| Title | Isotopic and Chemical Behavior of Fluids of Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Authors | E. Portugal, G. Izquierdo, M.P. Verma, R.M. Barragan, Alfredo Perez and Jesus de Leon Vivar |
| Year | 2000 |
| Conference | PNOC-EDC Geothermal Conference |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | The Cerro Prieto geothermal field is located in the Baja California state at the northwestern portion of Mexico. It is a large liquid-dominated field with an installed capacity of 620 MWe. The hydrological model of Cerro Prieto shows that geothermal fluids circulate from east to west, ascend through Fault H and flow laterally across a permeable stratum. Recent fluid chemistry data of Cerro Prieto wells indicate that temperatures increase as function of depth, with shallow wells having average temperature of 250░C and deep wells reaching 295-318░C. Cationic and silica geothermometry were also used to confirm thermal gradients across the field established by previous studies. Isotope data of Cerro Prieto fluids show no notable change in the last five years. However, some shifts in isotope values observed in the shallower wells (Groups A and B) may be attributed to two processes: a) mixing of hot reservoir fluids with groundwater; and b) inflow of injected brine into the production sector. |