MSc Thesis: Modelling the La Soufrière Hydrothermal System, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
REYKJAVIK, June 2 - MSc in Sustainable Energy candidate, Arthurton Bellot , successfully defended his master's thesis where he modelled the La Soufrière hydrothermal system in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Arthurton's work was supervised by Dr. Juliet Ann Newson from Reykjavik University and Chelsea Arlette M. Cervantes from Reykjavik Geothermal.
Arthurton's project reports the first attempt to build a reservoir model for the La Soufrière hydrothermal system. His project will lay the foundation for future models of this system and further develop St. Vincent’s geothermal energy. Reykjavík Geothermal provided the geological and geothermal data in which the models were based, consisting of GIS files, well data, drilling reports, various maps and cross-sections, internal reports, and scientific papers.
Arthurton analysed the data and where necessary, interpreted in order to build a conceptual model of the geothermal system on the island. His model was based on all the geological and geothermal data such as measured physical parameters (i.e. temperature and resistivity values), topographic data, surface manifestations and previous conceptual models.
Arthurton built this conceptual model using Leapfrog Geothermal which was subsequently used as the basis for the TOUGH2 numerical model. He calibrated a natural state TOUGH2 model using downhole temperature data from 3 wells drilled in St. Vincent and the location of areas of high surface heat flow.
His thesis work provides an initial, physically realistic model of the subsurface heat and mass flows and permeability structure of the St. Vincent geothermal reservoir. The intent is for his model to be further tested, refined and otherwise modified by future data collection and well testing programs. An important note from Arthurton was that his project was performed before the recent eruption of La Soufrière, and thus the results do not include this information.
Congratulations Arthurton for an excellent thesis defence!