Interpretation of the return profile of a tracer test in the Thelamork geothermal field, Iceland

As a part of a full scale production test, a long term tracer test was performed in the Thelamork low temperature geothermal system, in N-Iceland. The tracer test was aimed at recovering the transport properties of fractures connecting the injection and production wells. Hence, the estimated parameters might be used in determining the performance of the system under various injection schemes. A qualitative evaluation the tracer return profile showed the presence of strong recirculation effects. In addition, the return profile indicated that the medium appears to be highly dispersive. Earlier modelling studies employed a one-dimensional two path model to match the return profile and substituted the properties of the major path in the Lauwerier model to estimate the thermal breakthrough time. However, the two path model estimates a very large dispersive tiansport almost equal to the convective transport. This large dispersivity necessitates adding a dispersive heat transport term in the Lauwerier model and as a result reduces the Lauwerier thermal breakthrough time almost to half. Considering the injection and production rates, we used a more accurate one-dimensional five-path model in this work. This model infers a smaller dispersivity and leads to a greater breakthrough time than the two path model,more » owing to both increased heat transfer area with increasing number of fractures and. less dispersive transport of heat.« less