Geothermal Reservoir Management in Iceland

Abstract

At present, there are about 40 geothermal reservoirs under commercial exploitation in Iceland, and many have been exploited for more than 30 years. This exploitation of geothermal resources started in 1930. During the following 65 years geothermal reservoir management has become an integral part of the exploitation. Improvements in production technology, such as the use of down-hole pumps, have multiplied the energy extraction from the reservoirs. These improvements in production technology and improvements in management have made geothermal energy so attractive, both regarding price and reliability, that geothermal energy contributes 44% of the gross energy consumption in the country. An increasing demand for geothermal energy is met with management actions such as: more effective use of reservoir capacity, injection, improving production and by extensions to new production fields. Never has the utilization of a geothermal reservoir in Iceland been abandoned because of a depletion of the reservoir. The basis for proper reservoir evaluation and successful management is the careful monitoring of the reservoirs and modeling work predicting their future response.