The Geysers:an Injection Success Story

M. Ali Khan

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Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources – State of California

The Location

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The Geysers

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Field Summary

Area 16 x 6 km = 64 sq km

Wells 460 Steam Wells, 75 Injection Wells

Average Well Depth 2,500 m

Average Caprock Depth 1,200 m

Bottom Hole Temperature 300/250oC

Reservoir Pressure 500 psi /150 psi

Cumulative Steam Produced 2.4 trillion kg ~398 million bbls

Steam Production (2009) 59 billion kg

Injection (2009) 42 billion kg

Electricity Produced (2009) 7.6/6.9 (gross/net) million megawatt hrs

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The ProblemRapid Steam Production Decline

The Solution

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Illustration courtesy of Northern California Power Agency

The Results Steam Production is Stabilized

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Incremental ElectricitySoutheast Geysers

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NCGs & Effluent Injection

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Injection & Induced Seismicity>1.5 (ML)

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Induced Seismicity2005 - 2010, >1.5 (ML)

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Mass Replacement Status

CaprockCaprock

1,200 m

1,7

00 p

si150 p

si150 p

siReservoirReservoir

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Conclusions

Additional Green Electricity

Innovative Sewage Disposal

Cleaner Air Emission

x Induced Seismicity

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50 Years Production; added another

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Added 200+ MWe

Say Cheese…Motion Sensor Camera is on!

Thank you!Thank you!

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Slides after this are not for presentation!

Best Reservoir Model…

Underneath The Geysers, a mile deepA huge tea-kettle was in superheat

Approaching single phase and no mateBeyond saturation point, in dry-out state

Rescue came from treated human wasteFrom the counties of Sonoma and Lake

Green energy from Flush to FlashOnce again, Phoenix rises from ash

Piped-in, to inflate, and re-hydrateEnthalpy was a little downer, of late

Plenty of micro earthquakes and shakesScaring everybody, but no faults or breaks

Nevertheless, the huge kettle lived happily After the shotgun date, with recycled waste

An Injection Well

A Production Well

A Power Plant

California Rule of Capture

sınır

Soru?Soru?

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The ProblemRapid Steam Production Decline