Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data

The geothermal powerplant of Soultz-sous-Forêts (France) is investigating the possibility of producing more energy with the same infrastructure by reinjecting the geothermal fluid at lower temperatures. Indeed, during the operation of the powerplant, the geothermal fluid is currently reinjected at 6...

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Main Authors: Clément Baujard, Pauline Rolin, Éléonore Dalmais, Régis Hehn, Albert Genter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Geosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/12/502
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author Clément Baujard
Pauline Rolin
Éléonore Dalmais
Régis Hehn
Albert Genter
author_facet Clément Baujard
Pauline Rolin
Éléonore Dalmais
Régis Hehn
Albert Genter
author_sort Clément Baujard
collection DOAJ
description The geothermal powerplant of Soultz-sous-Forêts (France) is investigating the possibility of producing more energy with the same infrastructure by reinjecting the geothermal fluid at lower temperatures. Indeed, during the operation of the powerplant, the geothermal fluid is currently reinjected at 60–70 °C in a deep fractured granite reservoir, and the MEET project aims to test its reinjection at 40 °C. A 3D hydrothermal study was performed in order to evaluate the spreading of the thermal front during colder reinjection and its impact on the production temperature. In the first step, a 3D structural model at fault scale was created, integrating pre-existing models from 2D vintage seismic profiles, vertical seismic profiles, seismic cloud structure and borehole image logs calibrated with well data. This geometrical model was then adapted to be able to run hydrothermal simulation. In the third step, a 3D hydrothermal model was built based on the structural model. After calibration, the effect of colder reinjection on the production temperature was calculated. The results show that a decrease of 10 °C in the injection temperature leads to a drop in the production temperature of 2 °C after 2 years, reaching 3 °C after 25 years of operation. Lastly, the accuracy of the structural model on which the simulations are based is discussed and an update of the structural model is proposed in order to better reproduce the observations.
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spelling doaj.art-60a9f8ef86474acfa6c40882ac8955f92023-11-23T08:32:26ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632021-12-01111250210.3390/geosciences11120502Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation DataClément Baujard0Pauline Rolin1Éléonore Dalmais2Régis Hehn3Albert Genter4Électricité de Strasbourg Géothermie, 26 Boulevard du Président Wilson, F-67000 Strasbourg, FranceENSG, 2 rue du Doyen Marcel Roubault, BP 10162 CEDEX, F-54505 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, FranceÉlectricité de Strasbourg Géothermie, 26 Boulevard du Président Wilson, F-67000 Strasbourg, FranceGéoPlusEnvironnement, 1 175 Route de Margès, F-26380 Peyrins, FranceÉlectricité de Strasbourg Géothermie, 26 Boulevard du Président Wilson, F-67000 Strasbourg, FranceThe geothermal powerplant of Soultz-sous-Forêts (France) is investigating the possibility of producing more energy with the same infrastructure by reinjecting the geothermal fluid at lower temperatures. Indeed, during the operation of the powerplant, the geothermal fluid is currently reinjected at 60–70 °C in a deep fractured granite reservoir, and the MEET project aims to test its reinjection at 40 °C. A 3D hydrothermal study was performed in order to evaluate the spreading of the thermal front during colder reinjection and its impact on the production temperature. In the first step, a 3D structural model at fault scale was created, integrating pre-existing models from 2D vintage seismic profiles, vertical seismic profiles, seismic cloud structure and borehole image logs calibrated with well data. This geometrical model was then adapted to be able to run hydrothermal simulation. In the third step, a 3D hydrothermal model was built based on the structural model. After calibration, the effect of colder reinjection on the production temperature was calculated. The results show that a decrease of 10 °C in the injection temperature leads to a drop in the production temperature of 2 °C after 2 years, reaching 3 °C after 25 years of operation. Lastly, the accuracy of the structural model on which the simulations are based is discussed and an update of the structural model is proposed in order to better reproduce the observations.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/12/502Soultz-sous-Forêtsdeep geothermal reservoirstructural modelthermo-hydraulic simulationsMEET H2020 project
spellingShingle Clément Baujard
Pauline Rolin
Éléonore Dalmais
Régis Hehn
Albert Genter
Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data
Geosciences
Soultz-sous-Forêts
deep geothermal reservoir
structural model
thermo-hydraulic simulations
MEET H2020 project
title Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data
title_full Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data
title_fullStr Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data
title_full_unstemmed Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data
title_short Soultz-sous-Forêts Geothermal Reservoir: Structural Model Update and Thermo-Hydraulic Numerical Simulations Based on Three Years of Operation Data
title_sort soultz sous forets geothermal reservoir structural model update and thermo hydraulic numerical simulations based on three years of operation data
topic Soultz-sous-Forêts
deep geothermal reservoir
structural model
thermo-hydraulic simulations
MEET H2020 project
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/12/502
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AT eleonoredalmais soultzsousforetsgeothermalreservoirstructuralmodelupdateandthermohydraulicnumericalsimulationsbasedonthreeyearsofoperationdata
AT regishehn soultzsousforetsgeothermalreservoirstructuralmodelupdateandthermohydraulicnumericalsimulationsbasedonthreeyearsofoperationdata
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