Thermal-permeability structure and recharge conditions of the Mutnovsky high-temperature geothermal field (Kamchatka, Russia)

Abstract

The Mutnovsky geothermal area is part of the Eastern Kamchatka active volcano belt. Mutnovsky, 80kY old and an aging strato-volcano (a complex of 4 composite volcanic cones), acts as a magma- and water-injector into the 25-km-long North Mutnovsky extension zone. Magmatic injection events (dykes) are associated with plane-oriented MEQ (Micro Earth Quakes) clusters, most of them occurring in the NE sector of the volcano (2×10km2) at elevations from −4 to −2km, while some magmatic injections occur at elevations from −6.0 to −4.0km below the Mutnovsky production field. Water recharge of production reservoirs is from the Mutnovsky volcano crater glacier (+1500 to +1800masl), which was confirmed by water isotopic data (δD, δ18O) of production wells at an earlier stage of development. The Mutnovsky (Dachny) 260–310°C high-temperature production geothermal reservoir with a volume of 16km3 is at the junction of NNE- and NE-striking normal faults, which coincides with the current dominant dyke injection orientation. TOUGH2-modeling estimates of the reservoir properties are as follows: the reservoir permeability is 90–600 e-15m2, the deep upflow recharge is 80kg/s and the enthalpy is 1420kJ/kg. Modeling was used to reproduce the history of the Mutnovsky (Dachny) reservoir exploitation since 1983 with an effective power of 48MWe by 2016. Modeling also showed that the reservoir is capable of yielding 65–83MWe of sustainable production until 2055, if additional production drilling in the SE part of the field is performed. Moreover, this power value may increase to 87–105MWe if binary technologies are applied. Modeling also shows that the predicted power is sensitive to local meteoric water influx during development. Conceptual iTOUGH2-EOS1sc thermal hydrodynamic modeling of the Mutnovsky magma-hydrothermal system as a whole reasonably explains its evolution over the last 1500–5000years in terms of heat recharge (dyke injection from the Mutnovsky-4 funnel) and mass recharge (water injection through the Mutnovsky-2 and Mutnovsky-3 funnels) conditions as previously mentioned.