Multiple Feed Zones as a Governing Mechanism for Pressure and Flow Oscillations in High-Enthalpy Geothermal Wells
M. Knott (Student TU Delft)
R. Cox (Student TU Delft)
T. Hornes (Student TU Delft)
L. Kuusik (Student TU Delft)
E. Meen Hidalgo-Chacón (Student TU Delft)
J.D. Jansen (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
M. Matsumoto (Kyushu University)
S. Ragnarsson (Orkuveita Reykjavíkur)
S. Geiger (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
Operational instability in high-enthalpy geothermal wells remains a key challenge for sustainable energy production, particularly in fractured volcanic reservoirs such as those frequently found in Iceland. This work investigates pressure and flow rate oscillations observed in production wells at the Hengill geothermal area, with a central focus on the Multiple Feed Zone theory as the dominant explanatory framework. This extended abstract synthesises the main findings of the conducted study on well oscillating phenomena, analysed through conceptual models, well data interpretation, and numerical simulations. The results demonstrate that interactions between feed zones of differing pressure, temperature, and permeability can induce self-sustained oscillations without requiring classical internal flow instability mechanisms. These findings have significant implications for well design, monitoring, and control strategies in high-enthalpy geothermal systems.