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Evaluation of the geothermal resource in the area of Albuquerque, New Mexico

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6562447
; ; ;
Factors indicating a potential geothermal resource near Albuquerque are: (1) nearby volcanoes active as recently as 120,000 years ago, (2) gravity interpretation indicating a potential reservoir averaging 1.5 km thickness, (3) high heat flow near the city, (4) warm waters (>30/sup 0/C) in municipal wells, (5) recent seismicity indicating active faulting, thereby, allowing the possibility of deep hydrothermal circulation, (6) high shallow (<30 m) temperature gradients (>100/sup 0/C/km) discovered in our drillholes, (7) deeper (<500 m) gradients from water wells exceeding 80/sup 0/C/km, and (8) chemical analyses of 88 groundwater samples yielding estimated base reservoir temperatures as high as 190/sup 0/C. An area of elevated shallow temperature gradients (less than or equal to 140/sup 0/C/km) was discovered a few kilometers west of Albuquerque by our 69 hole drilling program. Resistivity, magnetic, and gravity measurements combined with computer modeling suggest that heated ground water is forced closer to the surface here by flow over a buried ridge. A well drilled nearby yielded the highest recorded temperature in the Albuquerque area at its maximum depth (32.8/sup 0/C at 364 m). The deep gradient is 35/sup 0/C/km. An oil test well closeby reported large volumes of water at 1 km; therefore, the possibility of a low temperature (>50/sup 0/C) geothermal resource exists west of Albuquerque at less than 1 km depth.
Research Organization:
New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque (USA). Dept. of Geology
OSTI ID:
6562447
Report Number(s):
NMERDI-2-67-2135; ON: DE84901855
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201 -- Geology &amp; Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
150301* -- Geothermal Exploration &amp; Exploration Technology-- Geophysical Techniques &amp; Surveys
CHEMISTRY
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION VI
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
GEOTHERMOMETRY
GRAVITY SURVEYS
MAGNETIC SURVEYS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
RESOURCES
SEISMICITY
SURVEYS
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TEMPERATURE LOGGING
USA
WELL LOGGING