Groundwater changes in the Wairakei–Tauhara geothermal system

Overlying most of the Wairakei–Tauhara geothermal system is a sequence of shallow aquifers. Some of these are groundwaters heated by fluids escaping from the deep geothermal reservoir, others are cold; some are extensive and confined, others are perched, unconfined and of limited extent. Water levels of some of the shallow aquifers have declined at various times throughout the history of geothermal development. One of the mechanisms causing the observed changes is an increase in groundwater downflow into depressurizing steam zones. This occurs through natural fractures that once channelled the ascent of two-phase fluids. Another important mechanism is internal downflow within boreholes connecting permeable aquifers that were otherwise hydrologically separated. These cool downflows have had a significant impact on the deeper reservoir, and also affect the discharge characteristics of surface thermal features. However, in the Southern Tauhara sector, outflows of dilute chloride fluid from shallow thermal aquifers have not been affected by the deep pressure drawdown. This could be attributed to liquid or two-phase upflow continuing to recharge the chloride component in the south, or to significant quantities of residual chloride in a large geothermally heated aquifer still masking recharge depletion that has occurred during the last 50 years.     

Deep fluid circulation and isotopic alteration in The Geysers geothermal system: profile models

Rock alteration patterns related to the large felsic intrusive complex (felsite) beneath The Geysers steam field (California, USA) are important indicators of the origins of the modern geothermal system. Metagreywacke host rocks for the system show widespread moderate oxygen isotope alteration in the permeable steam reservoir above the felsite, with concentrated alteration low on the flanks of the intrusion. Numerical models of fluid, heat and oxygen isotope transport in the pre-development (natural state) Geysers system demonstrate that an unbroken caprock is required throughout the liquid-dominated lifetime of the system to produce this pattern. The widespread moderate alteration throughout the steam reservoir suggests a long-lived liquid system, and probably required upwardly increasing permeability in the steam reservoir. The models indicate that the maximum hydrothermal lifetime for the system is 0.5 million years (Myr), whereas the youngest dated large intrusive is 1.2 Myr. Combined, these factors indicate repeated igneous intrusions at The Geysers, up to at least 0.5–0.6 Myr ago, and development of a stable liquid-dominated system after that, the evolution of which was truncated by a relatively recent transition to vapor-dominated conditions. Observed chemical compartmentalization of fluids in The Geysers steam reservoir is inconsistent with the lateral extensiveness of alteration at depth, since the latter requires good horizontal connectivity of deep permeable zones to allow penetration of ¹⁸O-depleted fluids. This compartmentalization is probably recent, developing as a consequence of vapor-dominated conditions introducing relative permeability effects. Petrologic evidence for high paleo-fluid temperatures (300°C) within 1 km of the surface is difficult to reconcile with subdued ¹⁸O alteration beneath these locations. These peak paleotemperatures are likely to indicate small, short-lived penetrations of the caprock. Natural-state models allow the combined influence of these factors on the evolution of The Geysers to be analyzed quantitatively. Internet-accessible graphical animations of these results are available at http://www.utdallas.edu/∼brikowi/Research/Geysers.     

Material balance depletion models for two-phase and vapor-dominated geothermal reservoirs

Material balance calculations, often referred to as “zero-dimensional” or “lumped element” reservoir evaluations, have been used extensively in petroleum and geothermal engineering. This paper presents a Havlena and Odeh-type (J. Petrol. Technol. Aug. 1963) material balance depletion model for two-phase reservoirs incorporating adsorption phenomena. A straight line, formed between groups of thermodynamic and adsorption properties of water and the cumulative production history, provides the initial fluid-in-place and the size of the vapor-dominated “steam cap”. Adsorption phenomena were found by Economides and Miller (Paper SPE 12740, California regional meeting, Soc. Petrol. Engrs, 1984) to be the controlling mechanism in the depletion of vapor-dominated geothermal reservoirs. A material balance for vapor-dominated geothermal reservoirs, demonstrating the importance of adsorption phenomena, is also presented. A straight line provides the initial fluid-in-place.     

