Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area

Hawkins, Adam J.; Becker, Matthew W.; Tester, Jefferson W.

doi:10.1029/2017wr021910

Title: Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area

Journal Article · Wed May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Water Resources Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2017wr021910· OSTI ID:1539737

^[1];

^[2]; Tester, Jefferson W. ^[3]

Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
California State Univ., Long Beach, CA (United States)
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

Abstract Field tests in a discrete rock fracture validated a combined inert/adsorbing tracer test method to estimate the contact area between fluids circulating through a fracture and the bulk rock matrix (i.e., flow‐wetted surface area, A). Tracer tests and heat injections occurred at a mesoscale well field in Altona, NY. A subhorizontal bedding plane fracture ∼7.6 m below ground surface connects two wells separated by 14.1 m. Recovery of the adsorbing tracer cesium was roughly 72% less than the inert tracer iodide. Using an advection‐dispersion‐reaction model in one‐dimension, the adsorbing/inert tracer method identified substantial flow channelization. These results are consistent with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and thermal sensors. All characterization methods suggest circulating fluids were concentrated in a narrow, 1–2 m wide channel directly connecting the injection and production well. The inert/adsorbing tracer method identified two flow channels with areas of 28 and 80 m ² . A one‐dimensional heat transport model predicted production well temperature rises 20.5°C in 6 days, whereas measured temperature rise was 17.6°C. For comparison, two‐dimensional heat transport through a fracture of uniform aperture (i.e., homogeneous permeability) predicted roughly 670 days until production well temperature would rise 17.6°C. This suggests that the use of a fracture of uniform aperture to predict heat transport may drastically overpredict the thermal performance of a geothermal system. In the context of commercial geothermal reservoirs, the results of this study suggest that combined inert/adsorbing tracer tests could predict production well thermal drawdown, leading to improved reservoir monitoring and management.

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Research Organization:: California State Univ. (CalState), Long Beach, CA (United States); Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0006763; EE0006764; DE EE0006764; DE EE0006763

OSTI ID:: 1539737

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1464869

Journal Information:: Water Resources Research, Vol. 54, Issue 8; ISSN 0043-1397

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 18 works

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Solute tracer test quantification of the effects of hot water injection into hydraulically stimulated crystalline rock Kittilä, Anniina; Jalali, Mohammadreza; Saar, Martin O. ETH Zurich https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000420224	text	January 2020

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