Geopressured geothermal fairway evaluation and test-well site location, Frio Formation, Texas Gulf Coast

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

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6849336· OSTI ID:6849336

Bebout, D G; Loucks, R G; Gregory, A R

Tertiary strata of the Texas Gulf Coast comprise a number of terrigenous depositional wedges, some of which thicken abruptly at their downdip ends as a result of contemporaneous movement of growth faults and underlying salt. The Frio Formation, one of these wedges, has been studied regionally by means of a grid of correlation cross sections aided by micropaleontological control. By means of these sections, the Frio was subdivided into six map units; maps of sandstone distribution within these units delineate principal elongate sandstone trends parallel to the Gulf Coast composed of deltaic, barrier-bar, and strandplain sandstones. These broad regional studies, followed by detailed local investigations, were pursued in order to delineate prospective areas for production of geopressured geothermal energy. A prospective area must meet the following minimum requirements; reservoir volume of 3 cubic miles, minimum permeability of 20 millidarcys (md), and fluid temperatures of 300/sup 0/F. Several geothermal fairways were identified as a result of this Frio study. In summary, detailed geological, geophysical, and engineering studies conducted on the Frio Formation have delineated a geothermal test well site in the Austin Bayou Prospect which extends over an area of 60 square miles. A total of 800 to 900 feet of sandstone will occur between the depths of 13,500 and 16,500 feet. At least 30% of the sand will have core permeabilities of 20 to 60 millidarcys. Temperature at the top of the sandstone section will be 300/sup 0/F. Water, produced at a rate of 20,000 to 40,000 barrels per day, will probably have to be disposed of by injection into shallower sandstone reservoirs. More than 10 billion barrels of water are in place in these sandstone reservoirs of the Austin Bayou Prospect; there should be approximately 400 billion cubic feed of methane in solution in this water.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Austin (USA). Bureau of Economic Geology
• OSTI ID: 6849336
• Report Number(s): ORO-4891-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

090100 -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- (-1989)
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
150303 -- Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology-- Exploratory Drilling & Well Logging
ALKANES
COASTAL REGIONS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DISTRIBUTION
EXPLORATION
FLUIDS
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL GRADIENTS
GEOTHERMAL WELLS
Geothermal Legacy
HYDROCARBONS
MANAGEMENT
MAPS
METHANE
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
POROSITY
REINJECTION
ROCKS
SALINITY
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SOLUBILITY
SOUTHWEST REGION
STRATIGRAPHY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TEXAS
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WELLS