MODELING THE NATURAL CONDITION AND PRODUCTION OF THE MALKINO GEOTHERMAL FIELD, KAMCHATKA: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF NATURAL HEAT AGENT RESOURCES

Abstract

A numerical thermohydrodynamic model of the Malkino geothermal field is presented to reveal the heat and mass transfer mechanism operative in the geothermal reservoir. The recoverable thermal water reserves of the Malkino geothermal field are calculated on the basis of the natural resources of the field estimated by way of mathematical modeling. The category C1 reserves are based on the average total production rate of wells 1 and 12 and hot spring 1 over the period of December 1993 to May 1994 (21 kg/s of water with a weighted-average temperature of 78.7°C). The category C2 reserves are taken to be the difference between the natural resources (determined by mathematical modeling) taken with the coefficient 0.7 and the category C1 recoverable reserves (20.3 kg/s of hot water with a weighted-average temperature of 69.5°C). This is the first occasion in the geothermal power industry of Kamchatka where the results of mathematical modeling were directly used in engineering decision making entailing possible future capital investments.