Modelling source networks with the Waiwera geothermal flow simulator

Abstract

Models of production history and future scenarios for real geothermal fields generally require an interconnected network of source and sink terms to represent production wells (including make-up wells), groups of these wells, separators and reinjection back into the reservoir. The AUTOUGH2 flow simulator includes a system for doing this, but it is somewhat inflexible, partly due to limitations imposed by the input file format.
We have recently added source network modelling capability to the Waiwera flow simulator, using a completely redesigned system which offers greater flexibility and new possibilities, including an improved way to represent multi-feed production wells. It also works in parallel both on shared-memory machines (e.g. desktops) and distributed memory machines (e.g. high-performance computing clusters).