Esmeralda Energy Company, Final Scientific Technical Report, January 2008. Emigrant Slimhole Drilling Project, DOE GRED III

Technical Report · Tue Jan 22 00:00:00 EST 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/922252· OSTI ID:922252

Deymonaz, John ^[1]; Hulen, Jeffrey B. ^[2]; Nash, Gregory D. ^[2]; Schriener, Alex ^[3]

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1. Fish Lake Green Power Co. (United States)
2. Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Energy and Geosciences Inst.
3. Earth Systems Southwest (United States)

The Emigrant Slimhole Drilling Project (ESDP) was a highly successful, phased resource evaluation program designed to evaluate the commercial geothermal potential of the eastern margin of the northern Fish Lake Valley pull-apart basin in west-central Nevada. The program involved three phases: (1) Resource evaluation; (2) Drilling and resource characterization; and (3) Resource testing and assessment. Efforts included detailed geologic mapping; 3-D modeling; compilation of a GIS database; and production of a conceptual geologic model followed by the successful drilling of the 2,938 foot deep 17-31 slimhole (core hole), which encountered commercial geothermal temperatures (327⁰ F) and exhibits an increasing, conductive, temperature gradient to total depth; completion of a short injection test; and compilation of a detailed geologic core log and revised geologic cross-sections. Results of the project greatly increased the understanding of the geologic model controlling the Emigrant geothermal resource. Information gained from the 17-31 core hole revealed the existence of commercial temperatures beneath the area in the Silver Peak Core Complex which is composed of formations that exhibit excellent reservoir characteristics. Knowledge gained from the ESDP may lead to the development of a new commercial geothermal field in Nevada. Completion of the 17-31 core hole also demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of deep core drilling as an exploration tool and the unequaled value of core in understanding the geology, mineralogy, evolutional history and structural aspects of a geothermal resource.

• Research Organization: Esmeralda Energy Co, Reno, NV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE - Office of Geothermal Technologies(EE-12); US - Atomic Energy Commission
• DOE Contract Number: FC36-04GO14339
• OSTI ID: 922252
• Report Number(s): DOE-GO14339-3; TRN: US200809%%444
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
CROSS SECTIONS
DRILLING
EVALUATION
EXPLORATION
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGY
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
LAKES
MINERALOGY
PRODUCTION
SILVER
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TESTING
GRED III
Silver Peak Range
Geothermal Exploration
Nevada
Fish Lake Valley
Emigrant Prospect