Chemical and isotopic characteristics of the coso east flankhydrothermal fluids: implications for the location and nature of the heatsource
Fluids have been sampled from 9 wells and 2 fumaroles fromthe East Flank of the Coso hydrothermal system with a view toidentifying, if possible, the location and characteristics of the heatsource inflows into this portion of the geothermal field. Preliminaryresults show that there has been extensive vapor loss in the system, mostprobably in response to production. Wells 38A-9, 51-16 and 83A-16 showthe highest CO2-CO-CH4-H2 chemical equilibration temperatures, rangingbetween 300-340oC, and apart from 38A-9, the values are generally inaccordance with the measured temperatures in the wells. Calculatedtemperatures for the fractionation of 13C between CO2 and CH4 are inexcess of 400oC in fluids from wells 38A-9, 64-16-RD2 and 51A-16,obviously pointing to equilibrium conditions from deeper portions of thereservoir. Given that the predominant reservoir rock lithologies in theCoso system are relatively silicic (granitic to dioritic), the isotopicsignatures appear to reflect convective circulation and equilibrationwithin rocks close to the plastic-brittle transition. 3He/4He signatures,in conjunction with relative volatile abundances in the Coso fluids,point to a possibly altered mantle source for the heat sourcefluids.
- Research Organization:
- COLLABORATION - GNS Science, National IsotopeCentre; Geothermal Program Office,Naval Air Weapons Station; and CosoOperating Company
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 903381
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-62359; TRN: US200720%%311
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Thirty-second Workshop on Geothermal ReservoirEngineering, Stanford, CA, 22-24 January 2007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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