Reservoir Quality in Sedimentary Geothermal Resources
Summary
The Reservoir Quality in Sedimentary Geothermal Resources project analysed the only two geothermal wells drilled in Hot Sedimentary Aquifer reservoirs in Australia to evaluate why the flow of fluid was significantly less than expected.The need to accurately predict the behaviour of fluid passing through rock before drilling a geothermal well is one of the most significant technical challenges confronting the industry in Australia.The Reservoir Quality in Sedimentary Geothermal Resources project analysed the only two geothermal wells drilled in Hot Sedimentary Aquifer (HSA) reservoirs in Australia (Celsius-1 and Salamander-1) to evaluate why the flow of production fluid was significantly less than expected.The project was split into three separate programs. The project aimed to: develop a method for assessing the quality of HSA reservoirs using the results of the research into Celsius-1 and Salamander-1 develop ways to reduce and repair damage to rock formations caused by drilling use the outcomes of the research to develop procedures for future HSA geothermal well drilling that minimise damage develop a software tool to aid geothermal developers to better understand geothermal reservoirs by estimating the contribution to overall well productivity from each individual section of the well column improve collaboration between the research community, government and the geothermal industry through data collection and knowledge sharing activities build the skills of the Australian geothermal energy industry for HSA geothermal resources drilled in Australia.