Gravity changes in the Tauhara sector of the Wairakei–Tauhara geothermal field, New Zealand

Abstract

Five microgravity surveys, done between 1972 and 2006, show that in the northern part of the Tauhara geothermal field there were large gravity decreases prior to 1985 associated with the expansion of steam zones resulting from pressure drawdown caused by fluid extraction at Wairakei. Since 1985 there have been gravity increases of up to 240 μgal in the northern part of Tauhara, corresponding to a mass increase of about 20 Mt. The gravity increases are centred near the unused deep well TH4, and are inferred to result mainly from resaturation of a deep steam zone due to a downflow of water in the well. We suggest that the water entered the well from a confined groundwater aquifer at a known casing break at 393 m depth and exited in the region of slotted casing at about 900–1000 m depth causing displacement of single-phase liquid upwards into the overlying steam zone. The average downflow rate is estimated to be about 110 t/h (30 kg/s); however, no downhole measurements in the well have been possible due to casing breaks. Simple modelling of the gravity data suggests the region of resaturation had the form of a cone of impression 150–250 m high and extending laterally for 1–2 km. Since 1985, gravity changes in the central and southern parts of the Tauhara field have been less than 50 μgal, indicating little net mass loss (<2 Mt), and hence little effect in this area from the continuing production at Wairakei. The subsidence centred near Crown Road has been attributed to compaction of a thin, elliptical lens of porous, thermally-altered volcanic deposits at shallow depth as a result of a water level decline in the near-surface, steam-heated groundwater aquifer. Gravity data (1994 onwards) at a point near the centre of the subsidence bowl show that, despite ground subsidence of about 0.55 m, there have been no significant gravity changes. One explanation for the absence of gravity changes is that the water lost from the near-surface aquifer has drained downwards increasing the saturation in part of a deeper, partly saturated layer.