Application of Autonomous Flow Control Devices for Optimizing Flow Conformance in High-Enthalpy Geothermal and EGS Environment

Abstract Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and high-enthalpy geothermal wells face long-standing challenges in achieving uniform injection, managing fracture-dominated flow paths, and maintaining thermal sweep necessary for sustained heat extraction. This paper evaluates the feasibility and potential impact of applying autonomous flow control devices (AFCDs) technologies in geothermal wells, including Inflow Control Devices (ICDs) and Autonomous Inflow Control Devices (AICDs) in producers, as well as Outflow Control Devices (OCDs) and Autonomous Outflow Control Devices (AOCDs) in injectors. Each of these devices themselves, proven across many of oilfield installations, offer self-regulating flow behavior that can mitigate short-circuiting, reduce preferential flow through dominant fractures, promote more balanced reservoir stimulation and heat sweep and improve long-term energy recovery efficiency. Combining AOCDs in injection wells with AICDs in production wells has the potential to significantly improve sweep uniformity, delay thermal breakthrough, and extend reservoir thermal longevity, achieved with minimal surface control infrastructure. The paper concludes by presenting conceptual completion designs and deployment strategies for AFCDs, including a detailed assessment of the advantages and limitations for each installation option, and outlining field-implementation pathways that support a low-risk, cost-effective transition of these technologies into geothermal development. Conceptual designs indicate that integrating AICDs and AOCDs can further extend geothermal well life and enhance long-term energy recovery. Although field trials in geothermal environments have not yet been performed, the extensive deployment history of these devices in oil and gas operations provides a strong technical foundation for early geothermal pilot projects. Overall, this work delivers one of the most comprehensive frameworks to date for applying AFCDs in geothermal wells. By adapting proven oilfield technologies to high-temperature, multiphase geothermal systems, the study offers a practical approach to streamline well design and execution while improving long-term performance and reservoir sustainability.