The US Agency for International Development--Los Alamos National Laboratory--US Geological Survey Central American Geothermal Resources Program
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States). Branch of Igneous and Geothermal Processes
Interdisciplinary field teams for this energy assistance program consisted of staff from Los Alamos, the US Geological Survey, the country of the study, and consultants; this provided the wide range of expertise necessary for geothermal resource evaluation. The program was successful largely because of the field teams dedication to their goals of verifying new geothermal resources and of sharing exploration techniques with in-country collaborators. Training programs included the geochemical, geophysical, and geological techniques needed for geothermal exploration. However, the most important aspect was long-term field work with in-country collaborators. Four geothermal gradient coreholes were drilled, three in Honduras and one in Guatemala. One of the coreholes was co-financed with Honduras, and showed their commitment to the project. Three of the exploration holes encountered high-temperature fluids, which provided information on the nature and extent of the geothermal reservoirs at promising sites in both countries. A geothermal well logging system was built and is shared between four Central American countries. For the evaluation of geothermal fluids, a geochemistry laboratory was established in Tegucigalpa, Honduras; it is now self-sufficient, and is part of Honduras' energy program. Through the teaching process and by working with counterparts in the field, the team expanded its own experience with a wide variety of geothermal systems, an experience that will be beneficial in the future for both the US investigators and in-country collaborators. At the working-scientists level, new contacts were developed that may flourish and professional ties were strengthened between scientists from a variety of US agencies. Rather than competing for research and field budgets, they worked together toward a common goal.
- OSTI ID:
- 5807889
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
CENTRAL AMERICA
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
EXPLORATORY WELLS
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
LANL
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
US GS
WELL DRILLING
DRILLING
EXPLORATION
LATIN AMERICA
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
RESOURCES
US DOE
US DOI
US ORGANIZATIONS
WELLS
150200* - Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems
299000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation