System Identification in Geothermal Modelling

Abstract

An exploratory time series analysis was applied to the representative pressure-mass data for the Wairakei geothermal reservoir, New Zealand, in order to identify a model with forecasting powers. This involved numerical experiments. wi th different models, estimation algori thms and data arrangements. The identified model was subsequently interpreted as a slow-drainage mod treating the in the upper two-phase zone the reservoir a s f ractured porous. In this summary the role that model identification can play in geothermal modelling is first discussed general terms and then the relevant points are illustrated by the Wairakei example.