| Title | Development of Play Fairway Analysis for Geothermal Exploration in Argentina |
|---|---|
| Authors | Cary LINDSEY, Bridget AYLING, Mark COOLBAUGH, James FAULDS, Alejandro CONDE SERRA, Gabriel ASATO, Virginia NAON, Cintia MARQUETTI, Raul SEGGIARO, Noelia CARRIZO, Javier PERONI, Johanna KAUFMAN, Nicolas LARCHER, Silvia CASTRO, Diego AZCURRA, Manuela ELISSONDO, Federico CARBALLO, Adriana BALBI, and Maria CASTANO |
| Year | 2020 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Argentina, exploration, Puna, Play Fairway analysis, geostatistics |
| Abstract | In 2017, the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy (GBCGE) received funding from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources to take the geothermal Play Fairway approach global under the Geothermal Development (GEODE) initiative. This initiative aims to increase the capacity of foreign governments to develop their geothermal resources via collaborative knowledge transfer and training, and deployment of innovative methods such as geothermal Play Fairway analysis to evaluate regional geothermal potential and reduce exploration risk. The first country selected for collaborative work under GEODE was Argentina. The collaboration in Argentina is with Servicio Geológico Minero (SegemAR), Argentina’s national geological survey, who are tasked with producing and housing geological, mining and environmental information for the sustained development of Argentina’s natural resources and mitigation of geological hazards. Working with the GBCGE team, SegemAR geoscientists identified a target area for the project to apply and develop geothermal Play Fairway analysis workflows that are appropriate for the local geological setting, and regional data availability. The study area is located in the Salta and Jujuy Provinces of northwestern Argentina in the central Andes (Puna plateau) and is approximately 45,000 km² in area. It encompasses multiple thermal areas including the Cerro Tuzgle volcanic center and geothermal transtensive belt Calama Olacapato Toro. The primary datasets identified for use in the project include spring locations and associated data such as temperature and geochemistry; fault locations with additional attributes such as slip rate and fault recency; earthquake data including depth, magnitude, etc.; relative age of volcanism; and hydrothermal alteration type and intensity. Play Fairway analysis of the target area was carried out using the available prioritized data sets and training sites as identified by the team from GBCGE and SegemAR. The resulting exploration risk maps offer the opportunity to refine future exploration in northwestern Argentina, and make the case for additional data collection such as temperature gradient wells, geophysical studies and detailed field mapping. Disclaimer: Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of State or the U.S. Government. |