Thermal Performance of the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field Fluid Transportation Network

The thermal performance at the Cerro Prieto Geothermal Field (CPGF) fluid transportation network was evaluated in terms of the mass, energy and exergy flows of the separated steam and water at selected points of the transportation network, the mass and heat losses from the separators, pipelines and fittings, and the partial (transportation sub-processes) and overall (wellhead to power plant inlet) thermal efficiencies. Thermal efficiencies of the transportation sub-processes and overall steam field (wellhead to power plant inlet) processes were also evaluated. The 1st law efficiencies range from 86.8 to 98.1% for the individual fluid transportation subprocesses while those of the 2nd law vary from 78.9 to 95.9%. The overall efficiencies are 67.6% and 75.2 %, respectively. Total heat losses from the HP and LP gathering networks amounted to 180.6 MWt of which 72.9 MWt were lost through the pipelines thermal insulation, 33.7 MWt from the pipelines fittings, and 74.0 MWt from the condensate drains. Potential areas for improvement of energy utilization were detected and evaluated, and showed a potential for energy recovery equivalent to 83 MWe of additional capacity while maintaining the same rate of fluid and energy extraction and the same number of producing wells.