| Title | Temperature-At-Depth Maps for the Conterminous U.S. and Geothermal Resource Estimates |
|---|---|
| Authors | Blackwell, David; Richards, M.; Frone, Z.; Batir, J.; Ruzo, A.; Dingwall, R.; Williams, M. |
| Year | 2011 |
| Conference | Geothermal Resources Council Transactions |
| Keywords | Heat flow; EGS; temperature; BHT data; well logs; EGS Protocol |
| Abstract | A third generation geothermal resource assessment has recently been completed for the conterminous US based on a revised heat flow map using over 35,000 data sites. Improvements include: nearly doubling the number of data points used in the analysis, more detailed thermal conductivity models for temperature-at-depth and heat flow calculations, and addition of a significant number of calibration wells as checks on the bottom hole temperature (BHT) correction. The results increase the accuracy of temperature-at-depth models for the conterminous US. These temperature models are the key input required for evaluating the nonconventional geothermal resources on a regional to sub-regional basis. The new resource assessment was prepared according to a proposed global protocol for estimating Enhanced/ Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) resource potential. A comparison of the new assessment approach with previous studies is provided, along with a discussion of the differences associated with the revised approach. |