Fluid circulation and reservoir conditions of the Los Humeros Geothermal Field (LHGF), Mexico, as revealed by a noble gas survey

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Los Humeros Geothermal Field (LHGF) is one of four geothermal fields currently operating in Mexico, in exploitation since 1990. Located in a caldera complex filled with very low-permeability rhyolitic ignimbrites that are the reservoir cap-rock, recharge of the geothermal field is both limited and localized. Because of this, planning of any future geothermal exploitation must be based on a clear understanding of the fluid circulation. To this end, a first noble gas survey was carried out in which twenty-two production wells were sampled for He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe isotope analysis. Air-corrected 3He/4He ratios (Rc) measured in the fluid, normalized to the helium atmospheric ratio (Ra; 1.384×10−6), are consistently high across the field, with an average value of 7.03±0.40 Ra. This value is close to that of the sub-continental upper mantle, indicating that LHGF mines heat from an active magmatic system. Freshwater recharge does not significantly affect He isotopic ratios, contributing 1–10% of the total fluid amount. The presence of radiogenic 40Ar* in the fluid suggests a fossil fluid component that might have circulated within the metacarbonate basement with radiogenic argon produced from detrital dispersed illite. Solubility-driven elemental fractionation of Ne/Ar, Kr/Ar, and Xe/Ar confirm extreme boiling in the reservoir. However, a combined analysis of these ratios with 40Ar/36Ar reveals mixing with an air component, possibly introduced by re-injected geothermal fluids.