observations from a decameter-scale hydraulic stimulation project. Solid Earth Discussions 1–43.

Gischig VS, Giardini D, Amann F, et al (2019) Hydraulic stimulation and fluid circulation experiments in underground laboratories: Stepping up the scale towards engineered geothermal systems. Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment 100175. 

Dutler N, Valley B, Gischig V, Villiger L, Krietsch H, Doetsch J, Brixel B, Jalali M, Amann F. 2019. Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in a Heterogeneous Stress Field in a Crystalline Rock Mass. Solid Earth Discussions.

• Toutes les publications : libra - Publications scientifiques