Professor
Mike O'Sullivan
Department of Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering
m.osullivan@auckland.ac.nz
Professor Mike O’Sullivan is one of the world’s leading experts on geothermal modelling, recognised in 2011 by the award of the Henry J. Ramey Award for Geothermal Reservoir Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand and has a personal chair in Engineering Science.
About
Professor Mike O’Sullivan is one of the world’s leading experts on geothermal modelling, recognised in 2011 by the award of the Henry J. Ramey Award for Geothermal Reservoir Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand and has a personal chair in Engineering Science.
His main research interest is the modelling of geothermal fields, but more generally includes reservoir physics, environmental fluid dynamics, and computational fluid dynamics. He has pioneered computer techniques for numerical modelling of geothermal reservoirs and applied them to the behaviour of many real systems in New Zealand and worldwide.
He is a member of the Geothermal Resources Council, International Geothermal Association, as well as the Society of Petroleum Engineers. His recent papers are on a transient geothermal wellbore simulator, uncertainty quantification for geothermal models, a new framework for geothermal modelling and carbon dioxide emissions from geothermal fields. In the past he has taught Mathematical Modelling to all engineering students as well as teaching in the Postgraduate Certificate course in Geothermal Energy Technology.
Professional Experience
2016 - Present
Part-time Professor
Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand
2002 - 2003
Head of Department
Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1992 - 1996
Head of Department
Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1969 - 2015
Lecturer / Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor / Professor
Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand
1980 & 1999
Visiting Scientist
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
(Also for short periods in 1983, 1990, 1995, 1998).
1968 - 1969
Assistant Professor
New York University, USA
Qualifications
1968
PhD, Applied Mechanics
California Institute of Technology, USA
1963
ME, Applied Mechanics
University of Auckland, New Zealand
1962
BSc, Mathematics
University of Auckland, New Zealand
1961
BE, Civil Engineering
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Research
2021 - 2023
Modelling of Karaha, Kamojang and Lahendong, Indonesia
New 3-D models of Karaha, Kamojang and Lahendong geothermal reservoirs, used to inform PGE management of the potential of these three systems. Development of modelling techniques, particularly methodology for uncertainty quantification.
2005 - 2023
Modelling of the geothermal system below the gold mine on Lihir Island, PNG
Field management and planning. Investigation of options for expansion of power production, including support for targeting of new wells. Investigation of options for pit cooling. Development of modelling techniques.
1985 - 2023
Modelling of Wairakei and Ohaaki geothermal fields
Development of an ongoing series of 3-D models of Wairakei and Ohaaki geothermal reservoirs, used to inform management of Wairakei geothermal resource and also used to support applications for resource consents. Development of modelling techniques.
2015 - 2020
Geothermal Supermodels
Development of Waiwera, a new, highly parallelised, open-source geothermal simulator capable of simulating large-scale, multi-physics, complex geothermal systems.
2017 - 2023
Uncertainty quantification of geothermal models
Development of methodology for uncertainty quantification of geothermal models. Applied to a study of productivity of new wells at BacMan and resource estimation for several geothermal systems including green-field systems.
2021
Carbon dioxide emissions from geothermal power plants
A study of lifetime emissions of CO2 from a geothermal project such as Ohaaki.
Recent Collaborations
Address
L3, 70 Symonds St, Grafton, Auckland
New Zealand