Chemical analyses of geothermal waters and Strategic Petroleum Reserve brines for metals of economic importance
Waters from seven hydrothermal-geothermal, one geopressured-geothermal, and six Strategic Petroleum Reserve wells have been surveyed for 12 metals of economic importance using trace chemical analysis techniques. The elements sought were Cr, Co, Mn, Ta, Sn, V, Nb, Li, Sr, Pt, Au and Ag. Platinum was found at a concentration of approx. 50 ppb in a brine from the Salton Sea geothermal area. Brine from this region, as has been known from previous studies, is also rich in Li, Sr and Mn. Higher concentrations (approx. 900 ppm) of Sr are found in the high-salinity geopressured brines. None of the fluids contained interesting concentrations of the other metals. Good recovery of precious metals at sub-ppm concentrations from synthetic high salinity brines was achieved using Amborane reductive resin, but similar recovery in the laboratory using real brines could not be demonstrated. Several analytical techniques were compared in sensitivity for the determination of the precious metals; neutron activation analysis with carrier separation is the best for gold and platinum in geothermal brines. 26 references, 7 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5463645
- Journal Information:
- Geothermics; (United States), Vol. 13:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BRINES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
GOLD
EXTRACTION
PLATINUM
RESINS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SILVER
CALIFORNIA
CHROMIUM
COBALT
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
HAWAII
IDAHO
LITHIUM
LOUISIANA
MANGANESE
NIOBIUM
OIL WELLS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
QUANTITY RATIO
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE
STRONTIUM
TANTALUM
TEXAS
TIN
TRACE AMOUNTS
VANADIUM
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLATINUM METALS
POLYMERS
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
WELLS
152004* - Geothermal Data & Theory- Isotope & Trace Element Studies
150700 - Geothermal Energy- Products & By-Products