Energy Technology

Geothermal Resources and their Use

Worldwide occurrence of geothermal systems, introductory geology, volcanoes and volcanic rocks, New Zealand geothermal systems, structure of the TVZ, hydrothermal alteration, permeability and porosity, introduction to geochemistry of geothermal systems, geothermal surface manifestations, water compositions, geothermometry, silica geochemistry, overview of geophysics for geothermal exploration, geothermal resource assessment.

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 602, and 603 or 620

Restriction: GEOTHERM 785

Geothermal Energy Technology

Worldwide geothermal development, types of geothermal systems, thermodynamics, properties of water and steam tables, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, steam-field equipment, geothermal power stations, geothermal drilling, wellbore processes, completion tests, downhole measurements, reinjection, corrosion, stored heat, Darcy's law, cold groundwater, geothermal reservoirs, direct use, reservoir modelling, reservoir monitoring and steam-field management.

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 601

Restriction: GEOTHERM 785

Geothermal Exploration

Hydrothermal alteration, clays, fluid inclusions, direct use, subsidence, scaling and corrosion in geothermal wells, production geochemistry, environmental aspects of geothermal development, feasibility study, physical properties of rocks and self-potential (SP), magnetics, thermal methods, gravity, seismic methods, electrical methods, magneto-tellurics (MT).

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 601, 602

Restriction: GEOTHERM 785

Geothermal Engineering

Completion tests, wellbore flow, two-phase flow, geothermal power cycles, flow measurements, direct use of geothermal energy, environmental effects, scaling and corrosion in geothermal wells, drilling engineering, flow measurements, steam-field operation and maintenance, subsidence, waste heat rejection, heat exchangers, geothermal well-test analysis, stimulation, pipeline design, feasibility study, reservoir modelling theory, TOUGH2, reservoir modelling process, case study (data and conceptual model, natural state modelling), Wairakei model.

Corequisite: GEOTHERM 601, 602

Restriction: GEOTHERM 785

Geothermal Project

Based on a study using field, lab or theoretical methods, students are required to submit a report on some aspect of geothermal exploration, development or exploitation.

Geothermal and Reservoir Engineering

Topics include: worldwide geothermal development, types of geothermal systems, geothermal geology, resource estimation, thermodynamics, properties of water and steam, steam-field equipment, geothermal power cycles, direct use of geothermal energy, completion tests, two-phase flow, flow measurements, geothermal reservoir engineering modelling theory, reinjection, scaling and corrosion, drilling engineering, heat exchangers, geothermal well-test analysis, stimulation, sedimentary geology, oil and gas formation, petroleum reservoir engineering.

Prerequisite: CHEMMAT 302 or 313 or ENGSCI 343 or MECHENG 311, and ENGSCI 311 or 313 or 314

Restriction: GEOTHERM 601, 602, 603, 620