Abstract: In the recovery of energy from geothermal brines and other water containing or hot water sources, such brine or hot water under pressure is introduced into direct heat exchange contact with a working fluid such as isobutane, the resulting hot isobutane is expanded in a turbine to produce work, the turbine discharge is condensed and returned to the heat exchanger and the cooled brine is withdrawn from the column. The present invention is directed to recovery of working fluid dissolved and/or entrained in the spent geothermal brine or water withdrawn from the direct contact heat exchanger, including the steps of settling the brine in a settling tank to recover some of the isobutane, flashing the remaining brine to flash off additional isobutane and steam stripping the spent brine to drive off further isobutane, the recovered isobutane in each of the steps being recycled to the direct contact heat exchanger.