Parametric Study of Reservoir Properties and Their Effect on Energy Recovery

Abstract

Geothermal energy constitutes an important energy resource worldwide. Effective management of such a resource requires an understanding of a complex set of physical phenomena, including interphase mass transfer, convective transport of mass, and conduction and convection of energy. The coupled nature of these processes frequently requires that numerical simulation be used to investigate reservoir response to different management strategies. The first stage of designing a simulation study of a particular reservoir involves defining the boundaries of the reservoir itself. We must determine the reservoir structure, the "edges" of the field, select the appropriate boundary conditions to be used, i e , whether pressure support from an adjacent aquifer is present, values of heat flux, etc. Having determined the threedimensional extent and shape of the reservoir, we must identify the relevant fluid and petrophysical properties to be used in the simulation. In fractured geothermal systems, this data includes absolute and relative permeabilities for the fractures and rock matrix, fracture spacing and orientation, capillary pressure-saturation relationships, thermal conductivities, and others.