Block response to reinjection in a fractured geothermal reservoir

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:7369310

Pinder, G F ^[1]; Ramey, Jr, H J; Shapiro, A; Abriola, L; Ramey, Jr, H J; Kruger, P ^[2]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ
2. eds.

While fractured porous formations constitute an important class of geothermal reservoirs, a generally applicable methodology for accurately describing their performance has yet to appear in the literature. As a preliminary step in an attempt to unravel the fundamental physical principles involved in fractured media simulation, an elementary numerical experiment is described. A porous media block containing superheated steam is suddenly enclosed by reinjection water of lower enthalpy. The objectives of the experiment are: (1) to examine the response of the porous block to reinjection; and (2) to study the influence of block geometry on the simulated behavior. The numerical experiments are conducted using a one-dimensional multiphase (steam-water) model. With the model defined in Cartesian coordinates, a porous block delimited by two parallel fractures of infinite extent is investigated. The model defined in radial coordinates is employed to examine a cylindrical geometry. The reservoir parameters and reinjection water properties are chosen to be representative of those encountered in The Geysers geothermal field in California.

• OSTI ID: 7369310
• Report Number(s): SGP-TR-40; CONF-791235-
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150600 -- Geothermal Energy-- Environmental Aspects
150904* -- Geothermal Engineering-- Geothermal Reservoir & Well Performance
ENERGY TRANSFER
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
GEYSERS GEOTHERMAL FIELD
Geothermal Legacy
HEAT TRANSFER
ITERATIVE METHODS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
POROUS MATERIALS
REINJECTION
SATURATION
SIMULATION
TWO-PHASE FLOW