Members of the GNG team have published a paper that explores the evolution of geothermal reservoirs.
The natural evolution of geothermal reservoirs is a complex interplay of lithological, tectonic, hydrothermal, and geochemical processes occurring over vast geological time scales. Reactive transport modelling plays a crucial role in unravelling the dynamics of geothermal reservoirs as they evolve. By utilising reactive transport models, we gain a deeper understanding of the temporal progression of mineral alteration and its influence on the reservoir's characteristics.
The published study was designed to understand the mineralogical and geochemical evolutionary process of conventional geothermal reservoirs. An idealised 3D large-scale numerical model was set up to comply with the prevailing conditions in a two-phase liquid-dominated geothermal reservoir with near-neutral pH and a temperature of up to 350 °C. The models were established to assess the long-term fluid-rock interaction in tholeiitic basalt-hosted geothermal systems, including the effects induced by the natural influx of CO2, H2S and H2 from the magmatic body heat source of the theoretical reservoir