Sustainability Utilization of The Fault-Controlled Wentang Geothermal Field With Hydrogeological Numerical Model At Site Scale - A Case Study of Wentang Geothermal Field In Jiangxi, China

Sustainability utilization of the fault-controlled neighborhood-scale Wentang Geothermal Field is one of the most critical aspects of the local social development. The comprehensive analysis of operation data analysis, preliminary study with 2D model, and hydraulic connection test with 3D hydrological model indicate that the migration time duration for the geothermal water is within the range of 1~3 months. According to this conclusion, adynamic management policy that recharges the groundwater 2 months earlier before a large amount of geothermal utilization is suggested to the local geothermal regulatory agency. It is beneficial to reduce possible hot water temperature fluctuations and to balance the water table. For more sustainable development, the use of geothermal water should be more strictly controlled. In addition, more aspects should be given importance in future studies: 1) Detailed parameters of the fracture zone should be gained to get a better understanding of the geothermal flow migration. 2) A high efficiency parallel computing method should be involved to enhance the model simulation process; otherwise, the simulation will be inefficient, which leads to time-consuming work.