An exploitation model and performance predictions for the ahuachapán geothermal field, El Salvador
1991; Elsevier BV; Volume: 20; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0375-6505(91)90031-p
ISSN1879-3576
AutoresM. Ripperda, Gudmundur S. Bödvarsson, M.J. Lippmann, Gustavo Cuellar, Carlos Lenin Benavente Escobar,
Tópico(s)Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir Analysis
ResumoThe Ahuachapán geothermal field in El Salvador has been producing electrical power since 1975. The power plant currently generates at approximately 50 per cent of its total installed capacity of 95MWe because of a substantial reservoir pressure drawdown and limited drilling of make-up wells. The focus of this study is to develop means for increasing the power production over the next 30 years. One possible option is to devise an injection scheme to decrease the pressure decline and increase the energy recovery from the reservoir. Another possibility is to drill step-out wells to increase the size of the wellfield. A three-dimensional numerical model of the field has been developed to determine the effects of injection and expanded fluid production. The model was used to predict the responses of the existing and proposed production wells for different levels of electrical power generation. The overall reservoir response to different exploitation and injection scenarios was also investigated. The model predicts that the geothermal system can provide steam to generate 90 MWe, for no more than 20 y, even with reinjection and a large-scale drilling program. The results also indicate that the system can produce about 75 MWe for a 30-y period with significant reinjection and the drilling of about 20 new production wells.
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