Numerical Study of Temperature Profiles of Transient Flow in the Geothermal Oilfield

Abstract

Some petroleum wells that are no longer productive still have heat in their formation rocks. Those heat can be extracted and utilized by injecting working fluid into the wellbore. The current study’s objective was to create a 2D numerical calculation program for transient flow temperatures inside the well then it was used to calculate the temperature distribution in oil and gas fields in the Arun field and BK Area. The injected fluids were modeled as a double-pipe heat exchanger. Heat transfer processes inside the wellbore were convection in the inner pipe and the annulus and conduction in the pipe walls and rock formations. The computational calculation used a finite difference method. The computation results were then compared with calculations from the literature. After being validated, the program was used to calculate the Arun field and BK Area temperature distributions. This study found that compared with the reference literature, the current results had a similar optimum temperature range of 130°C-160°C but had different profiles shape with an average deviation of 12%. In the Arun fields, simulation results indicated that the field could reach temperatures between 90°C-120°C and was classified as a medium-temperature geothermal source. BK Area could reach optimum temperatures between 50°C-80°C and be classified as the low-temperature geothermal.

Exploring Medium and Low-Temperature Convective Geothermal Resources Through Controlled Source Audio Magnetotelluric Mothod

“…The controlled source audio magnetotelluric(CSAMT) method is a commonly used method with outstanding application in detecting low resistance anomalies [4]. It has multiple advantages such as large exploration depth, ability to adapt to the field environment, high resolution, ease of operation and economic efficiency, and is therefore widely used in the field of geothermal resource exploration and plays an important role in the current geothermal exploration [5].…”

Exploring Medium and Low-Temperature Convective Geothermal Resources in Eastern China Through Acoustic-Emission Geomagnetic Bathymetry

“…The acoustic emission geodetic electromagnetic sounding method (CSAMT) is a commonly used method with outstanding application in detecting low resistance anomalies [4]. It has multiple advantages such as large exploration depth, ability to adapt to the field environment, high resolution, ease of operation and economic efficiency, and is therefore widely used in the field of geothermal resource exploration and plays an important role in the current geothermal exploration [5].…”