Geohydrological environmental effects of geothermal power production: Phase I. Final report

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Abstract
Results are presented for the first phase of a three-phase research effort to develop reliable computer simulators whereby field information for a specific liquid- or vapor-dominated geothermal system can be used to predict reservoir performance and subsurface environmental effects due to production and reinjection of geothermal fluids. The environmental effects of interest include land surface subsidence, induced seismic activity, and pollution of freshwater aquifers by geothermal brines. The approach is to develop large-scale finite-difference and finite-element computer programs, based upon fundamental principles, and to validate these codes using both laboratory measurements and field data. During the first year, separate codes were developed for describing the multiphase multidimensional unsteady flow of steam and water in a heterogeneous geologic setting without rock deformation, and for calculating the response of a multidimensional rock matrix to prescribed pore pressure changes without specific consideration of fluid flow. Both of these codes were tested against analytic results and laboratory data, and the results of a few sample calculations are presented.

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