Management Model for Electrical Power Production from a Hot-Water Geothermal Reservoir

Abstract

A management model is developed that determines the optimum economic recoverability of a particular hot -water geothermal reservoir undergoing exploitation for electric power generation. The management model integrates a physical model of the reservoir that predicts the areas of pressure decline due to withdrawals, and pressure rise due to reinjection of spent fluid, with a model of a two -stage steam turbine power plant that determines the quantity of electricity generated for a rate of hot -water extraction. Capital costs, variable costs and annual fixed costs are obtained for the reservoir development, extraction and reinjection, the transmission system, and the power plant. Revenues are determined for electrical power production. Application of the management model to a simplified, yet realistic example reservoir demonstrates that the methodology developed in this report can be used for analyzing the management of an integrated geothermal reservoir-power plant system.