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5 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Validation of Play Fairway Analysis of the geothermal potential of Camas Prairie, south-central Idaho, by an exploration well

Abstract Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) methodology was adapted for geothermal exploration at Camas Prairie, Idaho. Geophysical data, structural and geologic mapping, volcanic rock ages and vent locations, and the distribution of thermal springs and wells all indicated a relatively high geothermal potential along the southern margin of the Prairie. An exploration well (USU Camas-1) was drilled to a depth of 618.3 m to validate the PFA. A permeable zone was encountered at ~ 357.5 m with a maximum measured temperature of ~ 80 °C, which was suppressed following the injection of cold water. A moderate transmissivity of ~ 0.25–1 cm 2 /s estimated from an injection test as well a seasonal artesian flow at ~ 0.7 L/s corroborate the presence of a permeable zone. The existence of a lacustrine clay seal was confirmed near the bottom of the basin-fill sediment occupying the upper 314 m of the well. Geothermometers suggest the USU Camas-1 well water equilibrated at a reservoir temperature of ~ 120 °C. Based on the locations of both thermal and cold wells, geothermal fluids appear to be flowing upward along one or both of two fault systems. The presence of young basalts and elevated helium isotope ratios suggest that the heat source of Camas Prairie is magmatic. However, the faults may be acting as a conduit for geothermal fluids to rise from great depth without a shallow magmatic source being present. Camas Prairie is a promising area for geothermal development, but the relatively low reservoir temperatures indicate this resource may not be suitable for electric generation. Perhaps the best use would be for heating.

Lachmar, Thomas E. (ORCID:0000000249640119)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Chemistry of the thermal water samples of the Camas Prairie area in Idaho, USA

This dataset includes chemistry of geothermal water samples of the Camas Prairie area in Idaho. The samples included in this dataset were collected over the period of 2016-2019. Collection/analysis of new water samples and compilation of existing water chemistry database were conducted for Snake River Play Fairway Project. All chemical analysis of the samples were conducted in the Analytical Laboratory at the Center of Advanced Energy Studies (unless otherwise indicated) in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Isotope analysis were conducted in analytical/isotope measurement labs at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Utah State University, and University of Utah.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Geothermal play fairway analysis, part 1: Example from the Snake River Plain, Idaho

The Snake River Plain (SRP) volcanic province overlies the track of the Yellowstone hotspot, a thermal anomaly that extends deep into the mantle. Most of the area is underlain by a basaltic volcanic province that overlies a mid-crustal intrusive complex, which in turn provides the long-term heat flux needed to sustain geothermal systems. Previous studies have identified several known geothermal resource areas within the SRP. For the geothermal study presented herein, our goals were to: (1) adapt the methodology of Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) for geothermal exploration to create a formal basis for its application to geothermal systems, (2) assemble relevant data for the SRP from publicly available and private sources, and (3) build a geothermal PFA model for the SRP and identify the most promising plays, using GIS-based software tools that are standard in the petroleum industry. The study focused on identifying three critical resource parameters for exploitable hydrothermal systems in the SRP: heat source, reservoir and recharge permeability, and cap or seal. Data included in the compilation for heat source were heat flow, distribution and ages of volcanic vents, groundwater temperatures, thermal springs and wells, helium isotope anomalies, and reservoir temperatures estimated using geothermometry. Reservoir and recharge permeability was inferred from the analysis of stress orientations and magnitudes, post-Miocene faults, and subsurface structural lineaments based on magnetics and gravity data. Data for cap or seal included the distribution of impermeable lake sediments and clay-seal associated with hydrothermal alteration below the regional aquifer. These data were used to compile Common Risk Segment maps for heat, permeability, and seal, which were combined to create a Composite Common Risk Segment map for all southern Idaho that reflects the risk associated with geothermal resource exploration and identifies favorable resource tracks. Our regional assessment indicated that undiscovered geothermal resources may be located in several areas of the SRP. Two of these areas, the western SRP and Camas Prairie, were selected for more detailed assessment, during which heat, permeability, and seal were evaluated using newly collected field data and smaller grid parameters to refine the location of potential resources. These higher resolution assessments illustrate the flexibility of our approach over a range of scales.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Shallow Geothermal Potential of the Snake River Plain

The Snake River Plain (SRP) terrestrial heat flow and subsurface thermal regime are not well understood but are important for assessing the local geothermal resource potential, both for conventional and for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) development in the region. Resource evaluation for the SRP is complicated by the disparate data density, along with the known lateral advection of heat in the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer and vertical heat transport by fluids in the bounding faults, primarily in the southwestern section. Fortunately, recent studies, e.g., the Snake River Plain Play Fairway Analysis, the Idaho FORGE site, and site-specific investigations, which included drilling within the Camas Prairie and on the Mountain Home Air Force Base, near Twin Falls, and in the Eastern Snake River Plain as part of the HOTSPOT Project, add both additional drilling and geophysical data. The SMU Geothermal Laboratory has conducted detailed studies of SRP tectonics and heat flow since the 1970's and used this knowledge as part of the EGS geothermal potential estimation for the conterminous United States in 2006 and again in 2011, calculating geothermal potential from 3.5 km to 10 km depth. Recent temperature modeling refined the calculation methodology to estimate shallow (1 km to 4 km) resource potential using an improved thermal conductivity model and incorporation of shallow groundwater flow. By incorporating the new SRP geology, geophysics, and 206 thermal data sites into the SMU thermal modeling methodology, this project updates the resource estimate for the SRP, and generates new temperature-at-depth maps for the shallow subsurface (1 km to 4 km). The project results highlight the EGS potential resource areas (=150°C) and areas with more exploration risks based on minimal and/or low-quality data. The newest temperature modeling results suggest EGS potential is near five times greater in the SRP than previously estimated.

EGS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Play Fairway Analysis Retrospective GeoRePORTs

NREL, as part of the Play Fairway Analysis (PFA) Retrospective and with assistance from PFA PIs, completed GeoRePORTs for the sites identified in Phases 1&2 of the DOE PFA projects. The GeoRePORT (geothermal resource portfolio optimization and reporting technique) uses two factors to describe a specific project; grade and project readiness level. Grade describes the quality or potential of a project while project readiness level shows the progress of research and development. The categories that factor into the total grades and readiness levels are Geological, Technical, and Socio-Economic.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