Thermal Gradient Holes At Nw Basin & Range Region (Pritchett, 2004)

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

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Exploration Activity: Thermal Gradient Holes At Nw Basin & Range Region (Pritchett, 2004)

Exploration Activity Details
Location	Northwest Basin and Range Geothermal Region
Exploration Technique	Thermal Gradient Holes
Activity Date
Usefulness	not useful
DOE-funding	Unknown

Notes

NOTE: These are theoretical/computer simulation tests of various methods on eight hypothetical 'model' basing-and-range geothermal systems. "The 300-meter heat flow holes are essentially useless for finding the "hidden" reservoirs. Clearly, the best results are obtained from the SP and MT surveys, with DC resistivity a close third. It is concluded that the best way to find "hidden" basin and range geothermal resources of this general type is to carry out simultaneous SP and low-frequency MT surveys, and then to combine the results of both surveys with other pertinent information using mathematical "inversion" techniques to characterize the subsurface quantitatively. Many such surveys and accompanying analyses can be carried out for the cost of a single unsuccessful deep "discovery well"."

References

• J. W. Pritchett (2004) Finding Hidden Geothermal Resources In The Basin And Range Using Electrical Survey Techniques- A Computational Feasibility Study