Preliminary Project Page - Updated October 24, 2003

An InSAR Assessment of Production Related Reservoir Compaction at the Desert Peak - Bradys Geothermal Fields, Nevada

A great basin center for Geothermal ENERGY Research
Project Funded BY DOE under AWARD DE-FG36-02ID14311

ERS-2 Satellite Radar Intensity Image
Frame 2799, Track 256,  May 31, 2002
Box indicates ~20 by 30 km study area.

Click image to enlarge

Full Project Title:

Investigating the relation between geothermal reservoir compaction, geometry and production rates from a ten-year InSAR ground displacement history at the Bradys and Desert Peak fields: Assessing the potential of retrospective InSAR monitoring to assist reservoir management and expansion over fields without previously documented subsidence

PI:  Gary Oppliger¹
Co-PI:  Mark Coolbaugh²,
Collaborator: William Foxall³

  ¹Arthur Brant Laboratory for Exploration Geophysics, University of Nevada, Reno.
² Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy, University of Nevada, Reno.
³ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

ABSTRACT

       Knowledge of a geothermal reservoir’s hydro-thermal-mechanical response to production is critical to sustaining and/or expanding its production capacity. We propose investigating the relation between geothermal reservoir compaction (or bulk porosity loss), geometry and production rates by recovering a ten-year InSAR ground displacement history at the Bradys and Desert Peak fields, in west central Nevada. Our objectives are to 1) Demonstrate the recover and application of retrospective InSAR annual histories for geothermal fields lacking documented subsidence; 2) Identify specific reservoir structural controls through  integration of the subsidence patterns with mapped geological and geophysical data; 3) Chart measures of each reservoir’s subsidence vs. production sensitivity over time to define its progression toward sustainability. The work will lead to increased utilization of geothermal resources in the Western United States by providing basic measurements and interpretations that will directly assist reservoir management and expansion at Bradys and Desert Peak. Knowledge of the reservoir’s subsidence geometry and response to production will immediately assist in defining preferred locations for new production and recharge wells that can improve reservoir performance. The project’s publication of the case histories and observation data sets will inform the geothermal community and inspire broader applications. The method’s low cost, available data and processing tools encourage its wide application.   

Proposal Document  pdf