Investigation of wellbore cooling by circulation and fluid penetration into the formation using a wellbore thermal simulator computer code
The high temperatures of geothermal wells present severe problems for drilling, logging, and developing these reservoirs. Cooling the wellbore is perhaps the most common method to solve these problems. However, it is usually not clear what may be the most effective wellbore cooling mechanism for a given well. In this paper, wellbore cooling by the use of circulation or by fluid injection into the surrounding rock is investigated using a wellbore thermal simulator computer code. Short circulation times offer no prolonged cooling of the wellbore, but long circulation times (greater than ten or twenty days) greatly reduce the warming rate after shut-in. The dependence of the warming rate on the penetration distance of cooler temperatures into the rock formation (as by fluid injection) is investigated. Penetration distances of greater than 0.6 m appear to offer a substantial reduction in the warming rate. Several plots are shown which demonstrate these effects.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 6051002
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-87-1572C; CONF-871024-10; ON: DE87012015
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council, Sparks, NV, USA, 12 Oct 1987; Other Information: Paper copy only, copy does not permit microfiche production
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
GEOTEMP2. Advanced Wellbore Thermal Simulator
Advanced Wellbore Thermal Simulator