1887

Abstract

Summary

Interference testing is a well-established diagnostic technique for investigating reservoir anisotropy, lateral continuity, flow capacity, heat extraction potential, and boundary conditions in geothermal reservoirs. In a typical interference test, fluid is injected into or produced from a source well, while the pressure response is recorded at an observation well. Given that the pressure disturbance at the observation well is often small – typically less than 1 bar, especially at large inter-well distances – high-resolution pressure gauges are essential. External influences such as barometric pressure variations and earth tides may introduce noise and are accounted for during acquisition or post-processing. The recorded pressure transient reflects the integrated effects of inter-well reservoir properties, and the presence of heterogeneities or flow barriers. Interpretation of this response enables the estimation of areal transmissivity (kh/μ) and storativity (ϕ ct h) between wells as well as the detection of reservoir boundaries. Interference tests provide valuable information for reservoir management decisions.

This paper presents a theoretical overview of interference testing and illustrates its application through a geothermal doublet case. Python programming was employed to generate type curves and support the interpretation of the observed pressure response over time.

© EAGE Publications BV
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2025-10-27
2026-01-20

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References

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Interference Testing: Theory and Application in Geothermal Energy
Conference Proceedings 2025, 1 (2025); https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.202521057
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.202521057
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.202521057
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