Artificial tracers for geothermal reservoir studies

Abstract

Safe disposal of thermally spent geothermal brines that contain environmentally hazardous constituents is commonly obtained by reinjection. The reinjection process also serves to maintain reservoir pressure, enhance thermal recovery, and eliminate possible compactional subsidence. To avoid premature thermal breakthrough of reinjected fluids, tracer tests are employed for detection and evaluation of preferential path networks. In this paper some promising tracers that have not received much attention in geothermal reservoir studies are discussed, and a comprehensive tabulation of field sites of artificial tracer utilization is presented. Chemical and transport processes responsible for tracer retention by the formation of reservoir solids, as well as available tracer detection techniques, are emphasized.