Geochemical Behavior of the Second Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Reservoir at Fenton Hill, New Mexico

Conference · Tue Dec 16 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:889285

Grigsby, Charles O; Trujillo, Jr, P E; Counce, D A; Aguilar, R G

Characteristics of a Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal reservoir were deduced by matching a geochemistry model which incorporates rock dissolution and displacement of an indigenous pore-fluid to chemical analyses of recirculating geothermal fluid. Two reservoirs were created between a pair of wells by hydraulic fracturing. The first of the reservoirs was evaluated by a 75-day flow test designated as Segment 2. Subsequent operations required the cementing of the injection well to stop a leak behind the casing, and this cementing operation closed the connection to the first reservoir. The second, larger reservoir was evaluated with two flow tests -- the first had a duration of 24 days and is c a l l e d Segment 4 and the second, called Segment 5, will end on December 19, 1980 after 284 days of operation. Present discussion w i l l be mainly concerned with the geochemistry of the second reservoir. Of particular interest in a HDR geothermal reservoir is the relationship between the mixed-mean temperature of the geothermal fluid as measured with a downhole thermistor and the temperatures given by the silica and the Na-K-Ca geochemical thermometers. As will be shown, the temperatures predicted by applying the chemical geothermometers directly to the produced fluid composition at a given time do not represent the true current reservoir temperature.

• Research Organization: LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-80SF11459
• OSTI ID: 889285
• Report Number(s): SGP-TR-50-50
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Geothermal Legacy