Using Aluminum Data: Implications on Geochemical Modeling

Abstract

In the quest to determine if measured aluminum values is in fact necessary in evaluating geochemical data, two particular studies were conducted. Results have shown that employing actual aluminum concentrations using SOLVEQ gave the most positive results. The first study estimated reservoir temperatures of three wells (MG30D, M G24D and MG43D) from the EDC Leyte geothermal field using the FixAl method and actual aluminum concentrations while the second is a calibration study to test aluminum sensitivity using SOLVEQ and Watch 2.4 softwares on CN-1, a production well in BacMan. Both papers yielded conclusions in favor of the method using measured values of aluminum by SOLVEQ among the FixAl method and using arbitrary aluminum values by Watch 2.4. Nevertheless, the FixAl method is still recommended in reservoir fluid reconstruction by both studies in the absence of laboratory analysis for aluminum. Currently, the EDC laboratories have no capability yet for trace aluminum analysis on geothermal water samples although validation of methods is on-going. To reinforce the information provided by the above-mentioned projects, studies using more data from wells with known mineralogy and complete chemistry as well as comparison with measured temperatures of feed zones or its closeness to other geothermometers are suggested.