skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Discovery of a concealed geothermal resource in the Alturas Basin, and its implications for further exploration in northeastern California

Abstract

In 1988 a so far unknown geothermal resource was drilled into under the City of Alturas in northeastern California. A fracture was tapped below 2300 feet, in cemented fine-grained tuffs and mudflows, producing 182{degrees}F water. The well has been used since 1990 to heat the local high school. A second well was drilled in 1991, producing about 250 gpm 182{degrees}F water from a fracture below 1893 ft. Well productivities and artesian pressures are variable, depending on distance from a major fault zone and local hydrologic regime. It appears as if the wells produce from deep reaching fractures in a caprock, that may conceal a 300 to 400{degrees}F resource between 4000 and 6000 feet depth. The results have important implications for geothermal exploration in northeastern California, i.e. just because there are no surface manifestations in a basin, it does not necessarily mean there is no geothermal resource at depth.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Plumas Geo-Hydrology, Portola, CA (United States)
  2. Millcreek Associates, Milford, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
175618
Report Number(s):
CONF-951037-
TRN: 95:008065-0029
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Annual meeting of the Geothermal Resources Council, Reno, NV (United States), 8-11 Oct 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Accomplishments of the past and challenges of the future. Transactions, Volume 19; PB: 604 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; CALIFORNIA; GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES; GEOLOGIC FRACTURES; GEOTHERMAL FIELDS; EXPLORATION; RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; GEOTHERMAL WELLS; DRILLING

Citation Formats

Bohm, B, and Juncal, R W. Discovery of a concealed geothermal resource in the Alturas Basin, and its implications for further exploration in northeastern California. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Bohm, B, & Juncal, R W. Discovery of a concealed geothermal resource in the Alturas Basin, and its implications for further exploration in northeastern California. United States.
Bohm, B, and Juncal, R W. 1995. "Discovery of a concealed geothermal resource in the Alturas Basin, and its implications for further exploration in northeastern California". United States.
@article{osti_175618,
title = {Discovery of a concealed geothermal resource in the Alturas Basin, and its implications for further exploration in northeastern California},
author = {Bohm, B and Juncal, R W},
abstractNote = {In 1988 a so far unknown geothermal resource was drilled into under the City of Alturas in northeastern California. A fracture was tapped below 2300 feet, in cemented fine-grained tuffs and mudflows, producing 182{degrees}F water. The well has been used since 1990 to heat the local high school. A second well was drilled in 1991, producing about 250 gpm 182{degrees}F water from a fracture below 1893 ft. Well productivities and artesian pressures are variable, depending on distance from a major fault zone and local hydrologic regime. It appears as if the wells produce from deep reaching fractures in a caprock, that may conceal a 300 to 400{degrees}F resource between 4000 and 6000 feet depth. The results have important implications for geothermal exploration in northeastern California, i.e. just because there are no surface manifestations in a basin, it does not necessarily mean there is no geothermal resource at depth.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/175618}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1995},
month = {Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1995}
}

Conference:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this conference proceeding.

Save / Share: