The Comprehensive Test for Geothermal Tail-Water Disposal

Abstract

Geothermal reservoirs and groundwater resources in layered porous media in large sedimentary basins have enormous exploitation potential because of their extensive distribution, great quantity, and feasible temperatures and drilling depths. The discharge of geothermal wastewater (i.e. tail-water) on the surface is a serious environmental issue because of its high salinity content, so the Bureau of Geology Exploration and Mineral Resources Exploitation in Shandong Province, China called for the study of the disposal technique of the geothermal tail-water. The disposal test process is as follows: take the waste of geothermal water to make physics-chemistry preparative disposal; filtration with manganese-sand set and/or double-medium equipment; filtration with ion exchange resins; nanofiltration membrane separation; and reverse osmosis separation. After separation, the cheap, clean water can be used as a material for chemical plants. However, in the case of deeply embedded geothermal groundwater resources, connate water(buried water), or bad recharge conditions, must be dried up for a long time exploitation, causing ground depression. Therefore, it is concluded that systems utilizing reinjection, i.e. closed-circuit cycle mode injection, in sandstone reservoirs are ideal for the realization of sustainable exploitation of the geothermal groundwater resources with favorable environmental conditions on the surface.