Tracing Geothermal Fluids

Adams, Michael C. ; Nash, Greg

University of Utah. Energy & Geoscience Institute.

关键词: Geothermal Fluids;    Management;    Testing;    Geothermal Fields;    Water Geothermal Fluids, Tracers, Steam Tracers, Water/Steam Tracers;   

DOI  :  10.2172/928987
RP-ID  :  DOE-ID13891-EGI
RP-ID  :  FG36-00ID13891
RP-ID  :  928987

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Geothermal water must be injected back into the reservoir after it has been used for power production. Injection is critical in maximizing the power production and lifetime of the reservoir. To use injectate effectively the direction and velocity of the injected water must be known or inferred. This information can be obtained by using chemical tracers to track the subsurface flow paths of the injected fluid. Tracers are chemical compounds that are added to the water as it is injected back into the reservoir. The hot production water is monitored for the presence of this tracer using the most sensitive analytic methods that are economically feasible. The amount and concentration pattern of the tracer revealed by this monitoring can be used to evaluate how effective the injection strategy is. However, the tracers must have properties that suite the environment that they will be used in. This requires careful consideration and testing of the tracer properties. In previous and parallel investigations we have developed tracers that are suitable from tracing liquid water. In this investigation, we developed tracers that can be used for steam and mixed water/steam environments. This work will improve the efficiency of injection management in geothermal fields, lowering the cost of energy production and increasing the power output of these systems.