Analysis about Low Performance in Some Zones of Los Humeros, Mexico, Geothermal Field

Abstract

The Los Humeros Mexican geothermal field is a high enthalpy production field. However it has undergone a drastic change in productive characteristics between the north and central zone with respect to the southern producing zone also known as Collapse Central. It seems that the geologic structures and the unfavorable balance between the production and the recharge mass play a main role. Temperature profiles in wells drilled in this area were analyzed and reviewed and were obtained measurements close to 300 °C. However it was found that lost circulation profiles show different behaviors, between the well H1 and the other wells located to east of “Mastaloya” fault. From a view point of reservoir engineering it seems that this area is bounded by the three main geological structures, is of high temperature (about 300 °C), but without permeability characteristics. As a practical application of this study appears interesting the proposal for application of secondary recovery techniques or Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS), including the idea for starting with the methodologies for extracting the heat to the surface for its use in energy generation.