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Geothermics, Vol.28, No.1, 3-19, 1999
Injection related cooling in the Unit 13 area of the Southeast Geysers, California, USA
Eight years of water injection into southeast Geysers well CA 956A-1 has been beneficial and without any water breakthrough to nearby producers. Production wells with maximum injection benefit did not show any wellhead temperature or enthalpy degradation for approximately five years. Production wells which showed no obvious injection effect did not exhibit any thermodynamic degradation for up to six years. Producers located to the northwest of CA 956A-1 have not displayed any thermal degradation so far. The thermal front appears to grow towards the southwest and east of the injection well. Upon arrival of the thermal front, a drop of 1.3-5.7 degrees F (0.7-3.2 degrees C) per year in wellhead temperature and 0.3-2.3 Btu/lbm (0.7-5.3 kJ/kg) per year in wellhead enthalpy has been observed. The arrival of the thermal front signifies a slowing down in boiling rate and, therefore, the recovery rate of the injected water.