Numerical simulation of electrokinetic potentials associated with subsurface fluid flow

Abstract

A postprocessor has been developed to calculate space/time distributions of electrokinetic potentials resulting from histories of underground conditions (pressure, temperature, flowrate, etc.) computed by multi-phase multicomponent unsteady multidimensional geothermal reservoir simulations. Electrokinetic coupling coefficients are computed by the postprocessor using formulations based on experimental work reported by Ishido and Mzutani (1981). The purpose of the present study is to examine whether or not self-potential anomalies actually observed in real geothermal fields are consistent with quantitative mathematical reservoir models constructed using conventional reservoir engineering data. The most practical application of the postprocessor appears to be modeling self-potential changes induced by field-wide geothermal fluid production. Repeat self-potential surveying appears to be promising as a geophysical monitoring technique to provide constraints on mathematical reservoir models, in a similar fashion to the use of repeat microgravity surveys.