Reduced-Order Models to Predict Thermal Power Output for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Abstract

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) present a significant and long-term opportunity for widespread power production from new geothermal sources. EGS approach makes it possible to tap otherwise inaccessible thermal resources in areas that lack traditional geothermal systems. It is estimated that within the USA alone the electricity production potential of EGS is in excess of 100GW. Hence, the efforts to accurately model and predict the performance of EGS reservoirs under various reservoir conditions (such as formation permeability, reservoir temperature, existing fracture/fault connectivity, and in-situ stress distribution) are vital. In this conference paper, we present a modeling study using data from the historic Fenton Hill Hot Dry Rock (HDR) project. This work is a part of a larger community-wide Geothermal Code Comparison effort, which is being supported by the US Department of Energy. The goal of the our modeling studies is to form Reduced-Order Models (ROMs) for model analysis and future predictions of thermal power output for an EGS reservoir. The ROMs will then be used to evaluate the influence of subsurface attributes, such as fracture zone permeability, bottom hole pressure, injection mass flow rate, production temperature, and on thermal power output and production curves.