Correlations between steam saturation, fluid composition and well decline in vapor-dominated reservoirs

A large body of field data from Larderello and other vapor-dominated geothermal reservoirs shows striking temporal correlations between (1) decline of well flow rate, (2) gas/steam ratio, (3) chloride concentration, (4) degree of superheat and (5) vapor fraction. The latter is inferred from concentrations of non-condensible gases in samples of well fluid, using chemical phase equilibrium principles. Observed temporal changes in the vapor fraction can be interpreted in terms of a “multiple source” model, as suggested by D'Amore and Truesdell (1979, Models for steam chemistry at Larderello and The Geysers. Proc. 5th Workshop Geothermal Reserv. Engng, Stamford, California, pp. 283–297). This provides clues to the dynamics of reservoir depletion and to the evaluation of well productivity and longevity.     

Controls on the Karaha–Telaga Bodas geothermal reservoir,Indonesia

Karaha–Telaga Bodas is a partially vapor-dominated, fracture-controlled geothermal system located adjacent to Galunggung Volcano in western Java, Indonesia. The geothermal system consists of: (1) a caprock, ranging from several hundred to 1600 m in thickness, and characterized by a steep, conductive temperature gradient and low permeability; (2) an underlying vapor-dominated zone that extends below sea level; and (3) a deep liquid-dominated zone with measured temperatures up to 353 °C. Heat is provided by a tabular granodiorite stock encountered at about 3 km depth. A structural analysis of the geothermal system shows that the effective base of the reservoir is controlled either by the boundary between brittle and ductile deformational regimes or by the closure and collapse of fractures within volcanic rocks located above the brittle/ductile transition. The base of the caprock is determined by the distribution of initially low-permeability lithologies above the reservoir; the extent of pervasive clay alteration that has significantly reduced primary rock permeabilities; the distribution of secondary minerals deposited by descending waters; and, locally, by a downward change from a strike-slip to an extensional stress regime. Fluid-producing zones are controlled by both matrix and fracture permeabilities. High matrix permeabilities are associated with lacustrine, pyroclastic, and epiclastic deposits. Productive fractures are those showing the greatest tendency to slip and dilate under the present-day stress conditions. Although the reservoir appears to be in pressure communication across its length, fluid, and gas chemistries vary laterally, suggesting the presence of isolated convection cells.     

A model for the sulphur springs geothermal field St Lucia

A model to explain the behaviour of the Sulphur Springs geothermal field has been derived from downhole temperature records in the exploration boreholes. The model incorporates a main reservoir at 1 – 1.5 km depth, intersected by steeply inclined fissures which carry steam and gas to the well bores, and to the natural fumaroles. A substantial decline in the gas content of the steam could have serious consequences where the fissures are utilised as conduits between the boreholes and the deep reservoir. Further development of the field should concentrate on the fissures around 300 m or on the reservoir itself around 1000 – 1500 m.     

Hydrofluorocarbons as geothermal vapor-phase tracers

Two hydrofluorocarbons, R-134a and R-23, have been developed for use as a vapor-phase tracer in geothermal systems. These low molecular weight compounds are volatile, electrically neutral, nontoxic, relatively inexpensive, and have detection limits as low as 10⁻⁵ ppm. Data from laboratory and field tests indicate that they are stable enough to be used as tracers in vapor-dominated systems such as The Geysers. However, these compounds have a higher volatility than water, which affects the rate of transfer of the tracer from the liquid injectate to reservoir steam during boiling. Simple analytic models of boiling were used to estimate the effects of the high tracer volatilities on the outcome of tracer tests in vapor-dominated systems. The results imply that the effects of volatility are exaggerated under conditions of high superheat, which promote the continuous removal of steam from the vicinity of the boiling interface. In contrast, low to moderate superheat reduces the effects of volatility to the extent that the volatile-tracer test results qualitatively resemble those in which tritiated water is used as a tracer. Thus, volatile tracers can be used with confidence to qualitatively describe the distribution of injected water in vapor-dominated systems where superheat is low to moderate.     

