Geopressured--geothermal energy from the Frio Formation, Texas Gulf Coast: review of ideal and actual prospects (Abstract)
The Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, has been searching for geopressured geothermal prospects in the downdip portion of several offlapping, basin-ward-thickening wedges of Tertiary sand and shale along the Texas Gulf Coast. The ideal prospect model is a reservoir with a volume of at least three cubic miles (which translates into a cumulative sand thickness of greater than 300 feet and areal extent of 50 square miles), greater than 300/sup 0/F subsurface fluid temperature, permeability greater than 20 millidarcies, and water saturated with methane. Several prospective geothermal fairways have been identified in the Frio Formation of Kenedy, Nueces, Matagorda, and Brazoria Counties. However, only the prospect in the Brazoria Fairway (the Austin Bayou Prospect) meets all of the requirements of the ideal geopressured geothermal prospect. The Austin Bayou Prospect contains up to 1,200 feet of sand with hundreds of millidarcies permeability below 13,500 feet in depth. The optimal sand thickness extends over an area of at least 60 square miles; subsurface temperatures are as high as 330/sup 0/F. Enormous reservoirs extending over hundreds of square miles with hundreds of millidarcies permeability predicted by previous workers have not been found in the Frio. However, initial studies indicate that the smaller reservoirs which are being delineated are capable of producing significant quantities of thermal energy and methane.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Texas, Austin
- OSTI ID:
- 5452963
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Journal Name: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States) Vol. 9:1; ISSN GAAPB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
090000 -- Biomass Fuels
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
ALKANES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
EXPLORATION
FLUIDS
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GULF OF MEXICO
HYDROCARBONS
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
METHANE
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ROCKS
SAND
SEAS
SHALES
SURFACE WATERS
TEXAS
USA