| Title | Recovery of Injected Condensate as Steam in The South Geysers Field |
|---|---|
| Authors | Beall, Joseph J.; Enedy, Steve; Box, W. T., Jr. |
| Year | 1989 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Power Generation; Reservoir Engineering; USA; Lake Sonoma; The Geysers; Condensate; Reinjection; Tracers; Deuterium; Injection Derived Steam |
| Abstract | Power Plant condensate, highly enriched in deuterium (D) relative to reservoir steam is injected into the Geysers reservoir. The elevated D content of produced steam containing an injection component facilitates tracing of injection derived steam (IDA). Calculated recovery of IDS peaked in 1987 at nearly 800,000 lbs/hr for the Units 13, 16, NCPA-1, and NCPA-2 area of the South Geysers. The cause of the calculated subsequent decline is unclear, but could be due to: (1) less efficient boiling of injected condensate as a consequence of cooling of fracture surfaces within the injected water mass, (2) fractionation of D between injection water and IDS at temperatures below 220°C or, (3) movement of injection water under hydrostatic pressure to depths below the effective "floor" of the reservoir. |