Novel insights on the impact of top water on Steam‐Assisted Gravity Drainage in a point bar reservoir

As efforts are made to efficiently exploit and recover bitumen resources in Canada, increasingly more complex reservoirs in the Athabasca area continue to challenge the application of Steam‐Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technology. Several studies have been done to investigate the impact of heterogeneities/complexities such as shale barriers, lean zones, and top and bottom water on the performance of the SAGD process. However, the literature is deficient for point bar deposits with top water zones, a common occurrence in oil sands systems. This study, by using thermal reservoir simulation, examines SAGD performance in a point bar deposit reservoir where an overlying top water and an inclined heterolithic strata (IHS) is present. The results show that where the top water is unconfined and steam injection pressure is higher than that of the top water zone, there is a loss of thermal energy, but the top water does not impact steam chamber development. At steam injection pressure lower than that of the top water zone, top water continuously drains into the reservoir and constrains the size of the chamber. However, the IHS zone helps to delay drainage of the top water into the chamber when steam is injected at underbalanced conditions. Finally, under proper steam injection pressure conditions, top water production can be considerably delayed.     

Numerical modeling of Basin and Range geothermal systems

Basic qualitative relationships for extensional geothermal systems that include structure, heat input, and permeability distribution have been established using numerical models. Extensional geothermal systems, as described in this paper, rely on deep circulation of groundwater rather than on cooling igneous bodies for heat, and rely on extensional fracture systems to provide permeable upflow paths. A series of steady-state, two-dimensional simulation models is used to evaluate the effect of permeability and structural variations on an idealized, generic Basin and Range geothermal system of the western U.S.Extensional geothermal systems can only exist in a relatively narrow range of basement (bulk) permeability (10⁻¹⁵ m² to 10⁻¹⁶ m²). Outside of this window, shallow subsurface fault zone temperatures decrease rapidly. Mineral self-sealing does not significantly affect the flow system until the flow path is almost completely sealed off. While topography gives an extra “kick” to convective circulation, it is not a requirement for geothermal system development. Flow from the ranges to the fault dominates the circulation, while secondary flow systems exist on the range front slopes. A permeable fault in one valley can also induce cross-range flow if there are no equally good upflow paths in the adjacent valleys. When bulk permeability is high enough, additional deep circulation cells develop in adjacent valleys, diverting heat and fluid from the fault and consequently reducing temperatures in the fault itself. Qualitative comparison between temperature–depth logs from actual geothermal systems and from the generic models is a significant aid to understanding real-world geothermal fluid flow, and suggests new or better interpretations of existing systems.     

Analysis of reservoir pressure and decline curves in Serrazzano zone, Larderello geothermal field

An estimate of reserves in the Serrazzano reservoir was obtained from mass balance studies and production decline curve analyses.The Serrazzano reservoir consists of a geometrically well-defined structural high of permeable formations separated from the other productive regions of the Larderello field.Deep drilling began in the 1930s and was limited to a small area exhibiting natural manifestations. After the second World War the area of drilling was extended to about 20 km². Currently the drilling area is about the same. Even though the reservoir has been producing steam since the 1930s, a systematic collection of production data did not begin until after 1953.Data on average reservoir pressures were not available for the material balance calculations made in the study reported here. Calculated bottom hole pressures of shut-in wells were taken therefore to represent local static reservoir pressures. These pressures were used to calculate an “average reservoir pressure” which was graphed as a function of cumulative production. The reservoir pressure history corresponding to the first half of current cumulative production is not known. Data for the second half indicate a linear relationship between “reservoir pressure” and cumulative production.The conventional straight-line p/z vs cumulative production material balance relationship is known to be correct, of course, for closed single-phase gas reservoirs. The validity of this linearity for stream-producing systems with boiling water has not been proved. Regardless of this, the following observations were made: a line connecting the available data points extrapolated back to zero production indicates an initial reservoir pressure approximating at least 40 atm. Extrapolating the same data to zero reservoir pressure indicates the total initial steam in place to be about 170 × 10⁶ tons.An empirical type-curve matching technique was applied to the production decline curves of wells in the reservoir. The curve for each well was extrapolated to infinite production time to obtain an estimate of total past and future production. Summing these values for all producing wells in the reservoir, an estimated total production (past and future) of 200 × 10⁶ tons was obtained.The agreement between the estimated total production applying material balance principles and decline curve analyses is remarkably good. Although these results may be useful, further field and theoretical work are necessary to prove their validity.     

