Study of alternative tracer tests in characterizing transport in fractured rocks

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/95GL01093· OSTI ID:150498

Tsang, Y W ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

Flow and transport calculations are carried out by numerical simulation for different tracer designs: single-well radially diverging/converging (huff-puff), single well radially converging, and two-well injection-withdrawal (doublet) in a 2D fracture zone. The fractured rocks are conceptualized as a dual-continuum: the well-connected fractures forming a heterogeneous continuum for advective transport, and the less permeable matrix forming a second continuum for tracer diffusion. Results show that the huff-puff design is a good diagnostic test for matrix diffusion. The two-well doublet design averages over a large volume and corrects for the extreme sensitivity to spatial heterogeneities of the single well converging test, but requires prior knowledge of presence or absence of matrix diffusion to give reliable estimate of transport parameters. Results of this study demonstrate that using a suite of different tracer designs is important to reduce the uncertainty in association with solving the inverse problem of tracer test interpretation to characterize transport in fracture rocks. 10 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 150498
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 22; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
FLUID FLOW
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
MASS TRANSFER
TRACER TECHNIQUES