Hot Dry Rock Overview at Los Alamos

The Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal energy program is a renewable energy program that can contribute significantly to the nation's balanced and diversified energy mix. Having extracted energy from the first Fenton Hill HDR reservoir for about 400 days, and from the second reservoir for 30 days in a preliminary test, Los Alamos is focusing on the Long Term Flow Test and reservoir studies. Current budget limitations have slowed preparations thus delaying the start date of that test. The test is planned to gather data for more definitive reservoir modeling with energy availability or reservoir lifetime of primary interest. Other salient information will address geochemistry and tracer studies, microseismic response, water requirements and flow impedance which relates directly to pumping power requirements. During this year of ''preparation'' we have made progress in modeling studies, in chemically reactive tracer techniques, in improvements in acoustic or microseismic event analysis