Geoelectric study of some indian geothermal areas

The electrical resistivity technique has been used extensively in the Indian sub-continent for the exploration of geothermal areas. The first systematic application of the resistivity method for locating the geothermal reservoir was made in the Puga area, which is situated very close to the collision junction of the Indian and the Asian plates and has numerous hot springs with temperatures varying from 30 to 84°C (boiling point at that altitude). The resistivity depth probes indicated the presence of a conductive zone, with a value of 10–25 ohm·m and a thickness varying from 50 to 300 m over an area of 3 km², which was inferred to correspond to a shallow thermal reservoir. Thermal surveys also revealed a significant anomaly corresponding to this zone, which, when drilled, encountered a reservoir of wet steam with a temperature of up to 135°C, thus confirming the results of the resistivity surveys. Somewhat similar results have been obtained in the adjoining area, where much thicker zones with moderate electrical conductivity have been mapped.Another significant application of the electrical resistivity method has been made in the NNW-SSE extending West Coast geothermal belt of India, which is covered by Traps (Basalts) of the Cretaceous-Eocene. The area is characterized by the existence of a number of hot springs, with temperature up to 70°C, along a 400 km long alignment, associated with steep gravity gradients and an isolated occurrence of native mercury in the zone of a gravity “high”. The enigmatic geology of this area has been mapped, giving quantitative estimates of the thickness of the Traps and inferring the structural features. In addition, the electrical resistivity depth probes have also been used to identify the pre-Trappean geology, thereby locating the probable areas which could act as geothermal reservoirs.This paper presents the results of the electrical resistivity surveys in the form of geoelectric sections for some of the geothemal fields in the Indian sub-continent.     

Reinjection studies of vapor-dominated systems

Reinjection of produced brines is currently being considered for Larderello and other vapor-dominated geothermal fields as a potential means for safe disposal and enhanced energy recovery. In this context is it necessary to develop a detailed assessment of the impact of injection on reservoir performance, in particular on power output and reservoir longevity.As a step towards such an assessment, the present work explores the effects of cold water injection into idealized model reservoirs using numerical simulation techniques. The rock matrix parameters and thermodynamic conditions employed are representative of the Larderello steam fields.One-dimensional radial flow near an injection well is modeled to study in detail the propagation of hydrodynamic and temperature fronts. Simulated results are subjected to single-phase pressure transient analysis to examine the applicability of this technique for determination of formation parameters.Gravity effects for injection into a thick two-phase reservoir are studied within a vertical two-dimensional mesh. Comparisons are made between shallow and deep injection.Mixed production/injection schemes are investigated for a five-spot geometry using an areal two-dimensional mesh. It is found that production pressures and power output change little due to injection, whereas longevity of the field can be substantially increased.A one-dimensional vertical column representing a cross-section of Larderello is used to study the effects of injection at different depths in the more depleted zones of this reservoir.     

Reservoir engineering assessment of Dubti geothermal field,Northern Tendaho Rift,Ethiopia

