| Title | Exploration of the Upper Hot Creek Ranch Nye County, Nevada Geothermal System |
|---|---|
| Authors | Benoit, Dick; Blackwell, David D. |
| Year | 2006 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Basin and Range; Nevada, Upper Hot Creek Ranch, Basin and Range, exploration, geochemistry, temperature gradient drilling |
| Abstract | The Upper Hot Creek Ranch (UHCR) geothermal system had seen no significant exploration activity prior to 2005. Geochemical temperatures calculated from questionable published chemical analyses indicated subsurface temperatures of +320oF. A complex Quaternary and Holocene faulting pattern associated with a six mile step over of the Hot Creek Range near the UHCR provides multiple possible exploration targets. Three analyses of the UHCR thermal waters give predicted subsurface temperatures ranging from 317 to 334oF from the Na-K-Ca, quartz, and Na-Li geothermometers. Four of the five holes drilled to depths of 300 to 400’ in Quaternary alluvium encountered temperatures near the expected regional thermal background. The fifth hole, located within a narrow part of Hot Creek Canyon, encountered a maximum temperature of 81 oF at a depth of 105’ but had cooler temperatures at greater depth in highly permeable Paleozoic bedrock. The thermal anomaly associated with the UHCR geothermal system is apparently confined to the immediate vicinity of the lower part of Hot Creek Canyon where challenges such as topography, a wilderness study area, and wetlands issues will make further exploration time consuming and difficult. |