Numerical modelling of production from the Poihipi dry steam zone: Wairakei geothermal system, New Zealand

The Poihipi power station utilizes dry steam from a shallow zone near the margin of theWairakei geothermal reservoir. The station has been in operation for several years, with daily variations in the fluid production rate following variations in time-of-day pricing of electricity. The corresponding varying pressure history provides a good database for testing models of the geothermal reservoir. Three different types of model were calibrated, namely, uniform porous medium, dual-porosity, fractured medium, and fractional dimension. The best match to the pressure data was achieved with the fractional dimension model. © 2007 CNR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved