The Initial State and Response to Exploitation of Wairakei Geothermal Field
- Key words
- Reservoir Engineering; New Zealand; Wairakei; Assessment; Reservoir Pressure; Depletion; Modeling
- Location
- Wairakei, New Zealand; Taupo Volcanic Zone
- Conference
- Geothermal Resources Council Transactions
- Year
- 1980
- Session
- Well testing; Production decline; Reservoir management; Rese
- Language
- English
Abstract
All Wairakei well measurements have been reviewed and re-interpreted. In its natural state the field contained a liquid dominated tow phase zone over a deeper liquid reservoir. The initial pressure distribution was about 10% above hydrostatic, the excess gradient driving the natural discharge. With exploitation and falling pressure, the two phase zone expanded downwards, and within it a vapor dominated zone developed. The changes with exploitation can be characterized by two pressure: a deep liquid pressure, reflecting mainly the reservoir mass balance, and a pressure in the steam zone, reflecting the reservoir heat balance. The heat balance indicates that most, but not all, of the recharge is hot water.
Copyright 1980, Geothermal Resources Council. Readers who download papers from this site should honour the copyright of the original authors, and may not copy or distribute the work further without the permission of the original publisher.