Experimentally determined rock-fluid interactions applicable to a natural hot dry rock geothermal system

Conference · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5665138

Charles, R W; Holley, Jr, C E; Tester, J W; Blatz, L A; Grigsby, C O

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory is pursuing laboratory and field experiments in the development of the Hot Dry Rock concept of geothermal energy. The field program consists of experiments in a hydraulically fractured region of low permeability in which hot rock is intercepted by two wellbores. These experiments are designed to test reservoir engineering parameters such as: heat extraction rates, water loss rates, flow characteristics including impedance and buoyancy, seismic activity and fluid chemistry. Laboratory experiments have been designed to provide information on the mineral reactivity which may be encountered in the field program. Two experimental circulation systems have been built to study the rates of dissolution and alteration in dynamic flow. Solubility studies have been done in agitated systems. To date, pure minerals, samples of the granodiorite from the actual reservoir and Tijeras Canyon granite have been reacted with distilled water and various solutions of NaCl, NaOH, and Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/. The results of these experimental systems are compared to observations made in field experiments done in a hot dry rock reservoir at a depth of approximately 3 km with initial rock temperatures of 150 to 200/sup 0/C.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5665138
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-79-3113; CONF-800205-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
152003* -- Geothermal Data & Theory-- Rock-Water-Gas Interactions
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMORPHOUS STATE
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ENGINEERING
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
GRANITES
GRANODIORITES
Geothermal Legacy
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION
HYDROXIDES
IGNEOUS ROCKS
KINETICS
MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
ROCKS
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
SOLUBILITY
TEST FACILITIES