Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area
Abstract
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 fracturemore »
- Authors:
-
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
- California State Univ., Long Beach, CA (United States)
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- California State Univ. (CalState), Long Beach, CA (United States); Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1539737
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1464869
- Grant/Contract Number:
- EE0006763; EE0006764; DE EE0006764; DE EE0006763
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Water Resources Research
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 54; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 0043-1397
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Marine & Freshwater Biology; Water Resources
Citation Formats
Hawkins, Adam J., Becker, Matthew W., and Tester, Jefferson W. Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1029/2017wr021910.
Hawkins, Adam J., Becker, Matthew W., & Tester, Jefferson W. Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017wr021910
Hawkins, Adam J., Becker, Matthew W., and Tester, Jefferson W. 2018.
"Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017wr021910. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1539737.
@article{osti_1539737,
title = {Inert and Adsorptive Tracer Tests for Field Measurement of Flow-Wetted Surface Area},
author = {Hawkins, Adam J. and Becker, Matthew W. and Tester, Jefferson W.},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1029/2017wr021910},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1539737},
journal = {Water Resources Research},
issn = {0043-1397},
number = 8,
volume = 54,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed May 09 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
Web of Science
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Solute tracer test quantification of the effects of hot water injection into hydraulically stimulated crystalline rock
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