Applying the Hengill Geothermal Reservoir Model in Power Plant Decision Making and Environmental Impact Studies

• Main Authors: Grimur Bjornsson, Einar Gunnlaugsson, Arnar Hjartarson
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: Hengill; Nesjavellir; Iceland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.132.7509; http://www-esd.lbl.gov/toughsymposium/pdf/bjornsson_geothermal.pdf

Growth in geothermal power production in the Hengill area of Iceland, and a need for environmental impact studies that look hundreds of years ahead, has resulted in new challenges for numerical model developers. An existing, large-scale, iTOUGH2based 3-D reservoir model of the Hengill volcano has recently been recalibrated and used to study the impact of 400 MWe and 700 MWt cogenerations in two subareas of Hengill, Hellisheidi, and Nesjavellir. Reservoir performance is predicted for the next 30 years, followed by 1,000 years of recovery. The study indicates that the Hellisheidi subfield has greater growth potential than Nesjavellir. Increased production in Nesjavellir results in considerable pressure interference and reduced output of the average well.