Temperature-At-Depth Maps For the Conterminous US and Geothermal Resource Estimates

Conference · Mon Oct 24 04:00:00 EDT 2011

OSTI ID:1137036

Blackwell, David ^[1]; Richards, Maria; Frone, Zachary; Batir, Joe; Ruzo, Andrés; Dingwall, Ryan; Williams, Mitchell

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1. None

A third generation geothermal resource assessment has recently been completed for the conterminous US based on a revised heat flow map using over 35,000 data sites. Improvements include: nearly doubling the number of data points used in the analysis, more detailed thermal conductivity models for temperature-at-depth and heat flow calculations, and addition of a significant number of calibration wells as checks on the bottom hole temperature (BHT) correction. The results increase the accuracy of temperature-at-depth models for the conterminous US. These temperature models are the key input required for evaluating the non-conventional geothermal resources on a regional to sub-regional basis. The new resource assessment was prepared according to a proposed global protocol for estimating Enhanced/ Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) resource potential. A comparison of the new assessment approach with previous studies is provided, along with a discussion of the differences associated with the revised approach.

• Research Organization: Southern Methodist University Geothermal Laboratory, Dallas, TX (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Geothermal Technologies Office (EE-4G)
• DOE Contract Number: EE0002852
• OSTI ID: 1137036
• Report Number(s): GRC1029452
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY