Prefeasibility geothermal assessment of Platanares, Department of Copan, Honduras

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6107042

Goff, S; Goff, F; Heiken, G; Duffield, W A; Truesdell, A H; Laughlin, A W; Flores, W

The Platanares geothermal system is located in a region of active Quaternary tectonism in western Honduras. Although the geothermal area is partially blanketed by Miocene ignimbrites (14.5 m.y.), there are no nearby Quaternary volcanic rocks to act as a young magmatic heat source. No acid-sulfate waters, indicative of vapor-dominated conditions, exist in the area. Hot spring activity is most vigorous along a 2 km stretch of the Quebrada del Agua Caliente fault zone. Natural discharge is high (/approximately/3300 l/min), temperatures range from 35 to 100/degree/C, pH ranges from 7 to 9, and totally dissolved solids are low (/approximately/1100 mg/kg). Chemical geothermometers indicate a subsurface reservoir temperature of about 225/degree/C. Three exploration core holes (7.8 cm diameter) have been drilled to a maximum depth of 680 m and maximum temperature of 165/degree/C. Two holes produce copious amounts of water under artesian conditions (/approximately/500 l/min max; 5 bars flowing) from fractured red beds of Cretaceous to Eocene age (Valle de Angeles Group). Maximum power output is /approximately/4.5 MW (thermal) but CO/sub 2/ released during flashing formed some aragonite scale in one hole. The third core hole has an ''apparent'' conductive gradient of 139/degree/C/km at 400 m. Downward continuation of this gradient implies that the minimum depth to the geothermal resource (225/degree/C) is 1.5 to 2.0 km. 13 refs., 4 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6107042
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-89-1640; CONF-8903134-1; ON: DE89012611
• Resource Relation: Conference: Circum-Pacific energy and minerals conference, San Jose, Costa Rica, 5 Mar 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
HONDURAS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
BOREHOLES
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
PLANNING
TEMPERATURE SURVEYS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
CAVITIES
CENTRAL AMERICA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
LATIN AMERICA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SURVEYS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
Geothermal Legacy
150301* - Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology- Geophysical Techniques & Surveys