Theoretical foundations are presented for forecasting operation instability of producing wells at flash-steam fields. The considered topic gains actuality because of the new conditions for developing geothermal power industry which call for solicitous use of the wells fund. Instability mechanism is considered: increased discharge results in the growth of the force generating the flow, which in turn results in still higher discharge. The force grows due to weakening of gravitational component which counteracts the flow in the result of depletion in the density of flash-steam mixture. It is demonstrated that due to the specifics of development of such instability in a geothermal well the reaction of well foot pressure to change in the discharge cannot influence the stability in any effective way, while the reaction of wellhead pressure may work as a stabilizing factor. Principal weaknesses are pointed out of former ideas on flow instability in flash-steam wells. The condition of stable flow should be the positive value of the derivative on discharge of the internal well foot pressure defined as the sum of wellhead and internal pressure drop.
A condition of well operation stability based on agreement of indicator characteristics of well and aquifer throughput capacity is considered. Two hypotheses of the stability state are examined: with one and two possible combinations of characteristics. It is shown that taking into account resistance between the wellhead and the environment with constant pressure helps explain all the features of wellhead pressure and flow-rate relationship of steam-water wells based on the hypothesis with one combination (when the operating point is located on the ascending branch of a well characteristic). The throttling effect on the wellhead which was used in the development of the Mutnovka steam hydrothermal field in order to stabilize the well operation is explained.
