QUALITATIVE INTERPRETATION OF AN INTERWELL TRACER TEST IN A HIGH-TEMPERATURE GEOTHERMAL RESERVOIR

Date

2025-9-1

Author

Güler, Egemen

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This thesis presents a detailed qualitative interpretation of a multi-well, multi-tracer test designed to delineate the hydraulic architecture of the reservoir supplying a commercial geothermal power plant in the Menderes Field, located in the Denizli province, Western Turkey. Using naphthalene disulfonate (NDS) isomers, this study interprets tracer returns from three injection wells to map structural controls in the fault-controlled reservoir. The analysis provides substantial evidence that the reservoir is compartmentalized into at least three distinct hydraulic domains: Northwestern, Central, and Southeastern Domain. This compartmentalization is governed by two major, previously uncharacterized E-W trending fault systems. The function of a "Central Fault" as a significant internal hydraulic barrier was confirmed by contrasting the rapid tracer response on one side of the structure against the near-total lack of communication on the other. A "Northern Boundary Fault" isolating the northernmost production area was also identified. Within the central domain, the tracer data exposed high-permeability preferential flow paths ("superhighways") with both E-W and N-S orientations, interpreted as a fault damage zone conduit and a major conjugate fracture. Furthermore, prolonged, receding tails observed on several return curves indicate that fracture-matrix interaction is a dominant transport process throughout the system. This study culminates in a new conceptual understanding of the Menderes reservoir that has direct implications for its sustainable management. By identifying the specific locations of both hydraulic barriers and high-velocity short-circuits, this hydrogeological framework provides essential basis for optimizing injection strategies to maximize long-term pressure support while mitigating the immediate risk of premature thermal breakthrough.

Subject Keywords

Interwell Tracing, Geothermal Systems, NDS

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/116120

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis