| Title | Tauhara Geothermal Field – New Zealand: Initial reservoir response to 224 MWe additional generation |
|---|---|
| Authors | Darren Jasmin, Bryan Cacho, Alan Ferguson, Paul Abrasaldo, Rifqa Wicaksono, Kerin Brockbank, Kim Fong |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Production in the Tauhara geothermal field in New Zealand began in 2006 with a 20 MWth direct heat supply to the timber drying kilns at the Tenon Mill and expanded to 28 MWe binary power plant in 2010. In 2024, a 174 MWe triple flash, condensing steam turbine (the Tauhara power station) and a 50 MWe binary plant (Te Huka U3) were commissioned. These changes rapidly increased the fluid extraction from the Tauhara reservoir from 28 kt/day to 156 kt/day. As anticipated, the increased volumes of production and reinjection fluids generated a number of changes, which are being monitored closely through downhole surveys, output tests, geochemistry analyses and continuous pressure monitoring. In this paper, we will present an overview of our monitoring strategy for the Tauhara reservoir and present examples of the well datasets acquired that document the initial response of the reservoir after ~1 year production, including downhole measurements and geochemical data. We compare these changes with the expected changes predicted by the numerical reservoir model. When integrated and evaluated with a geoscientific context, these new data are supporting our ongoing efforts to update and improve our conceptual understanding of the Tauhara reservoir. |