| Abstract |
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative is a dedicated field site in Milford, Utah, where scientists and engineers are developing and testing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) technologies and techniques (Moore, 2019). All data from FORGE are made publicly available in an online repository. In August 2024, a nominal 28-day flow test (circulation test) was conducted on the fractured EGS well doublet at FORGE. Prior the test, both wells had been hydraulically fractured with many stages employing different techniques, procedures, and materials for perforations, fracturing, and proppants. This paper presents analyses and discusses some of the implications of the flow test from the perspective of conventional geothermal reservoir engineering. FORGE achieved impressive technical successes in fracturing the wells and ultimately demonstrating commercial levels of injection, production, and temperature. Using an analysis approach from conventional geothermal reservoir engineering, the FORGE doublet (as-is) was found to have a potential generation capacity 1.7 Mwe,net. Again, for the FORGE doublet (as-is), Monte Carlo analysis provided an estimate of a P90 reserves of 0.9 Mwe,net for a 10-year project life. While FORGE is continuing its mission, it has provided enough data for private industry to make informed techno-economic assessments of the commercial implementation of EGS. |