Geothermal reservoir monitoring by continuous self-potential measurements, Mori geothermal field, Japan

A self-potential (SP) monitoring study was conducted at the Mori geothermal field, Japan, to detect fluid flow changes in the reservoir caused by well operations. In 2000, eight observation points were deployed in and around the reservoir region for about 2.5 months, during which the production and reinjection wells were shut in and then re-opened. Since no reliable remote reference was available, the SP results were plotted in two ways: adopting an observation point in the target area as reference, and using the average value of all the observation points as a reference (called the “relative SP” plot). Although changes in SP corresponding to well operations were detected in both plots, more reliable results were obtained with the relative SP plot. Based on numerical simulation of SP using a simplified model of the Mori reservoir, the observed changes are interpreted as being caused by reservoir pressure changes through electrokinetic coupling.