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Title: Water quality in vicinity of Fenton Hill Site, 1976. [LASL hot-dry rock geothermal experiment site in New Mexico]

Abstract

Water quality data have been collected at 9 surface-water stations, 11 ground-water stations, and 3 ponds at the Fenton Hill Geothermal Site in the Jemez Mountains. This is part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's continuing program of environmental studies. Insignificant changes (within expected normal seasonal fluctuations) in the chemical quality of water at individual stations were observed during the year. Predominant ions and total dissolved solids remained essentially stable.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
6651722
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 6651722
Report Number(s):
LA-7307-MS
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GEOTHERMAL WELLS; CHEMICAL EFFLUENTS; GROUND WATER; WATER QUALITY; HOT-DRY-ROCK SYSTEMS; JEMEZ MOUNTAINS; SURFACE WATERS; WATER POLLUTION; MONITORING; DATA; ACID CARBONATES; CALCIUM; CARBONATES; CHLORIDES; FLUORIDES; HARDNESS; MAGNESIUM; NEW MEXICO; NITRATES; SILICA; SODIUM; SULFATES; ALKALI METALS; ALKALINE EARTH METALS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CHALCOGENIDES; CHLORINE COMPOUNDS; ELEMENTS; FLUORINE COMPOUNDS; GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS; HALIDES; HALOGEN COMPOUNDS; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; METALS; MINERALS; MOUNTAINS; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NORTH AMERICA; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POLLUTION; SILICON COMPOUNDS; SILICON OXIDES; SOUTHWEST REGION; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; USA; WATER; WELLS Geothermal Legacy 150600* -- Geothermal Energy-- Environmental Aspects; 520200 -- Environment, Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Purtymun, W.D., Adams, W.H., and Stoker, A.K.. Water quality in vicinity of Fenton Hill Site, 1976. [LASL hot-dry rock geothermal experiment site in New Mexico]. United States: N. p., 1978. Web. doi:10.2172/6651722.
Purtymun, W.D., Adams, W.H., & Stoker, A.K.. Water quality in vicinity of Fenton Hill Site, 1976. [LASL hot-dry rock geothermal experiment site in New Mexico]. United States. doi:10.2172/6651722.
Purtymun, W.D., Adams, W.H., and Stoker, A.K.. Mon . "Water quality in vicinity of Fenton Hill Site, 1976. [LASL hot-dry rock geothermal experiment site in New Mexico]". United States. doi:10.2172/6651722. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6651722.
@article{osti_6651722,
title = {Water quality in vicinity of Fenton Hill Site, 1976. [LASL hot-dry rock geothermal experiment site in New Mexico]},
author = {Purtymun, W.D. and Adams, W.H. and Stoker, A.K.},
abstractNote = {Water quality data have been collected at 9 surface-water stations, 11 ground-water stations, and 3 ponds at the Fenton Hill Geothermal Site in the Jemez Mountains. This is part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's continuing program of environmental studies. Insignificant changes (within expected normal seasonal fluctuations) in the chemical quality of water at individual stations were observed during the year. Predominant ions and total dissolved solids remained essentially stable.},
doi = {10.2172/6651722},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978},
month = {Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978}
}

Technical Report:

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  • The results of three major heat-extraction experiments conducted in two hot dry geothermal reservoirs indicate that the field chemistry is largely influenced by the interstitial fluid contained in the reservoir rock. This fluid is slowly removed by the circulation of relatively fresh water through the fracture systems until the level of dissolved species is ultimately fixed by rock-water equilibrium. Because the sodium and potassium observed in the system were contributed by the pore-fluid, the Na-K-Ca geothermometer was insensitive to changes in the rock temperatures. The quartz geothermometer does reflect the changes in reservoir temperature, however the concentraton of silica inmore » solution must be adjusted for the effect of mixing of small amounts of silica-saturated pore-fluid with fluid which has passed through the main flow path. When the pore-fluid contribution is subtracted, the resulting concentration of silica in the produced fluid can be modeled with a kinetic model to determine the actual temperature of the reservoir rock.« less
  • The case study described here concerns an HDR system which provides geothermal fluids for a hypothetical electric plant located in the Fenton Hill area in New Mexico's Jemez Mountains. Primary concern is focused on the implications of differing drilling conditions, as reflected by costs, and differing risk environments for the potential commercialization of an HDR system. Drilling costs for best, medium and worst drilling conditions are taken from a recent study of drilling costs for HDR systems. Differing risk environments are represented by differing rate-of-return requirements on stocks and interest on bonds which the HDR system is assumed to pay;more » rate of return/interest combinations considered are 6%/3%, 9%/6%, 12%/9% and 15%/12%. The method of analysis used here is that of determining the minimum busbar cost for electricity for this case study wherein all costs are expressed in annual equivalent terms. The minimum cost design for the electric generating plant is determined jointly with the minimum cost design for the HDR system. The interdependence between minimum cost designs for the plant and HDR system is given specific attention; the optimum design temperature for the plant is shown here to be lower than one might expect for conventional power plants - in the range 225/sup 0/ to 265/sup 0/C. Major results from the analyses of HDR-produced electricity in the Fenton Hill area are as follows. With real, inflation-free debt/equity rates of 6% and 9%, respectively, the minimum busbar cost is shown to lie in the range 18 to 29 mills/kwh. When real debt/equity rates rise to 12% and 15%, busbar costs rise to 24 to 39 mills/kwh.« less
  • A transient mass balance model is developed to account for the dynamic behavior of an artificially stimulated hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal reservoir system in fractured granitic rock. Fluid mixing between fractured zones, hydrodynamic dispersion within zones, pore fluid displacement, and mineral dissolution effects are incorporated into the model. A two-zone system is sufficient to account for the major observed results from field testing of the Fenton Hill HDR system.
  • The chemistry of fluids circulated through an artificially-stimulated, hot dry rock (HDR) fractured geothermal reservoir system in granitic rock is described in terms of mixing phenomena, geothermometry, and approach to saturation with reservoir rock minerals. Based on the similar dynamic behavior of Na{sup +}, K{sup +}, Li{sup +}, Cl{sup {minus}}, and B species and other isotopic evidence, the presence of a concentrated {ital in-situ} pore fluid was identified. Mixing and displacement of this {ital in situ} fluid with meteoric make-up water is responsible for the observed behavior of the major dissolved species in the circulated fluid of this HDR system.