Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Reinjection Blockage in the Yangbajing Geothermal Field, Tibet

Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Reinjection Blockage in the Yangbajing Geothermal Field, Tibet | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Reinjection Blockage in the Yangbajing Geothermal Field, Tibet Yanyan Huang, Hongwu Lei, Jin Na, Yilong Yuan, Yi Yu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9063364/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Reinjection is critical for the sustainable utilization of geothermal resources. However, in high-temperature reservoirs, it triggers water–rock interactions that cause formation damage and a severe decline in productivity. Through integrated laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, this study investigates these interactions and proposes reinjection strategies to counteract clogging.A site-specific model for geothermal reinjection at Yangbajing was developed by simulating variations in water–rock interactions within the geothermal reservoir during reinjection and conducting high-temperature/high-pressure water–rock reaction experiments. The thermodynamic parameters in the TOUGHREACT software were calibrated using experimental data to enhance model accuracy. The results demonstrated that quartz and feldspar were the dominant minerals undergoing dissolution in the production wells, whereas illite and mica were the primary precipitated phases. Conversely, in the injection wells, mica is the main mineral undergoing dissolution, and quartz, feldspar, and illite constitute the major precipitated phases. These mineral dissolution–precipitation dynamics near geothermal wells induce a 10% decrease in reservoir porosity and permeability. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses involving adjustments to key simulation parameters revealed that low-temperature and low-flow reinjection mitigated the extent of mineral dissolution–precipitation during geothermal reinjection, thereby alleviating adverse impacts on reservoir permeability and porosity. The flow rate should be maintained below 14 L/s, and reinjection should be performed at a temperature of 50℃, thereby minimizing adverse impacts on the geothermal reservoir. This study provides a systematic analysis of reinjection-induced site clogging arising from water–rock interactions, and the findings offer valuable insights for optimizing the sustainable exploitation of high-temperature geothermal reservoirs. High-temperature geothermal reservoir Geothermal reinjection Water–rock interaction Mineral composition Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 21 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 19 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 27 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 08 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 08 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 08 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9063364","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":614035287,"identity":"04f47cf6-784b-4044-8e16-c033a0119c12","order_by":0,"name":"Yanyan Huang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yangtze University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanyan","middleName":"","lastName":"Huang","suffix":""},{"id":614035288,"identity":"2e182e29-0490-46f9-9d40-d5d4ea35645e","order_by":1,"name":"Hongwu Lei","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chinese Academy of Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hongwu","middleName":"","lastName":"Lei","suffix":""},{"id":614035289,"identity":"dfc5947d-4f65-4e96-be25-363a612743d2","order_by":2,"name":"Jin Na","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAqUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJACgwQGGx5+9gbStKTJSPYcIM2iwzYGNxyIVGvOfoCh4OGO8zwMNxgYP3zMIUKLZU8Cg0Himds8jLMbmCVnbiNCi8EBkJa22zzMMgfYmHmJ0nL+AUjLOR42iQRitdwA23KAh4cELWBbknkkeA42E+mX8wlshj/b7Oztjzcf/PCRGC0MDPzfDCAMxgai1IMA8wOilY6CUTAKRsHIBACq4DMddMch3QAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Yangtze University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jin","middleName":"","lastName":"Na","suffix":""},{"id":614035290,"identity":"816931e5-e66a-429a-a2c1-10ea18b068d2","order_by":3,"name":"Yilong Yuan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jilin University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yilong","middleName":"","lastName":"Yuan","suffix":""},{"id":614035291,"identity":"f8fa54d2-12bd-4692-89aa-57eada249abb","order_by":4,"name":"Yi Yu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Yangtze University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yi","middleName":"","lastName":"Yu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-08 09:56:16","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9063364/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9063364/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":105729010,"identity":"1c7cffad-d663-4423-92d1-12ce6d54f7a1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-30 11:13:15","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1608185,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9063364/v1_covered_2c490422-14de-4c24-9b42-91bcccf7b055.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Mechanisms and Mitigation Strategies of Reinjection Blockage in the Yangbajing Geothermal Field, Tibet","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"geothermal-energy","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"geen","sideBox":"Learn more about [Geothermal Energy](https://geothermal-energy-journal.springeropen.com/about)","snPcode":"40517","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/40517/3","title":"Geothermal Energy","twitterHandle":"@SpringerOpen","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"High-temperature geothermal reservoir, Geothermal reinjection, Water–rock interaction, Mineral composition","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9063364/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9063364/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eReinjection is critical for the sustainable utilization of geothermal resources. However, in high-temperature reservoirs, it triggers water\u0026ndash;rock interactions that cause formation damage and a severe decline in productivity. Through integrated laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, this study investigates these interactions and proposes reinjection strategies to counteract clogging.A site-specific model for geothermal reinjection at Yangbajing was developed by simulating variations in water\u0026ndash;rock interactions within the geothermal reservoir during reinjection and conducting high-temperature/high-pressure water\u0026ndash;rock reaction experiments. The thermodynamic parameters in the TOUGHREACT software were calibrated using experimental data to enhance model accuracy. The results demonstrated that quartz and feldspar were the dominant minerals undergoing dissolution in the production wells, whereas illite and mica were the primary precipitated phases. Conversely, in the injection wells, mica is the main mineral undergoing dissolution, and quartz, feldspar, and illite constitute the major precipitated phases. These mineral dissolution\u0026ndash;precipitation dynamics near geothermal wells induce a 10% decrease in reservoir porosity and permeability. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses involving adjustments to key simulation parameters revealed that low-temperature and low-flow reinjection mitigated the extent of mineral dissolution\u0026ndash;precipitation during geothermal reinjection, thereby alleviating adverse impacts on reservoir permeability and porosity. The flow rate should be maintained below 14 L/s, and reinjection should be performed at a temperature of 50℃, thereby minimizing adverse impacts on the geothermal reservoir. 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