Following on from surface exploration surveys performed during the 1970s and early 1980s, exploration drilling was carried out in the Tendaho Rift, in Central Afar (Ethiopia), from October 1993 to June 1995. Three deep and one shallow well were drilled in the central part of the Northern Tendaho Rift to verify the existence of a geothermal reservoir and its possible utilisation for electric power generation. The project was jointly financed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Project activities were performed by the Ethiopian Institute of Geological Surveys and Aquater SpA. The main reservoir engineering data discussed in this paper were collected during drilling and testing of the above four wells, three of which are located inside the Dubti Cotton Plantation, in which a promising hydrothermal area was identified by surface exploration surveys. Drilling confirmed the existence of a liquid-dominated shallow reservoir inside the Dubti Plantation, characterised by a boiling-point-for-depth temperature distribution down to about 500 m depth. The main permeable zones in the Sedimentary Sequence, which is made up of lacustrine deposits, are located in correspondence to basalt lava flow interlayerings, or at the contact between volcanic and sedimentary rocks. At depth, the basaltic lava flows that characterise the Afar Stratoid Series seem to have low permeability, with the exception of fractured zones associated with sub-vertical faults. Two different upflows of geothermal fluids have been inferred: one flow connected to the Dubti fault feeds the shallow reservoir crossed by wells TD-2 and TD-4, where a maximum temperature of 245 °C was recorded; the second flow seems to be connected with a fault located east of well TD-1, where the maximum recorded temperature was 270 °C. A schematic conceptual model of the Dubti hydrothermal area, as derived from reservoir engineering studies integrated with geological, geophysical and geochemical data, has been tested by numerical simulation, using the TOUGH2/EWASG code. Preliminary simulations, using a simple 3-D numerical model of the Dubti fault area, showed that measured temperature and pressure distribution, as well as evaluated non-condensable gas pressure at reservoir conditions, are compatible with the rise of geothermal fluid, at about 290 °C, along the sub-vertical Dubti fault from beneath the surface manifestations DB1, DB2 and DB3 located at the south-eastern end of the fault. According to the proven shallow field potential, development of this field could meet the predicted electricity requirements of Central Afar until the year 2015.     

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project: a search for deep unconventional geothermal resources

The Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) is a long-term program to improve the economics of geothermal energy by producing supercritical hydrous fluids from drillable depths. Producing supercritical fluids will require the drilling of wells and the sampling of fluids and rocks to depths of 3.5–5 km, and at temperatures of 450–600 °C. The IDDP plans to drill and test a series of such deep boreholes in the Krafla, Nesjavellir and Reykjanes geothermal fields in Iceland. Beneath these three developed high-temperature systems frequent seismic activity continues below 5 km, indicating that, even at supercritical temperatures, the rocks are brittle and therefore likely to be permeable, even where the temperature is assumed to exceed 550–650 °C. Temperature gradients are greater and fluid salinities smaller at Nesjavellir and Krafla than at Reykjanes. However, an active drilling program is underway at Reykjanes to expand the existing generating capacity and the field operator has offered to make available one of a number of 2.5 km deep wells to be the first to be deepened to 5 km by the IDDP. In addition to its potential economic significance, drilling deep at this location, on the landward extension of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is of great interest to the international science community. This paper examines the prospect of producing geothermal fluids from deep wells drilled into a reservoir at supercritical temperatures and pressures. Since fluids drawn from a depth of 4000–5000 m may prove to be chemically hostile, the wellbore and casing must be protected while the fluid properties are being evaluated. This will be achieved by extracting the fluids through a narrow retrievable liner called the “pipe”. Modelling indicates that if the wellhead enthalpy is to exceed that of conventionally produced geothermal steam, the reservoir temperature must be higher than 450 °C. A deep well producing 0.67 m³/s steam (2400 m³/h) from a reservoir with a temperature significantly above 450 °C could, under favourable conditions, yield enough high-enthalpy steam to generate 40–50 MW of electric power. This exceeds by an order of magnitude the power typically obtained from a conventional geothermal well in Iceland. The aim of the IDDP is to determine whether utilization of heat from such an unconventional geothermal resource at supercritical conditions will lead to increased productivity of wells at a competitive cost. If the IDDP is an economic success, this same approach could be applied in other high-temperature volcanic geothermal systems elsewhere, an important step in enhancing the geothermal industry worldwide.     

Numerical simulation of `multiphase tracer transport in fractured geothermal reservoirs

Tracer transport in two-phase (liquid–gas) conditions is a complex process that involves advection, diffusion, and hydrodynamic dispersion. Volatile tracers may be strongly affected by partitioning between gas and liquid phases, and by exchanges between fractures and rock matrix. This paper presents a space-discretized treatment of tracer diffusion under multiphase conditions that is fully coupled with equilibrium phase partitioning. Our method is self-consistent and is applicable to any combination of gas and liquid phases in single and two-phase conditions, including the extreme case of diffusion across a sharp gas–water interface. It is shown that an uncoupled approach, in which diffusive fluxes in gas and liquid phases are evaluated separately and added, can lead to large errors. The coupled treatment of multiphase tracer diffusion has been implemented in the general-purpose geothermal reservoir simulator TOUGH2. Applications to strongly and weakly depleted zones at The Geysers vapor-dominated reservoir produce breakthrough curves (BTCs) whose features (timing, peak, tail) agree well with field observations.     

