Geothermal resources, Vicksburg Formation, Texas Gulf Coast

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6599425· OSTI ID:6599425

Loucks, R G

The potential for discovering geopressured geothermal reservoirs in the Vicksburg Formation is limited to Hidalgo County along the Lower Texas Gulf Coast. In Hidalgo County, an area of approximately 385 square miles (designated the Vicksburg Fairway) contains up to 1,300 feet of geopressured sandstones with fluid temperatures greater than 300/sup 0/F. In-place effective permeability, however, averages less than 1 millidarcy in the Vicksburg sandstones because of fine grain size and extensive late carbonate cementation. Also, areal extent of individual reservoirs is limited in a dip direction by growth faults and in a strike direction by the lenticular morphology of the sandstone bodies. In conclusion, under the present specifications set for a geothermal fairway, the Vicksburg has minimal potential because of low reservoir deliverability, which is constrained by low permeability and somewhat limited reservoir continuity. If future tests indicate that lower permeabilities are acceptable, the Vicksburg Fairway should be reconsidered because of the presence of extremely thick sandstone bodies.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Bureau of Economic Geology
• OSTI ID: 6599425
• Report Number(s): ORO-4891-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COASTAL REGIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRICAL SURVEYS
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
Geothermal Legacy
NORTH AMERICA
PERMEABILITY
POROSITY
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SALINITY
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SOUTHWEST REGION
STRATIGRAPHY
TEXAS
USA