Matrix Diffusion and its Effect on the Modeling of Tracer Returns from the Fractured Geothermal Reservoir at Wairakei, New Zealand
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Tracer tests performed at. the geothermal reservoir at Wairakei, New Zealand have been analyzed. A mathematical and physical description which models tracer flow through individual fractures with diffusion into the surrounding porous matrix has been used. Observed tracer return profiles matched significantly well with the model calculations. From the model, first tracer arrival times and the number of individual fractures (the principal conduits of fluid flow in the reservoir) joining the injector-producer wells can be determined. If the porosity, adsorption distribution coefficient, bulk density and effective diffusion coefficient are known, fracture widths may be calculated. Hydrodynamic dispersion down the length of the fracture is a physical component not taken into account in this model. Future studies may be warranted in order to determine the necessity of including this factor. In addition to the tracer profile matching by the matrix diffusion model, comparisons with a simpler fracture flow model by Fossum and Horne (1982) were made. The inclusion of the matrix diffusion effects was seen to significantly improve the fit to the observed data.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | December 1983 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Jensen, Clair Lynn |
|---|---|
| Primary advisor | Horne, Roland N. |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Petroleum Engineering |
Subjects
| Subject | School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thesis |
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Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Jensen, Clair Lynn. (1983). Matrix Diffusion and its Effect on the Modeling of Tracer Returns from the Fractured Geothermal Reservoir at Wairakei, New Zealand. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/hs133tn8779
Collection
Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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