Well-testing in travale-radicondoli field. Part V. Concluding statement on pressure transient studies made from well tests in the Travele-Radicondoli reservoir

The theory and applications of pressure transient (well test) analysis have been studied intensively for more than 40 yr by petroleum reservoir engineers and groundwater hydrologists. Only in the past decade, however, have geothermal-fluid wells been tested for the purpose of making pressure transient studies. Results of these studies disclose various well conditions, for example, restrictions to fluid flow into the wellbore. They also disclose reservoir heterogeneities, boundaries and permeability-thickness products of reservoir rocks. Probably most important, they can be used in estimations of energy reserves. This powerful analytical tool is discussed with special reference to the Travale reservoir.This reservoir is complicated geologically and hydrologically. It lies on the margin of a graben near a widespread outcrop of the reservoir rocks, which also form an absorption area for the meteoric waters. The area explored can be divided into three zones: in one of these (the nearest to the absorption area) some noncommercial wells produce two-phase water-steam mixtures; in the second zone the wells produce superheated steam, while a well drilled in the graben itself produces a fluid with an uncondensable gas content of about 80%. The reservoir is described in relation to defining areas for further exploration. The nature of the reservoir has affected the design of programs for collecting pressure-production data and other well performance data. The performance history prior to the advent of pressure transient studies pertains mainly to what is known as the ‘old’ Travale reservoir to the southwest of the ‘new’ Travale-Radicondoli reservoir in which the more recent wells are drilled and in which modern well test analysis methods have been applied. Data on the “old” reservoir are discussed first.Because of its initial performance and relationship to nearby wells the most important well in the “new” reservoir is Travale well 22. It has been subjected to extensive well testing. Nearly all the wells in the “new” reservoir have been involved, however, through well-interference tests. In these tests the wells surrounding Travale well 22 are shut in and their pressure responses to different Travale well 22 production rates are measured. Well interference tests indicate the characteristics of fluid flow in the reservoir between test wells and in a qualitative way the heterogeneous nature of the reservoir itself.Pressure transient theory is developed from ideal system behavior: one vertical, fully-penetrating well producing at a constant rate from a horizontal reservoir of uniform thickness and of infinite extent in any direction from the wellbore. A great deal of research has been done to aid well-test analysts in their interpretation of pressure buildup and pressure drawdown curves constructed from data taken on wells in actual reservoirs. This research generally is accomplished with model studies. Some of the models developed in the present research fit reasonably well with the build-up behavior of Travale well 22.The research done on the Travale reservoir is summarized here with the objective of showing what has been learned, how it can be applied, and what should be done next. Confidence in applications of pressure transient analyses in the Travale reservoir has been gained. New concepts of the reservoir system have emerged as a result of the research. Additional testing and more precise measurements in the field should lead to good engineering estimates of energy reserves.     

Potential for surface gas flux measurements in exploration and surface evaluation of geothermal resources

Anomalous concentrations of CO₂ and, to a lesser extent, CH₄ have been detected over many active geothermal systems. The production of these gases, and of N₂O, can be affected by both geothermal and biological processes. In this investigation, soil gas and soil-gas fluxes were measured at the Cove Fort-Sulphurdale geothermal field in Utah, which produces steam from both liquid- and vapor-dominated portions of the resource. The objectives were to determine the sources of these gases, the factors controlling their production, and the potential application to surface exploration and reservoir evaluation. Flux measurements were made in both summer and winter to evaluate and to quantify variations in seasonal noise.Carbon dioxide in soil gas, and in fluxes from the soil to the atmosphere during the summer sampling were dominated by soil respiration processes. During the winter, a geothermal component was visible. Methane fluxes were small negative values during the summer months, reflecting methanotrophic oxidation of atmospheric CH₄ and, possibly, geothermal CH₄ in the soils. Nitrous oxide in soil gas and in soil-gas fluxes to the atmosphere also varied seasonally. Surprisingly high concentrations were observed at locations directly above the steam cap. We suggest that NH₃ produced in the geothermal reservoir by the Haber reaction was seeping upward where it was biologically oxidized to NO₃⁻. This oxidation, and possible localized biological reduction of NO₃⁻ to N₂, produced moderate amounts of N₂O, averaging three times typical background flux rates and ten times background over the central portion of the geothermal area.There were higher fluxes of CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O over the steam cap and the surrounding area, relative to background values. The high flux may reflect seepage of gas along faults that intersect the more extensive liquid-dominated portion of the reservoir. Nitrous oxide measurements in soil gas and soil-gas fluxes to the atmosphere offer promise as an exploration and reservoir characterization tool.     

