The Role of Three Dimensional Models in Geothermal Energy, from Exploration to Production

Abstract

Over the last decade, 3-D modeling tools have become more advanced and commonly used in the geothermal industry from exploration to development. Their accessibility and great technical capabilities are the main factors in favour of their increased use throughout the industry. The purposes of 3-D models are diverse; they provide an excellent tool to share knowledge within a team and discuss data interpretation, they are a great tool to reduce the risks inherent to any geothermal project during its development, and they can be used to communicate more easily with a non-technical audience. These models do not have to be particularly complex in the first stages of exploration, when sub-surface information is limited, as they will evolve and become more complete with the integration of new data resulting from exploration or drilling activities. Beginning to build a 3-D model from the early stages of exploration is critical to a project success, as the model will always represent the best understanding of the resource at a point and provide a baseline for future work planning. This paper intends to provide general guidelines on how to conceive a well-informed 3-D model at various stages during the development of a geothermal project, from initial exploration to power generation. Employing a well-established workflow when integrating and working on the data in a three dimensional environment is important to guarantee the quality of the models created. Illustrated with several models built using the Leapfrog Geothermal software, from well-known geothermal projects around the world, this paper will demonstrate how to get the most out of all the data available when building 3-D models.