| Title | Recent Cooling in Los Humeros Geothermal Field (Mexico), Inferred from Clay Minerals Distribution |
|---|---|
| Authors | Prol-Ledesma, Rosa Maria |
| Year | 1990 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Exploration; Mexico; Los Humeros; Hydrothermal Alteration; X-Ray Diffraction; Metamorphic; Volcanics; Basalt; Zeolite; Epidotes; Kaolinite; Montmorillonite; Illite; Chloride; Reservoir Cooling |
| Abstract | Samples of cutting form 12 exploration wells drilled in the Los Humeros geothermal field, were analyzed using X-ray diffraction for the identification of clay minerals. The results yield the flowing assemblages of clay minerals with increasing depth: 1 - Ca-montmorillonite zone; 2- interstratified illite-montmorillonite zone; 3 - illite and chlorite zone; 4 - illite, chlorite an dmonmorillonite zone. In some wells the illite chlorite zone can be identified also below the illite-chlorite-monmorillonite zone. The presence of montmorillonite in zone 4 is related to a temperature inversion. The temperature inversion inferred from the clay minerals distribution correlates well with the available data on hydrothermal alteration and fluid inclusion (Viggiano and Robles, 1988; Prol-Ledesma and Browne, 1989). |