Production and injection data from 11 slim holes and 10 large-diameter wells at the Oguni Geothermal Field, Japan, were examined in an effort to establish relationships (1) between productivity of large-diameter wells and slim holes, (2) between injectivity and productivity indices and (3) between productivity index and borehole diameter. The production data from Oguni boreholes imply that the mass production from large diameter wells may be estimated based on data from slim holes. Test data from both large- and smalldiameter boreholes indicate that to first order the productivity and the injectivity indices are equal. Somewhat surprisingly, the productivity index was found to be a strong function of borehole diameter; the cause for this phenomenon is not understood at this time.

This paper presents a solution for the inverse problem to the flow of tracers in naturally fractured reservoirs. The models considered include linear flow in vertical fractures, radial flow in horizontal fractures, and cubic block matrix-fracture geometry. The Rosenbrock method for nonlinear regression used in this study, allowed the estimation of up to six parameters for the cubic block matrix fracture geometry. The nonlinear regression for the three cases was carefully tested against syntetical tracer concentration responses affected by random noise, with the objective of simulating as close as possible step injection field data. Results were obtained within 95 percent confidence limits. The sensitivity of the inverse problem solution on the main parameters that describe this flow problem was investigated. The main features of the nonlinear regression program used in this study are also discussed. The procedure of this study can be applied to interpret tracer tests in naturally fractured reservoirs, allowing the estimation of fracture and matrix parameters of practical interest (longitudinal fracture dispersivity alpha, matrix porosity phi2, fracture half-width w, matrix block size d, matrix diffusion coefficient D2 and the adsorption constant kd). The methodology of this work offers a practical alternative for tracer flow tests interpretation to …

The behavior of water injection plumes in vapor-dominated reservoirs is examined. Stressing the similarity to water infiltration in heterogeneous soils, we suggest that everpresent heterogeneities in individual fractures and fracture networks will cause a lateral broadening of descending injection plumes. The process of lateral spreading of liquid phase is viewed in analogy to transverse dispersion in miscible displacement. To account for the postulated “phase dispersion” the conventional two-phase immiscible flow theory is extended by adding a Fickian-type dispersive term. The validity of the proposed phase dispersion model is explored by means of simulations with detailed resolution of small-scale heterogeneity. We also present an illustrative application to injection into a depleted vapor zone. It is concluded that phase dispersion effects will broaden descending injection plumes, with important consequences for pressure support and potential water breakthrough at neighboring production wells.