Geothermal Reservoir

Engineering
S.K. Garg

What is a Geothermal Reservoir?

A

subsurface region where the rocks

contain hot water and/or steam that
can be withdrawn using wells and put
to practical use for direct heating or
for generating electricity.

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Essential Elements of a Geothermal

Reservoir
High temperature
Working

fluid (water and/or steam)

Permeable

flow channels

all at depths which may be

economically reached by drilling.
3

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Geothermal Reservoirs
(continued)
Geothermal

reservoirs are usually found in

fractured volcanic rocks.

Permeability

of a geothermal reservoir is
usually found in discrete fractures, not
intergranular pores.

Vertical

dimensions of permeable reservoir

zone can be large (comparable to
horizontal dimensions).

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Geothermal Reservoirs (continued)

Natural

condition is dynamic, not static.

Geothermal

reservoir is in a continuous
state of convective flow, which carries heat
from deep underground to exploitable
depths.

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Schematic Diagram of a
Geothermal Reservoir

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Fraction of heat in reservoir fluid

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Geothermal Reservoirs (continued)

Resource is heat, not mass. Brine acts as a

working fluid which can carry energy stored in
hot rock to the surface through wells.

In most liquid-dominated reservoirs, over 80

percent of the total heat is stored in rock
vapor-dominated, over 95 percent.

Production/injection wells create artificial

circulation system to mine energy from the rock.

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Purpose of Geothermal
Reservoir Engineering
To

gain a quantitative understanding of the

flows of fluid mass and of heat which take
place within the geothermal reservoir under
natural conditions, and how they change
due to production and injection operations.
To use this understanding to (1) help in
interpreting exploration surveys, and (2)
make quantitative appraisals of proposed
operational strategies to guide the
management of the resource.
9

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Engineering Procedure (1)

Gather

and interpret field measurements to

help establish geothermal reservoir
properties:
Area, volume and depth.
Hydrological and thermal boundaries.
Rock physical properties.
Permeability structure.

10

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Engineering Procedure (2)

Source and state of fluid.
Natural heat, mass fluxes.
Natural reservoir pressure distribution.
Underground temperatures.
Production/injection history.
Changes in reservoir from operations
11

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Engineering
Procedure (continued)
Based

on available field data, construct a

deterministic model which describes the
known facts about the system, including
natural-state and observed response to
production/injection operations.

Validated

model can be used to make

forecasts of field capacity changes and
probable drilling requirements, and help in
planning and resource management.

12

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Field Data Useful for

Reservoir Engineering (1)
Structural

interpretations from remote

sensing, air/satellite images, maps, drilling
logs.
Surface and downhole resistivity surveys.
Surface heat flow surveys.
Hot spring mapping and characterization.
Stratigraphic and mud loss drilling logs.
Laboratory tests of cores.
13

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Field Data Useful for

Reservoir Engineering (2)
Geochemical

analyses of surface and

reservoir fluids.
Shut-in and flowing downhole pressure
logs.
Repeat downhole temperature surveys.
Downhole spinner logs (shut-in and
flowing).
Flow/enthalpy/pressure histories for
production and injection wells.
Pressure-transient test results.
14

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Essential elements of conceptual model

Fluid State (Pressure, Temperature, Salinity, Gas
Content)
Source Fluids (Meteoric, Sea Water, Magmatic)
Permeability Structure and Hydraulic Boundaries
(Major faults and fractures, Permeable
formations, Detailed permeability distribution,
Impermeable barriers, Recharge and/or
Discharge boundaries)
Deep Heat Source (Convective and Conductive
heat flux)

15

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Pressure Distribution with Depth

16

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Temperature Distribution with Depth (1)

17

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Temperature Distribution with Depth (2)

18

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Effect on non-condensable gases

19

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Faults and Feedzones

20

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Assessment: Two

Approaches

21

USGS Volumetric Assessment together with

Monte Carlo Simulation - Method used in early
exploration stages.

Numerical Simulation Method most useful

after some wells have been drilled and tested.

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

USGS Volumetric Assessment with

Monte Carlo Simulation (1)

22

In early exploration stages, often used to provide

estimates of the probable electrical generation
capacity.

Methodology consists of combining probability

density functions for uncertain estimates of
temperature, area, thickness, and thermal recovery
factor of a geothermal reservoir.

Used to obtain the probability distribution function

for the stored energy (heat in place) and the
recoverable heat.
2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

USGS Volumetric Assessment with

Monte Carlo Simulation (2)

23

The electrical capacity of a potential geothermal

reservoir is then computed using a conversion (or
utilization) efficiency.

The conversion efficiency depends on both the

chosen reference temperature as well as the power
cycle (steam, flash, or binary).

Because of the large uncertainties in the assumed

input parameters, the results of a USGS Volumetric
Assessment are often subject to large errors.
2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Modeling
and Simulation

Reservoir Simulator
A computer program which can solve unsteady 3-D
governing equations for mass, momentum, and energy
conservation in a geothermal reservoir. Subdivides
volume into many grid blocks; calculates solution in a
sequence of time-steps.

Reservoir Model
A particular quantitative conceptual picture of a
specific geothermal reservoir. Incorporates locations of
boundaries, recharge and discharge areas,
distributions of rock properties such as permeability
and porosity.

24

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Simulators
Standard

versions of widely used reservoir

simulators (Tetrad, Tough2, STAR) are
limited to temperatures below 350 oC or so.

Experimental

versions of STAR (Pritchett,

1994) and Tough2 (Croucher and
OSullivan, 2008) can also treat
supercritical conditions for pure water (to
~800C). These experimental versions do
not however allow for dissolved solids (e.g.
NaCl) and incondensable gases (e.g. CO2).

25

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Simulators (continued)

as high as 360 oC
encountered in geothermal wells.
Modeling of very high-temperature ( >320
oC) geothermal reservoirs will require a
capability to incorporate underlying deeper
parts of the system where temperatures
may exceed the critical temperature for
water.
Requirement for improved Equation-ofState formulations for reservoir fluids.
Temperatures

26

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Objectives of
Reservoir Simulation (1)
Before

large-scale production/injection
- Help interpret exploration surveys.

Estimate generating potential, lifetime.

Appraise effects of uncertainties on the
estimated capacity.
Define appropriate well spacings and
optimum well locations.

27

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Objectives of
Reservoir Simulation (2)
After

field exploitation begins

Manage production/injection operations
to optimize energy recovery.
Indicate changes in well locations
needed to avoid premature cold water
breakthrough.
Determine optimum sites for makeup
wells.

28

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Development of a
Reservoir Model: The Natural-State

If no production/injection wells present, any

acceptable reservoir model MUST yield behavior
which is:
(1) steady-state on scales of human lifetimes, AND
(2) consistent with measured pre-production
underground pressures, temperatures, etc.

29

To develop natural-state model, use simulator

iteratively, changing major unknowns (usually
boundary conditions at depth and distributions of
permeability) from run to run.
2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

General Procedure for Developing a

Reservoir Model

30

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Exploration Stage & Reservoir Modeling

Reservoir modeling may be used to explore

implications of different conceptual models for
observables (thermal gradient holes, electrical
surveys, etc.)

J.W. Pritchett (2004): Finding hidden geothermal resources in the

basin and range using electrical survey techniques, Report prepared
for INL.

Modeling used to look for surface signals

associated with fault controlled systems (shallow
heat flow, surface DC Resistivity,
Magnetotelluric, and Self-Potential surveys)

31

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Hypothetical Earth Structure (Pritchett, 2004)

32

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

33

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Computed temperatures (Pritchett, 2004)

34

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Computed downhole temperatures (Pritchett, 2004)

35

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Development of the Natural-State of a Model

of a Small Liquid-Dominated Geothermal Field

36

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

37

Areal View of
Computational Grid
for Oguni Simulation
Study

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

North-South Vertical Cross-Section

Through Oguni Simulation Grid

38

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Estimating Capacity of Prospects

If

field not yet exploited, perform various

parametric calculations to appraise
probable steam production capacity/field
lifetime.

Uncertainty

in model parameters may lead

to incorrect conclusions.

39

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

40

Typical Power Plant

Representations
Available with
Reservoir Simulators

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Computed Changes in Underground

Conditions at Oguni After 30 Years Steam
Production at 250 Tons/Hour

41

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Effects of Steam Production Requirements on

Makeup Drilling

42

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

History-Matching

If field is already producing, impose measured

well flow rates in appropriate grid blocks.

Compute resulting changes in reservoir pressure,

well enthalpies, chemical properties, etc.

Compare computed data with measurements.

Iteratively make further model adjustments as

required to optimize agreement between
computed and measured history.

43

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

44

Typical History-Match
of Production
Conditions for a Small
Geothermal Reservoir

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Simulation and

Field Management (1)
Reservoir

simulation and modeling studies

should be a continuing activity throughout
the geothermal field lifetime.

As

new data become available, models

should be updated.

45

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Reservoir Simulation and

Field Management (2)
Computer

modeling should be correlated

with the field monitoring program.

In

addition to changes in pressure,

temperature and salinity in wells,
geophysical survey techniques (e.g.,
repeat microgravity) may be useful for
reservoir monitoring.

46

2013 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.