Geopressured geothermal Fairway evaluation and test-well site location, Frio formation, Texas Gulf Coast

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7369243

Bebout, D G; Meriwether, J

The Tertiary sediment of the Texas Gulf Coast comprises a number of terrigenous depositional wedges, some of which thicken abruptly at their downdip ends as a result both of contemporaneous movement of growth faults and of 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. With these sections, the Frio was subdivided into six mapping units; maps of sandstone distribution within these units delineate elongate main sandstone trends composed of deltaic, barrier bar, and strandplain sandstones and lying parallel to the Gulf Coast. Detailed geological, geophysical, and engineering studies conducted on the Frio Formation have delineated a geothermal test-well site extending over an area of 60 square miles in the Austin Bayou Prospect. A total of 800 to 900 ft of sandstone will occur between the depths of 13,500 and 16,500 feet. At least 30 percent of the sand will have core permeabilities of 20 to 60 millidarcys. The 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.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Texas, Austin
• OSTI ID: 7369243
• Report Number(s): CONF-771153-P1-9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150201 -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems-- USA-- (-1989)
150301* -- Geothermal Exploration & Exploration Technology-- Geophysical Techniques & Surveys
COASTAL REGIONS
DISTRIBUTION
EXPLORATORY WELLS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
Geothermal Legacy
MAPS
NORTH AMERICA
PERMEABILITY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SOUTHWEST REGION
TEXAS
USA
WELLS