Including the Topographic Profile of the Geothermal Field on Geothermal Numerical Reservoir Modeling: How Important Is it?

Abstract

Geothermal reservoir models are already used extensively to support the planning and development of geothermal fields. Current technology's growth is also affecting the geothermal reservoir modeling. It makes the simulation process more accurate and reliable for assessing the geothermal system. However, the common practice in reservoir models only focus on the deep geothermal and do not usually include the near-surface system. Some modelers tend to simplified the model by using constant P,T water table at the top. This simplification makes the model unable to unable to predict the effect of reservoir production on the near surface. In real geothermal system, production can result in changes to surface features, such as the disappearance of hot springs, the appearance of new steaming areas, and subsidence. Therefore, geothermal reservoir modelling must be improved by integrating the deep reservoir and near-surface system. The integration will be beneficial to support environmental monitoring and impact mitigation. This paper is aimed to discuss the importance of including topographic profiles in geothermal reservoir models. We will also cover the brief procedure to develop an integrated numerical model based on the latest best practice by Nugraha et al. (2022). The result of this study is expected to raise awareness for geothermal reservoir engineers to build reservoir models by integrating the deep reservoir and near-surface system.