| Abstract |
The San Diego Gas E Electric Company (SDGEE) is actively engaged in testing to develop methods to utilize geothermal resources at Niland and Heber in California's Imperial Valley. This paper describes San Diego's test program at the Niland area which is characterized by high temperature brines of high salinity. San Diego's first testing began in April 1972. One production well was flowed at the Niland site for about ten days. The well flowed without pumping. Brine temperature and pressure at the production wellhead averaged 375?F and 150 psig. The geothermal brines which were produced were injected back into the reservoir through a 2,400 ft. deep well located about 4 mile away. The production of the well was, on the average, 400,000 lbs/hr. total mass flow. This was 324,000 lbs/hr of liquid (81%), 64,000 lbs/hr of steam(16%), and 12,000 lbs/hr of noncondensable gases (3%). The wellhead temperature and pressure remained stable at 375?F and 1.50 psig. The total dissolved solids averaged 225,000 parts per million and the indicated bottomhole temperature was 510?F at a depth of 2,250 feet. |