Desert Peak Geothermal Area

Resource Area: Desert Peak Geothermal Area

Details
Technical Info
Geology
Power Plants (1)
Projects (0)
Activities (8)

Geothermal Area Profile
Location	Nevada
Exploration Region	Northwest Basin and Range Geothermal Region
GEA Development Phase	Operational
Coordinates	39.75°, -118.95° Loading map... {"minzoom":false,"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","type":"ROADMAP","zoom":14,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"geoservice":"google","maxzoom":false,"width":"600px","height":"350px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","visitedicon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"wmsoverlay":"","layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"kml":[],"gkml":[],"fusiontables":[],"resizable":false,"tilt":0,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"imageoverlays":[],"markercluster":false,"searchmarkers":"","locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":null,"lat":39.75,"lon":-118.95,"alt":0,"address":"","icon":"","group":"","inlineLabel":"","visitedicon":""}]} Display map
2008 USGS Resource Estimate
Mean Reservoir Temp	215°C488.15 K 419 °F 878.67 °R
Estimated Reservoir Volume	3 km³3,000,000,000 m³ 0.72 mi³ 105,944,000,163 ft³ 3,923,851,857 yd³ 3,000,000,000,000 L
Mean Capacity	32.9606174 MW32,960.617 kW 32,960,617.4 W 32,960,617,400 mW 0.033 GW 3.296062e-5 TW
Power Production Profile
Gross Production Capacity
Net Production Capacity
Number of Operating Plants	1
Owners	Ormat Technologies Inc
Power Purchasers
Other Uses
References	Structural Controls of Geothermal Activity in the Northern Hot Springs Mountains, Western Nevada: The Tale of Three Geothermal Systems (Brady’s, Desert Peak, and Desert Queen)^[1] Desert Peak Geothermal Field Performance^[2] Assessment of Favorable Structural Settings of Geothermal Systems in the Great Basin, Western USA^[3] Geological and Structural Relationships in the Desert Peak Geothermal System, Nevada: Implications for EGS Development^[4]

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References

↑ "Structural Controls of Geothermal Activity in the Northern Hot Springs Mountains, Western Nevada: The Tale of Three Geothermal Systems (Brady’s, Desert Peak, and Desert Queen)"
↑ "Desert Peak Geothermal Field Performance"
↑ "Assessment of Favorable Structural Settings of Geothermal Systems in the Great Basin, Western USA"
↑ "Geological and Structural Relationships in the Desert Peak Geothermal System, Nevada: Implications for EGS Development"

Well Field Information
Number of Production Wells
Number of Injection Wells
Number of Replacement Wells
Average Temperature of Geofluid (°C)
Sanyal Classification (Wellhead)	Moderate Temperature
Reservoir Temp (Geothermometry)	220.5°C^[1] "°C^[1]" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property. The given value was not understood.
Sanyal Classification (Reservoir)	Moderate Temperature
Depth to Top of Reservoir	The given value was not understood.
Average Depth to Reservoir	1021m1.021 km 0.634 mi 3,349.738 ft 1,116.576 yd
Development Area
First Discovery Well
Completion Date
Well Name
Location
Depth
Initial Flow Rate (kg/s)
Flow Test Comment
Initial Temperature
Well Log

Geologic Setting
Exploration Region	Northwest Basin and Range Geothermal Region
Tectonic Setting	Extensional Tectonics
Controlling Structure	Stepover or Relay Ramp in Normal Fault Zones^[2] "Stepover or Relay Ramp in Normal Fault Zones^[2]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Topographic_Features	Horst and Graben
Brophy Model	Type E: Extensional Tectonic, Fault-Controlled Resource
Geologic Features
Modern Geothermal Features
Relict Geothermal Features	Hydrothermal Alteration^[3] "Hydrothermal Alteration^[3]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Volcanic Age	No volcanism
Host Rock Age	Mesozoic^[1] "Mesozoic^[1]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Host Rock Lithology	greenstone^[1] "greenstone^[1]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Cap Rock Age	Tertiary^[1] "Tertiary^[1]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Cap Rock Lithology	lacustrine sedimentary rocks^[1] "lacustrine sedimentary rocks^[1]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Geochemistry
Salinity (low)	6700^[1] "6700^[1]" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. The given value was not understood.
Salinity (high)
Salinity (average)	6700
Brine Constituents
Water Resistivity

