Title:

Modeling Scaling of Silica at Reinjection Wells at Berlin Geothermal Field, El Salvador, Central America

Authors:

Marlon R. Castro, Dina L. LŪpez, Jaime A. Reyes-LŪpez, Francisco E. Montalvo, Ra?l Romero, Jorge RamĢrez-Hern·ndez, Octavio L·zaro-Mancilla

Key Words:

silica scaling, geochemical modeling, water reinjection

Geo Location:

Berlin, El Salvador

Conference:

Stanford Geothermal Workshop

Year:

2006

Session:

Geochemistry

Language:

English

Paper Number:

Castro

File Size:

309KB

View File:

Abstract:

Generation of electricity at the Berlin Geothermal Field (Eastern El Salvador) started in February 1992. All the residual waters (~ 350 kg/s) produced during the conversion of thermal to electrical energy have been reinjected to the same field. Reinjection was the only feasible option for this field. However, silica scaling problems in the reinjection wells decrease the capacity of these wells to absorb water. The temperature of the reinjected waters is 175 oC and the reservoir temperature at the reinjection wells ranges from 280 ?C to 200 ?C. The mineral that presents a higher saturation index and it is more likely to precipitate at the pressure and temperature conditions of the water transport pipes and wellhead is amorphous silica. However, high precipitation of amorphous silica is not happening in the water transport system and the waters are reinjected supersaturated. Modeling of cooling of the hot reservoir waters in equilibrium with quartz and mixing with reinjection waters was done using the programs SOLVEQ and CHILLER.
The modeling results show that the mass of quartz precipitated within the reservoir per unit mass of reinjected water strongly depends on the initial silica concentration of the reinjected water. The temperature and mixing fraction of the reservoir does not seem to have a deep effect if the reservoir is at a higher temperature. Most of the silica precipitated is coming from the reinjected water with only a minor fraction coming from the temperature reequilibration of the reservoir. However, a slightly higher mass fraction of silica is precipitated when the temperature difference between reinjected and reservoir water is greater. Considering the flow rate of reinjected water at well TR-1A, the volume of quartz precipitated per kg of reinjected water, a 10% porosity, and a thickness of the reservoir of 200 m, the volume of pores clogged per year was found as well as the percentage of clogged reservoir volume assuming different radius for the deposition of quartz around the well. A radius between 5 and 15 m for the precipitation of quartz could explain the decline in absorption capacity. Higher radius would give only a few percent change in porosity that cannot explain the change in absorption capacity. As the clogging of the pores seems to happen close to the wells, hydraulic effects are proposed to explain the abrupt response of nearby wells when reinjection starts in a new well.


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