Tecuamburro Volcano, Guatemala geothermal gradient core hole drilling, operations, and preliminary results

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:7179136

Goff, S; Heiken, G; Goff, F; Gardner, J ^[1]; Duffield, W ^[2]; Martinelli, L; Aycinena, S ^[3]; Castaneda, O ^[4]

---

1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
2. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ (USA)
3. Swissboring Overseas Corp. Ltd., Guatemala City (Guatemala)
4. Unidad de Desarrollo Geotermico, Guatemala City (Guatemala). Inst. Nacional de Electrificacion

A geothermal gradient core hole (TCB-1) was drilled to a depth of 700+ m at the Tecuamburro geothermal site, Guatemala during February and March, 1990. The core hole is located low on the northern flank of the Tecuamburro Volcano complex. Preliminary analysis of cores (>98% core recovery) indicates that the hydrothermal system may be centered in the 4-km-diameter Chupadero Crater, which has been proposed as the source of pyroxene pumice deposits in the Tecuamburro area. TCB-1 is located 300 m south of a 300-m-diameter phreatic crater, Laguna Ixpaco; the core hole penetrates the thin edge of a tuff ring surrounding Ixpaco and zones of hydrothermal brecciation within the upper 150 m may be related to the phreatic blast, dated at 2,910 {sup 14}C years. At the time of this writing, the unequilibrated temperature at a depth of 570m was 180{degree}C. Data on fracturing, permeability, hydrothermal alteration, and temperature will be presented. 3 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: AID
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 7179136
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-90-932; CONF-900823--6; ON: DE90008929
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150301* -- Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology-- Geophysical Techniques & Surveys
150303 -- Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology-- Exploratory Drilling & Well Logging
CALDERAS
CENTRAL AMERICA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DRILL CORES
DRILLING
EXPLORATION
GEOLOGY
GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION
GEOTHERMAL GRADIENTS
GUATEMALA
Geothermal Legacy
LATIN AMERICA
STRATIGRAPHY
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
VOLCANOES