Geology of the Area

The Desert Peak geothermal field, located in Churchill County, NV, is a blind geothermal system that has no surface hot springs or fumaroles. Silicified late Pleistocene sands crop out ~1.3 km west-southwest of the production wells and probably resulted from prehistoric outflow from the hydrothermal system into former Lake Lahontan when water tables were higher than today. The regional geology consists of Triassic and Jurassic metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks while the fine grained lacustrine rocks of the Truckee formation act as a caprock to the geothermal system. The temperature of the water in the production wells, ~215°C, matches its geochemical thermometers suggesting the upwelling zone has successfully been tapped. The Desert Peak area is dominated by NNE-trending gently to moderately ESE-tilted fault blocks bounded by moderately to steeply WNW-dipping normal faults. The most significant fault in the area is the WNW-dipping Rhyolite Ridge fault zone, which consists of several strands and steps to the left in the vicinity of the geothermal field. Gravity data indicate that displacement on the Rhyolite Ridge fault zone increases southward by as much as 840 m. This is compatible with a progressive southward increase in depth to pre-Tertiary basement noted in wells in the vicinity of the Desert Peak field. NW-trending gravity contours across the Desert Peak field may reflect a relay ramp associated with southward increasing displacement on the Rhyolite Ridge fault zone. No major transverse or cross faults have been observed in the Desert Peak area. In addition, there appears to be no surface evidence for a horst block in the Desert Peak area. The gravity high in the Desert Peak area appears to be associated with a thick sequence of synextensional late Miocene basalt flows that filled the half graben in the hanging wall of the Rhyolite Ridge fault zone. The geothermal field at Desert Peak occurs in the major left step in the Rhyolite Ridge fault zone. All production wells occur with this step-over. Multiple fault strands in the step-over produce a subvertical conduit of high fracture density that probably enhances fluid flow and facilitates the rise of a deep-seated thermal plume. The NNE striking fault zone is orthogonal to the regional WNW extension direction and is thus favorably oriented for fluid flow.^[3]^[4]^[1]

Desert Peak II Geothermal Facility

Geothermal Development Projects in the Area (per GEA's Annual U.S. Geothermal Power Production and Development Report (April 2011))

Page	Technique	Activity Start Date	Activity End Date	Reference Material
2-M Probe At Desert Peak Area (Sladek, Et Al., 2007)	2-M Probe Survey	2007	2007	Development Of 2-Meter Soil Temperature Probes And Results Of Temperature Survey Conducted At Desert Peak, Nevada, Usa
Core Analysis At Desert Peak Area (Laney, 2005)	Core Analysis			Federal Geothermal Research Program Update - Fiscal Year 2004
Cuttings Analysis At Desert Peak Area (Laney, 2005)	Cuttings Analysis			Federal Geothermal Research Program Update - Fiscal Year 2004
Gas Flux Sampling At Desert Peak Area (Lechler And Coolbaugh, 2007)	Gas Flux Sampling			Gaseous Emissions From Steamboat Springs, Brady'S Hot Springs, And Desert Peak Geothermal Systems, Nevada
InSAR At Desert Peak Area (Laney, 2005)	InSAR			Federal Geothermal Research Program Update - Fiscal Year 2004
Mercury Vapor At Desert Peak Area (Varekamp & Buseck, 1983)	Mercury Vapor			Hg Anomalies In Soils- A Geochemical Exploration Method For Geothermal Areas
Micro-Earthquake At Desert Peak Geothermal Area (2011)	Micro-Earthquake	2011	2011	DOE REAL-TIME SEISMIC MONITORING AT ENHANCED GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM SITES
Modeling-Computer Simulations At Desert Peak Area (Wisian & Blackwell, 2004)	Modeling-Computer Simulations			Numerical Modeling Of Basin And Range Geothermal Systems

List of existing Geothermal Resource Areas: Category:Geothermal Resource Areas

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Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

[a24-1] "Structural Controls of Geothermal Activity in the Northern Hot Springs Mountains, Western Nevada: The Tale of Three Geothermal Systems (Brady’s, Desert Peak, and Desert Queen)"

[a26-2] "Desert Peak Geothermal Field Performance"

[a9-3] "Assessment of Favorable Structural Settings of Geothermal Systems in the Great Basin, Western USA"

[a23-4] "Geological and Structural Relationships in the Desert Peak Geothermal System, Nevada: Implications for EGS Development"

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Desert Peak Geothermal Area

From Open Energy Information

Resource Area: Desert Peak Geothermal Area

References