Reinjection experiment at the matsukawa vapor-dominated geothermal field: Increase in steam production and secondary heat recovery from the reservoir

A reinjection experiment has been conducted in an attempt to sustain reservoir pressure and steam production and to extract remaining heat energy in the superheated reservoir in the Matsukawa vapor-dominated geothermal field. This experiment was undertaken because the increase in superheat of produced steam and the decline of steam production are the current major issues for stable operation of the power plant. Almost all the reinjected fluid into well MR 1 was recovered from well M5, and the steam production of well M5 has increased by approximately 67%.     

Aluto-langano geothermal field, ethiopian rift valley: physical characteristics and the effects of gas on well performance

This study, which focuses on the Aluto-Langano geothermal field, is part of the ongoing investigations of the geothermal systems in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Aluto-Langano is a water-dominated gas-rich geothermal field, with a maximum temperature close to 360°C, in the Lakes District region of the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The upflow zone for the system lies along a deep, young NNE trending fault and is characterized by boiling. As a result, the deep upflow zone loses some water as steam and produces a cooler saline shallow aquifer. The high partial pressure of carbon dioxide (about 30 bar in the reservoir) depresses the water table and restricts boiling to deeper levels. The main aquifer for the system is in the Tertiary ignimbrite, which lies below 1400 m. The capacity of the existing wells is close to 7 MW_c; the energy potential of the area is estimated to be between 3000 and 6000 MW_t yr km⁻³, or 10–20 MW_c km⁻³ for over 30 years.     

Gravity changes in the Tauhara sector of the Wairakei–Tauhara geothermal field,New Zealand

Five microgravity surveys, done between 1972 and 2006, show that in the northern part of the Tauhara geothermal field there were large gravity decreases prior to 1985 associated with the expansion of steam zones resulting from pressure drawdown caused by fluid extraction at Wairakei. Since 1985 there have been gravity increases of up to 240 μgal in the northern part of Tauhara, corresponding to a mass increase of about 20 Mt. The gravity increases are centred near the unused deep well TH4, and are inferred to result mainly from resaturation of a deep steam zone due to a downflow of water in the well. We suggest that the water entered the well from a confined groundwater aquifer at a known casing break at 393 m depth and exited in the region of slotted casing at about 900–1000 m depth causing displacement of single-phase liquid upwards into the overlying steam zone. The average downflow rate is estimated to be about 110 t/h (30 kg/s); however, no downhole measurements in the well have been possible due to casing breaks. Simple modelling of the gravity data suggests the region of resaturation had the form of a cone of impression 150–250 m high and extending laterally for 1–2 km. Since 1985, gravity changes in the central and southern parts of the Tauhara field have been less than 50 μgal, indicating little net mass loss (<2 Mt), and hence little effect in this area from the continuing production at Wairakei. The subsidence centred near Crown Road has been attributed to compaction of a thin, elliptical lens of porous, thermally-altered volcanic deposits at shallow depth as a result of a water level decline in the near-surface, steam-heated groundwater aquifer. Gravity data (1994 onwards) at a point near the centre of the subsidence bowl show that, despite ground subsidence of about 0.55 m, there have been no significant gravity changes. One explanation for the absence of gravity changes is that the water lost from the near-surface aquifer has drained downwards increasing the saturation in part of a deeper, partly saturated layer.