Three-dimensional Numerical modelling of geothermal systems: a case study

Abstract

Geothermal reservoir simulation is a key method of analysis for the characterization of deep geothermal systems. The case study of the Las Tres Virgenes (LTV) geothermal field (10 MWe), Baja California Sur, Mexico, is presented. Three-dimensional (3D) natural state simulations were carried out from emplacement and conductive cooling of two spherical magma chambers corresponding to the main volcanic structures of the geothermal field. Static formation temperatures from well logs were used for validation of the numerical results. Good agreement was observed in those geothermal wells dominated by conductive heat transfer. For other wells, however, it is clear that conduction alone cannot explain the observed behaviour, so two- and three-dimensional convective models in porous media are now being implemented for multiphysics geothermal reservoir simulations.