Tracers for Characterizing Enhanced Geothermal Systems
Information about the times of thermal breakthrough and subsequent rates of thermal drawdown in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) is necessary for reservoir management, designing fracture stimulation and well drilling programs, and forecasting economic return. Thermal breakthrough in heterogeneous porous media can be estimated using conservative tracers and assumptions about heat transfer rates; however, tracers that undergo temperature-dependent changes can provide more detailed information about the thermal profile along the flow path through the reservoir. To be effectively applied, the thermal reaction rates of such temperature sensitive traces must be well characterized for the range of conditions that exist in geothermal systems. Reactive tracers proposed in the literature include benzoic and carboxylic acids (Adams) and organic esters and amides (Robinson et al.); however, the practical temperature range over which these tracers can be applied (100-275°C) is somewhat limited. Further, for organic esters and amides, little is known about their sorption to the reservoir matrix and how such reactions impact data interpretation. Another approach involves tracers where the reference condition is internal to the tracer itself. Two examples are: 1) racemization of polymeric amino acids, and 2) mineral thermoluminescence. In these cases internal ratios of states are measured rather than extents of degradation and mass loss. Racemization of poly-L-lactic acid (for example) is temperature sensitive and therefore can be used as a temperature-recording tracer depending on the rates of racemization and stability of the amino acids. Heat-induced quenching of thermoluminescence of pre-irradiated LiF can also be used. To protect the tracers from alterations (extraneous reactions, dissolution) in geothermal environments we are encapsulating the tracers in core-shell colloidal structures that will subsequently be tested for their ability to be transported and to protect the tracers from incidental reactions. We review the criteria for practical reactive tracers, which serves as the basis for experimental testing and characterization and can be used to identify other potential candidate tracers. We will also discuss the information obtainable from individual tracers, which has implications for using multiple tracers to obtain information about the thermal history of a reservoir. We will provide an update on our progress for conducting proof-of-principle tests for reactive tracers in the Raft River geothermal system.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE - EE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 980785
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-09-17003; TRN: US201012%%919
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 35th STANFORD GEOTHERMAL WORKSHOP ,Stanford, CA,02/01/2010,02/03/2010
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
AMIDES
AMINO ACIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DISSOLUTION
DRAWDOWN
ECONOMICS
ESTERS
FORECASTING
FRACTURES
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
HEAT TRANSFER
MANAGEMENT
QUENCHING
RACEMIZATION
REACTION KINETICS
RIVERS
SORPTION
STABILITY
STIMULATION
TESTING
THERMOLUMINESCENCE
WELL DRILLING
engineered geothermal energy systems
reservoir characterization
tracers